Charlotte sits on the Vermont shore of Lake Champlain, south of Burlington, and Essex faces it from the New York side, with the Adirondacks rising behind the town. Between them lie three miles of lake and a state line. Lake Champlain Ferries, the trading name of the Lake Champlain Transportation Company, closes the gap with a car ferry that runs from the end of Ferry Road, Vermont's F-5, to 1 Main Street in Essex.
It is the southernmost of the company's two crossings. The operator times it at about 25 minutes over three miles, and the boats carry anything up to 40 tons and 13 feet 6 inches high, from bicycles and motorcycles to buses and trucks priced by the foot.
The route is not seasonal: it stays open year-round. What changes with the seasons is the timetable, and in winter the lake itself, which can close the crossing when the ice is bad or a strong wind blows down from the north.
Twenty-two departures each way, and no end date on the page
Daily, current schedule
| From Charlotte, VT Dock | From Essex, NY Dock |
|---|---|
| 06:00 | 06:30 |
| 07:00 | 07:30 |
| 08:00 | 08:30 |
| 09:00 | 09:30 |
| 10:00 | 10:30 |
| 10:30 | 11:00 |
| 11:00 | 11:30 |
| 11:30 | 12:00 |
| 12:00 | 12:30 |
| 12:30 | 13:00 |
| 13:00 | 13:30 |
| 13:30 | 14:00 |
| 14:00 | 14:30 |
| 14:30 | 15:00 |
| 15:00 | 15:30 |
| 15:30 | 16:00 |
| 16:00 | 16:30 |
| 16:30 | 17:00 |
| 17:00 | 17:30 |
| 18:00 | 18:30 |
| 19:00 | 19:30 |
| 20:00 | 20:30 |
Posted by Lake Champlain Ferries as its current schedule, with no end date, read on September 24, 2026; identical to the operator's printed summer schedule Lake Champlain Ferries — Charlotte, VT / Essex, NY Current Schedule · 2026-09-24
Car and driver on one ticket, everyone else on their own
All fares are each way. The vehicle line reads driver and vehicle, so the $12.25 covers the car and whoever is at the wheel. Every other person aboard pays a passenger fare on top — $5.50 for an adult, $5.00 for a senior 65 or over, $3.25 for a child from 6 to 12.
Vehicles are priced by length above 19 feet, and a vehicle over 8.5 ft wide pays the regular rate times 1.5. Credit cards are accepted at the booths, personal checks and Canadian currency are not, and a fuel surcharge may be added to any ticket.
| Adult passenger | $ 5.50 |
| Senior, 65 and over | $ 5 |
| Child 6–12 | $ 3.25 |
| Child under 6 | Free |
| Bicyclist, with bike | $ 6.75 |
| Child bicyclist 6–12 | $ 4.50 |
| Under 19 ft | $ 12.25 |
| 19 to 23 ft | $ 17.50 |
| 23 to 27 ft | $ 19.50 |
| 27 to 36 ft | $ 27 |
| 36 to 45 ft | $ 35.50 |
| 45 to 54 ft | $ 43 |
| 54 to 63 ft | $ 52 |
| 63 to 72 ft | $ 63 |
| Motorcycle and driver | $ 8 |
| Three-wheeled motorcycle | $ 12.25 |
| Motorcycle trailer | $ 4.25 |
| Bus and driver only | $ 35.50 |
Each-way rates as published by Lake Champlain Ferries on September 24, 2026; subject to a fuel surcharge Lake Champlain Ferries — Charlotte, VT – Essex, NY Rates & Restrictions · 2026-09-24
Ferry Road in Charlotte, Main Street in Essex
The two landings are very different places to leave from: one is a road-end ramp with a small lot in the Vermont countryside, the other sits on the main street of a lakeside town with no parking of its own.
Charlotte, VT Dock
From U.S. Route 7, turn onto Ferry Road, signed as F-5, and follow it to the water. The ticket booth is round the last corner; just before it is a small commuter lot where a car can stay for up to 72 hours.
That lot is the only ferry parking on this route, so anyone planning to walk on and spend a day in New York should start from the Vermont side.
