| Fastest | 0h 35m |
|---|---|
| Slowest | 0h 35m |
| Sailings / week | unknown |
| Operators | 1 |
| Vessels | 1 |
| Distance | 7.5 nm |
Services on this crossing
| Operator | Vessels | Duration | Per week | Terminals | Foot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State Ferries | Wenatchee | 0h 35m | unknown | unknown | Yes |
Vessels deployed
| Vessel | IMO | Built | GT | Type | Passengers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee | 9137351 | 1998 | unknown | ropax | 1,791 |
Terminals
| Port | Terminal | Address | Foot access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bainbridge Island | unknown | ||
| Seattle | unknown | ||
Ferries between Seattle and Bainbridge Island form the busiest crossing in the Washington State Ferries system, linking Colman Dock on the downtown Seattle waterfront with the Winslow terminal on the island. The crossing covers 7.5 nautical miles and takes about 35 minutes.
Current status: Active year-round passenger and vehicle route operated by Washington State Ferries, with two Jumbo Mark II class vessels assigned under the fall 2026 sailing schedule.
Last checked: 24 September 2026.
Current Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry service
Washington State Ferries is the only operator on the route and has been since the state took over the crossing in 1951.
The fall 2026 sailing schedule, effective 20 September to 26 December 2026, assigns Wenatchee and Tacoma to the route.
The service carried 5,217,546 passengers and vehicles in 2025, made up of 3,591,448 passengers and 1,525,098 vehicles, more than any other route in the system.
Departures run from early morning until late evening in both directions. The route runs a holiday schedule on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry operators
| Operator | Main vessels | Seattle terminal | Bainbridge Island terminal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State Ferries | Wenatchee and Tacoma | Colman Dock, Pier 52 | Bainbridge Island Terminal, Winslow |
Vessel assignments change with the sailing schedule and with maintenance, so passengers should check current operator information before travelling.
How long is the Seattle-Bainbridge Island ferry?
The scheduled crossing time is about 35 minutes over a distance of 7.5 nautical miles, or 8.6 miles.
Published journey times for the route have ranged from 30 to 35 minutes depending on the vessel and the sailing.
The crossing is short enough to support many departures in each direction during a single day, and it functions as a commuter link as well as a tourist route.
Vessels on the route
Both assigned vessels are Jumbo Mark II class double-ended ferries, the largest in the Washington State Ferries fleet.
Wenatchee was built in 1998 at Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle and carries up to 2,499 passengers and 202 vehicles. It was converted to hybrid-electric propulsion and rejoined the fleet in July 2025.
Tacoma is its sister vessel on the route under the current schedule.
Seattle ferry terminal
All Washington State Ferries sailings from Seattle use Colman Dock at 801 Alaskan Way Pier 52, on the central waterfront.
The same terminal also serves the Bremerton route, so passengers should check which slip their sailing uses.
See the Seattle ferry port guide for terminal details and the wider Seattle ferry network.
Bainbridge Island ferry terminal
The island terminal is at 270 Olympic Drive SE, at the head of Eagle Harbour in Winslow.
It is the only ferry terminal on Bainbridge Island and serves the Seattle route alone.
See the Bainbridge Island ferry port guide for more information.
Passengers and vehicles
The route carries foot passengers and private vehicles on every sailing.
Vehicle reservations are not available, so drivers queue in the terminal holding lanes and board in arrival order. Foot passengers board through the passenger building at either end.
Because Winslow town centre is next to the island terminal, the crossing is widely used on foot without a car at either end.
Seasonality and frequency
The route operates year-round and is not seasonal, but the timetable changes with the published sailing seasons.
The current fall schedule runs from 20 September to 26 December 2026. Spring and summer schedules typically add sailings.
Passengers should use the current Washington State Ferries timetable for exact departure times rather than relying on a fixed number of daily sailings through the year.
How Seattle-Bainbridge Island fits into the Puget Sound network
Seattle-Bainbridge Island is the central of three main cross-Sound car ferry corridors, alongside Edmonds-Kingston to the north and the Seattle-Bremerton route from the same Seattle terminal.
Together these crossings carry road traffic between the Seattle side of Puget Sound and the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas, avoiding the long land route around the south end of the Sound.
Bainbridge Island is connected to the Kitsap Peninsula by road at Agate Pass, so the ferry also serves traffic heading beyond the island.
Alternative ferry connections
Drivers heading for the northern Kitsap Peninsula can use the Edmonds-Kingston ferry instead, which starts north of Seattle.
The Seattle-Bremerton route leaves from the same Colman Dock and serves the western side of the Kitsap Peninsula, on a longer crossing.
Explore related ferry information
- Seattle ferry port
- Bainbridge Island ferry port
- Washington State Ferries
- Wenatchee
- Browse ferry routes
- Browse ferry operators
Sources and verification
Crossing time, assigned vessels, schedule season and terminal names were checked against the Washington State Ferries fall 2026 Seattle / Bainbridge Island sailing schedule. Route distance and 2025 ridership were checked against the Washington State Ferries route record, and the 30 to 35 minute range against the route article.
The number of sailings per week was not verified in this pass and has been left empty rather than estimated.
Routes, departure times, terminals and vessel assignments can change. Current operator and terminal information should be checked before travel.