Is there really a ferry just between Southworth and Vashon, or is it only a stop on the way to Seattle? Washington State Ferries answers that itself: its route menu has a separate Southworth / Vashon entry, timed at about ten minutes, with its own fall timetable. In practice the same boats also serve Fauntleroy in West Seattle, so this page deals with one side of a three-cornered service and only that side.
That matters for planning, because not every sailing from Southworth is direct. WSF flags a handful that go to Fauntleroy first and take about fifty minutes to reach the island. On a weekday between October 5 and November 8 there are 16 departures from Southworth and 19 from Vashon, with the earliest leaving Vashon at 04:05 and the latest leaving at 01:30.
The Vashon terminal on this route is the north-end dock where Vashon Highway runs into the water. Fares are taken only at Southworth, which makes the island side feel more like a bus stop than a ferry terminal.
Fall sailings out of Southworth, and the ones that detour to Fauntleroy
Monday to Friday, October 5 – November 8
| From Southworth ferry terminal | From Vashon ferry terminal (north end) |
|---|---|
| 04:10 | 04:05 |
| 05:00 | 05:25 |
| 05:50 | 06:10 |
| 06:35 | 08:05 |
| 08:30 | 09:35 |
| 10:00 | 10:20 |
| 11:20 | 11:55 |
| 12:15 | 12:35 |
| 13:00 | 14:00 |
| 15:00 | 14:35 |
| 16:25 | 15:30 |
| 17:20 | 17:00 |
| 19:20 | 17:40 |
| 20:35 | 18:40 |
| 23:20 | 19:00 |
| 00:35 | 20:15 |
| 23:00 | |
| 00:15 | |
| 01:30 |
Saturday, Sunday and holidays, October 5 – November 8
| From Southworth ferry terminal | From Vashon ferry terminal (north end) |
|---|---|
| 04:20 | 05:35 |
| 05:55 | 06:30 |
| 06:55 | 08:15 |
| 07:20 | 08:40 |
| 08:35 | 10:20 |
| 09:05 | 12:45 |
| 10:45 | 14:30 |
| 12:20 | 16:20 |
| 13:10 | 17:50 |
| 15:00 | 18:20 |
| 16:50 | 19:35 |
| 18:15 | 21:10 |
| 18:45 | 23:00 |
| 20:05 | 00:15 |
| 21:35 | 01:30 |
| 23:20 | |
| 00:35 |
WSF Fall 2026 schedule, sub-period October 5 – November 8, 2026; read from WSDOT on October 7, 2026 WSF — Fall 2026 Sailing Schedule for Southworth / Vashon · 2026-10-07
One fare at Southworth covers the return from the island
WSF prices the Kitsap side of the triangle as a one-direction toll. Southworth collects the fare and Vashon collects nothing, so the $7.60 adult ticket bought at Southworth is, in practice, the price of going to the island and coming back. Anyone under 19 rides free as a passenger, and seniors and riders with a disability pay half.
Vehicle fares include the driver only; other people in the car pay the passenger fare. Since March 1, 2026 WSF adds a 3 % cost-recovery surcharge to every credit or debit card payment.
| Adult (19–64) | $ 7.60 |
| Senior (65+) or disability | $ 3.80 |
| Youth (18 and under) | Free |
| Bicycle surcharge (19 and over) | $ 1 |
| Multi-ride card, 10 rides | $ 62.80 |
| WSF monthly pass, 31 rides | $ 100.50 |
| Vehicle under 14 ft & driver | $ 20.25 |
| Vehicle under 22 ft & driver | $ 25.65 |
| Under 14 ft, senior or disability driver | $ 16.45 |
| Under 22 ft, senior or disability driver | $ 21.85 |
| Motorcycle & driver | $ 11.20 |
| Motorcycle, senior or disability driver | $ 7.40 |
| Vehicle multi-ride card, under 22 ft, 10 rides | $ 207.20 |
| Under 30 ft, under 7 ft 2 in tall | $ 37.95 |
| Under 30 ft, over 7 ft 2 in tall | $ 74.90 |
| Under 40 ft | $ 99.55 |
| Under 50 ft | $ 124.20 |
Fares shown by WSF for Tuesday, October 6, 2026 (off-peak, no summer surcharge); read October 7, 2026 WSF — Fare Information, Southworth to Vashon Island · 2026-10-07
A tollbooth at Southworth, an open ramp on Vashon
The federal ferry-terminal database files Southworth under Port Orchard, and WSF points visitors to the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce. Port Orchard has a ferry of its own: the Kitsap Transit foot ferry to Bremerton crosses Sinclair Inlet, across the peninsula from Southworth, with a different operator and a different fare system altogether.
