Projected 700,000 sailing through a winter waterland aboard state ferries during final 13 days of the year

SEATTLE – It’s better than a one-horse open sleigh, so there will be a lot of people using Washington State Ferries to get to their destinations this holiday season.

Around 700,000 passengers are expected from Friday, Dec. 19, through Wednesday, Dec. 31. Those boarding in a vehicle should be ready for long waits.

The expected surge, combined with the restoration of full domestic service earlier this year, is projected to push 2025 ridership above 20 million. That would mark the system’s first return to that level since 2019.

Plan before you go 

People boarding a vessel in a vehicle should use the WSDOT mobile app or visit the WSF website before heading to the terminal. Both feature sailing schedules, live terminal conditions, rider alerts, a real-time map and vehicle reservations.

Busy travel times

With Christmas falling on a Thursday, it’s difficult to predict when people will be traveling. However, the busiest sailings will likely be centered around the weekends before and after the holiday. Historically, fewer people catch a ferry during New Year’s week. To reduce or eliminate waiting, riders should consider taking an early-morning or late-night sailing or using transit to walk or bike onto the ferry if possible.

Holiday schedules

There will be a few changes to the daily schedules on the Edmonds/Kingston and Point Defiance/Tahlequah routes on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, and again on these two runs plus the Anacortes/San Juan Islands route on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1. These changes are marked online on each schedule by route. The Seattle/Bainbridge Island and Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth runs will operate on weekend timetables both days.

Winter sailing season

WSF’s winter sailing season begins Sunday, Dec. 28. The switch will bring schedule changes on two routes.

Seattle/Bremerton: Construction at Bremerton terminal in January will prevent two vessels from docking there overnight. The No. 1 boat will dock in Seattle instead until the season ends March 21, 2026. During this time, there will be:

• No 4:50 a.m. Bremerton departure.
• A 3 p.m. sailing out of Bremerton instead of 2:40 p.m.
• An added 10:15 p.m. Bremerton to Seattle sailing.
• No 8:35 a.m. Seattle or 9:50 a.m. Bremerton departures on Sundays.

Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth: Normal seasonal shift to two-boat schedule on weekends. 

People using state highways to get to the ferry terminal should plan for potential holiday travel backups and delays by checking real-time traffic information on the WSDOT mobile app or online using the WSDOT travel map feature.

WSF, a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation, is the largest ferry system in the U.S. and safely and efficiently carries tens of millions of people a year through some of the most majestic scenery in the world.