Forty years ago this summer, my mom moved my three younger brothers and me to a tumbledown house in the small town of Anacortes, Washington, about a two-hour drive north of Seattle. Anacortes, along with Seattle and Bainbridge Island, is one of the key hubs for the Washington State Ferries system, the largest fleet in America, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in June of this year.
For a bunch of preteen boys, nothing seemed more fun than wheeling our secondhand Huffys onto one of the hulking green-and-white 1950s-era Evergreen State–class vessels to head out to the San Juan Islands. From the outdoor deck I’d watch other ferries sail slowly past with a grace that belied their immense bulk, giving off the impression they’d always been here plying the deep, still waters between islands furred with evergreens.
When I got older I discovered the pleasure of drinking a cup of hot black coffee on the deck as the ferry pulled out of Colman Dock in Seattle en route to the Olympic Peninsula, watching the Space Needle and the city skyline recede as we got further into Elliott Bay. Often, especially when it was wet and cold out, I’d grab a cup of clam chowder to go from the legendary Ivar’s Acres of Clams, on the downtown waterfront next to the terminal, to eat while waiting for the ferry to leave.
Cars, bikes, motorcycles, and walk-on passengers are all welcome on the ferries, although a vehicle reservation is recommended on some routes.
Photo by William Jacobs/Pexels
For those of us who grew up in the region, the ferries carry an emotional freight akin to mom’s meatloaf. Steven J. Pickens, a local historian who has written several books about the ferry system, recalls taking the Walla Walla or the Spokane to Seattle in December after school let out to look at the Christmas decorations in the department stores. “That was back when those two ferries had the orange interiors and gold carpet,” he says. “The cabin always had this smell of carpet cleaner, cigarette smoke, and coffee. And I remember the posters for the nonsmoking end of the cabin. The one that sticks is of a woman coughing into a handkerchief with the caption ‘Cough, cough, choke, choke. This is not a place to smoke!’”
Mercifully, smoking has been banned on Washington State Ferries for more than two decades now. But the retro vibe persists, thanks in part to the ships’ 60-year lifespan; the oldest ferry in the system, the MV Tillikum—the last of those Evergreen State–class vessels sailing the Salish Sea—entered service in 1959. Riding on this ferry, or on the 1960s-era MV Kaleetan or MV Yakima along the Seattle–Bremerton route, has some of the flavor of taking Amtrak’s Empire Builder train from Chicago to Seattle; it’s atavistic in a way that’s more functional than fancy, designed to maximize your encounters with the stunning landscapes of the American West.
Many of the ferries have food and drink options and indoor places to sit.
Photo by Josh Hild/Pexels
Pickens argues that 60 years is way too long, and the delays that have plagued the ferry system in recent decades bear him out. But the ferries’ very unreliability is also part of their charm. You will get on eventually. And once you do, you’ll surrender to the ferry’s rhythm, listen to the rumble of its mighty engine, walk the deck looking at seabirds and distant snow-capped mountains, order a craft beer, and settle in a booth with a book. You will get there when you get there.
Of course, I offer those sentiments as a tourist who takes the ferry without urgently needing to be somewhere by a certain time. Residents of the area have been commuting to work in Seattle by ferry for a century, since before Washington State Ferries existed as an entity.
“All anyone has to do is take one of the commuter runs out of Seattle in the evening to realize just how many people make the trek every day,” Pickens says. The ferry system is Washington State’s maritime superhighway. It doesn’t just add character to the region; it has also served as a primary catalyst for making Seattle one of the world’s great cities.
More than 20 million people rode the Washington State Ferries in 2025. The Seattle–Bainbridge Island route was the busiest, with 5.2 million riders.
Photo by Ashutosh Gupta/Unsplash (L); photo by Josh Hild/Pexels (R)
“They’re ingrained in the culture here,” Pickens adds. “Much more, I think, than in other places with large ferry systems. You can get married on a ferry and you can have your memorial on a ferry. And there have been a few births on ferries, too, but I don’t recommend that.”
Taking a ferry out of Seattle on a sunny day with Mount Rainier looming on the horizon? It doesn’t get any more picturesque than that.
For visitors like me, the ferry is, and always will be, one of the top reasons to visit the area. “YouTube has hundreds of videos of people filming their trips across the Sound as a major part of their visit to Seattle and the area,” says Pickens. “Who can blame them? Taking a ferry out of Seattle on a sunny day with Mount Rainier looming on the horizon? It doesn’t get any more picturesque than that.”
I’ve taken my own kids on the ferries a couple of times on trips back to the region, and my memories of them having fun onboard are as powerful as my own childhood recollections. In my mind’s eye, I can see them dancing on the stern in front of the Seattle skyline, laughing over a cup of Ivar’s (which is served onboard now), spreading playing cards on the old laminate table in one of the booths. They didn’t need to be told what to do, because there’s no learning curve for riding the ferry. All you have to do is get on, and the ferry will tell you what to do.
Make a day of it: 3 scenic ferry rides from the Seattle area
The Washington State Ferry system runs nine routes.
Photo by dumitru B/Pexels
Seattle to Bainbridge Island for beaches and the skyline at sunset
A classic Seattle day trip is to take the half-hour ride from Colman Dock at Pier 52 (a 12-minute walk south of Pike Place Market) to pedestrian-friendly Bainbridge Island, where you can unwind at Bloedel Reserve’s gardens or on numerous beaches, visit wineries and distilleries, and eat some of the best farm-to-table cooking in the region. Most ferry riders bring their cars, but I highly recommend the unencumbered experience of walking on. Return at sunset to see the Seattle skyline bathed in golden light.
Mukilteo to Whidbey Island for forest hikes and further islands
Drive about 35 minutes north of downtown Seattle to the Mukilteo ferry terminal, where a 20-minute ride connects the mainland to sinuous Whidbey Island, the biggest island in Washington State and a fine place to experience the beauty of the Puget Sound and the majesty of Washington’s old-growth forests. Hike along cliffs and across bridges in Deception Pass State Park or explore the lighthouse and coastal military buildings of Fort Casey Historical State Park. From Whidbey, you can also take the ferry from Coupeville to the historic town of Port Townsend, the gateway to the Olympic Peninsula, or drive across Deception Pass Bridge to Anacortes to take the ferry through the San Juan Islands.
Fauntleroy to Vashon for art galleries, farm stands, and cideries
The ferry is the only way to access the bucolic no-stoplight island community of Vashon, which is key to the destination’s appeal: The 15-minute ride from the quiet, residential West Seattle neighborhood of Fauntleroy deposits you in this tranquil haven of artists, aging hippies, and aging artist hippies. Spend the day in one of several lovely nature preserves (try Island Center Forest), visit the many galleries, hit up a few farm stands and cideries, and marvel that a place this slow-paced can exist so close to cosmopolitan Seattle.
