A star-spangled start to summer: Washington State Ferries seeing strong demand in its 75th year

SEATTLE – The Fourth of July holiday weekend will spark one of the busiest ridership periods of the year for Washington State Ferries. About 400,000 people are expected to board from Thursday, July 2, through Monday, July 6. It will be a milestone year on the water, as WSF celebrates 75 years of service while the United States marks its 250th anniversary.

This year’s Independence Day travel rush comes as the region also welcomes thousands of visitors for the men’s soccer world championship matches in Seattle. The added tourism will only add to what’s shaping up to be the system’s busiest year since 2019. In 2026, WSF has already welcomed more than 9.4 million riders through June 28. That’s an increase of nearly 425,000 riders compared to the same point in 2025. Last year ended with the system’s highest ridership in six years, and current trends suggest 2026 could surpass those numbers.

“We’re pleased to see more people choosing to ride our ferries, but this growth isn’t a surprise,” said Steve Nevey, head of WSF. “For the past several years, we’ve focused on hiring, training and supporting our workforce. Because of that work, we've restored full domestic service and greatly reduced cancellations caused by crew shortages. But we still have more work to do. We’re continuing to recruit, train and retain employees so we’ll have the people needed to support our customers and operate the new ferries that will join our fleet in the coming years.”

Plan before you go

People boarding a vessel in a vehicle should use the Washington State Department of Transportation 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

The busiest sailings for vehicles will likely be westbound (or onto an island) Thursday and Friday, July 2-3, then eastbound (or off island) Sunday and Monday, July 5-6. Prepare for long lines and extended wait times. To reduce or eliminate waiting, riders should consider taking early-morning or late-night sailings or using transit to walk or bike onto the ferry if possible.

Holiday schedules

On the Fourth of July, all routes will operate on their normal Saturday schedules. The Seattle/Bainbridge Island and Fauntleroy/Vashon/Southworth runs have different timetables for weekdays and weekends.

As a reminder, it is against the law to set off or transport illegal fireworks aboard a state ferry.

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 WSDOT, 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.