Washington State Ferries

Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington that carries passengers and vehicles. A division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), it operates 8 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. The routes are designated as part of the state highway system and also comprise a major public transit network in the Seattle metropolitan area. WSF is the largest ferry system in the United States and carried 20.1 million total riders in 2025, of which 10.7 million were passengers and 9.4 million were driving vehicles. The agency carried an average of 48,700 per weekday in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The ferry system began operation on June 1, 1951, after the state government acquired routes, vessels, and terminals from the Puget Sound Navigation Company, a private company that had a virtual monopoly on ferries in the region. The company had sold its assets after it was barred from raising fares in the 1940s and was unable to cover rising costs. Under state control, the ferry system was modernized and expanded through the use of custom-built vessels that could carry larger numbers of passengers and vehicles. WSF was originally a division of the Washington State Toll Bridge Authority and was transferred to WSDOT control in 1977.

WSF maintains a fleet of 21 vessels that are able to carry passengers and vehicles. The largest of the fleet is the Jumbo Mark II class, which can carry 1,791 passengers and 202 vehicles. The ferries have a 60-year lifespan and undergo at least one refurbishment during their time in service; they are maintained at a Bainbridge Island facility and inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard. The agency plans to convert existing vessels, which use diesel fuel, to hybrid-electric propulsion and construct new hybrid ferries by 2040. WSF has over 1,500 full-time employees and an annual budget of $354 million that is primarily funded by fares and the state's gas tax.