Essex, NY Dock
The New York landing is at 1 Main Street in Essex, reached from Interstate 87 at exit 31 or exit 33 and then about 12 miles of signed local roads. Because the landing is on Main Street, walk-ons step straight off the boat into the town.
There is no commuter parking at this dock. It does have the route's only ATM, which is worth knowing if you plan to pay cash on the Vermont side on your way back.
Vermont shore to New York shore in about 25 minutes
Heading almost due west, the boat leaves the Vermont shore behind and makes for New York. On the way over the operator promises the Adirondacks ahead and the Green Mountains behind, which is the view this crossing is known for in foliage season.
Planning around a two-state crossing
- Leave the car in Vermont, not New York
Charlotte has a small commuter lot with a 72-hour limit. Essex has no ferry parking at all.
- The only ATM is in Essex
Cards are accepted at both booths, but if you want cash, the machine is on the New York dock.
- 13 ft 6 in and 40 tons
Every boat in the fleet shares those height and weight limits, and the ramps are 11 ft 4 in wide at deck level. Oversize loads pay by length and width.
- Ice and north wind close it
The route stays open through the winter as weather permits, but bad ice or strong northerly winds can shut it for a while. There is no fixed winter closure date.
- Sign up for the text alerts
Text LCTFerries to 855-450-0444 for delay and closing notices on both Lake Champlain Ferries routes.
- Under-13s need an adult
Children 12 and under must travel with someone 16 or older. From 13, children may cross on their own.
A ferry company in its two-hundredth year
Lake Champlain Transportation dates its founding to 1826, which makes 2026 its two-hundredth year on the lake. The company's own history recalls the late nineteenth century, when Burlington was the country's third-largest lumber port and its boats carried freight and timber as well as leisure travelers, and the long decline of the steamers once railroads and then cars took their traffic. The boats still carry daily commuters as well as sightseers.
Two of the boats named on its current rate sheet, the Valcour of 1947 and the Grand Isle of 1953, also appear in its history, built at Shelburne in Vermont and at Tampa in Florida. The company does not say on its route pages which boat is assigned to Charlotte on a given day. For the traveler the practical inheritance is simpler: a published 40-ton limit, a single height limit for every boat, and a crossing that, weather allowing, is there every day of the year. Two other crossings in New England make useful contrasts: the Peaks Island ferry out of Portland works salt water, and CTDOT's small state barge on the Connecticut at Rocky Hill crosses a river rather than a lake.
What Charlotte and Essex travelers ask before the booth
Which fare does the driver pay on the Charlotte–Essex ferry?
None separately. The $12.25 each-way vehicle fare is for driver and vehicle together, for vehicles under 19 feet. Every other adult in the car pays $5.50, a senior 65 or over pays $5.00 and a child aged 6 to 12 pays $3.25.
How early should I be at the Charlotte dock?
Lake Champlain Ferries takes no reservations for cars and suggests arriving 15 minutes before the departure you want. Vehicles board first come, first served.
Which Essex departure is the last one back to Vermont?
On the current schedule it is the 20:30 from Essex. The last departure from Charlotte to New York is 20:00, and the first boats of the day are 06:00 from Charlotte and 06:30 from Essex.
If I walk on, which side lets me park?
Only in Charlotte, in the small commuter lot just before the ticket booth, for up to 72 hours. There is no commuter parking at the Essex dock.
What can close the crossing in winter?
Ice and wind. The operator keeps the route open year-round as weather permits but warns that it may close temporarily for bad ice conditions or high northern winds. Closures go out by text alert and email.
How is a bicycle or a kayak charged?
A bicyclist pays $6.75 each way, and a child bicyclist aged 6 to 12 pays $4.50. Canoes, kayaks and similar items over four feet long are handled in the same carry-on category as bicycles.
Will a motor home or a long trailer fit, and what will it cost?
Yes, within 40 tons and 13 feet 6 inches in height. Driver and vehicle is priced by overall length: $17.50 from 19 to 23 feet, $27.00 from 27 to 36 feet, $63.00 from 63 to 72 feet, and $2.00 per extra foot beyond that. Over 8.5 ft wide, the rate is multiplied by 1.5.