Southworth ferry terminal
Southworth sits at the end of State Route 160, Sedgwick Road, about seven miles from Highway 16. This is the only terminal on this crossing with a tollbooth that charges for the trip to Vashon, so drivers, walk-ons and cyclists bound for the island all pay here. Cyclists heading to Vashon must stop at the vehicle booth; those going to Fauntleroy can roll straight down to the front of the dock.
The lot to the right of the terminal is run by U-Park. Since May 25, 2026 parking costs $15 plus tax ($16.61) for a stay of up to 12 hours, or $20 plus tax ($22.14) for up to 24 hours, with a monthly pass at $101.01. There are about 215 spaces, ten of them accessible, and drivers with a disability placard park free.
Vashon ferry terminal (north end)
The north-end terminal is simply where Vashon Highway runs out. Nobody sells a ticket here: WSF does not collect fares on the island side, so a car leaving Vashon for Southworth boards without paying, and so does everyone on foot.
Parking is a block up the hill from the dock, and there are park-and-ride lots in Vashon town with King County Metro bus connections.
From Point Southworth to Point Vashon
Point Southworth, right beside the dock, explains the short crossing: the terminal sits almost on the point and faces Point Vashon, the northwest corner of the island, some 1.5 miles off. The Vashon landing is just east of that point. Fauntleroy, the third corner, is due east on the Seattle shore. The triangle is therefore lopsided: Southworth to Vashon is the short side, Southworth to Fauntleroy the long one, and the same few boats share all three.
Riding the short side of the triangle well
- Check for the red dot
WSF marks the Southworth sailings that call at Fauntleroy first. On weekdays that includes the 13:00, 19:20 and 20:35, which turn a ten-minute hop into a ride of about fifty minutes.
- The 05:50 is for walk-ons
The weekday 05:50 from Southworth loads foot passengers only. Drivers on an early start should aim for the 05:00 or the 06:35.
- Bikes board first
Cyclists who arrive 20 minutes ahead load before the cars. Southworth has a single rack for eight bikes, and the adult bicycle surcharge is $1.00.
- Low tides and low trucks
Trucks with less than 14 inches of ground clearance may be refused to or from Vashon during extreme low tides. WSF publishes a Vashon low-tide list for this reason.
- Galley hours this fall
Food service runs on the triangle boats from early morning to early evening; the boat listed as vessel 3 keeps its galley open until 21:00 on Fridays.
- Motorcycles pay at Southworth
No motorcycle fare is charged leaving Vashon. Riders buy round trips at Southworth or Fauntleroy, at a kiosk, or online in advance.
Three terminals, a handful of boats, one shared timetable
With no road onto Vashon from either shore, WSF runs all three legs with a small shared fleet; this fall's table names the Kittitas and the Cathlamet as the scheduled boats and adds the Kitsap from November 9. A boat leaving Southworth may carry Vashon traffic, Seattle traffic, or both, which is why a few sailings take the long way round.
Fares on the route are set in the state's administrative code, not by WSF alone, and the Washington State Transportation Commission's rulemaking for 2025–2027 raised them in two steps, on October 1, 2025 and May 1, 2026. The $20.25 for a small car and driver in the May 2026 table is exactly what the WSF fare page charges today.
The boats
Southworth–Vashon questions from Kitsap drivers and walk-ons
Do I pay again to come back from Vashon to Southworth?
No. WSF collects passenger and vehicle fares at Southworth only and nothing at Vashon, so the fare you paid on the way over covers the trip back. An adult on foot pays $7.60; a car under 22 ft with its driver pays $25.65.
Which Southworth sailings are not direct to Vashon?
On weekdays until November 8, the 13:00, 19:20, 20:35, 23:20 and 00:35 go via Fauntleroy and take about 50 minutes. On weekends only the 23:20 and 00:35 do. From Vashon, the weekday 04:05 and 10:20 also call at Fauntleroy before reaching Southworth.
What is the first boat from Southworth to Vashon on a weekday?
04:10, followed by 05:00. The 05:50 is a foot-passenger-only sailing, so the next one that takes cars is the 06:35.
What are the last sailings off Vashon toward Southworth?
The last departures from Vashon are 23:00, 00:15 and 01:30 every day in this period. WSF prints the two after midnight under the next calendar date, but they close out the night's service.
Parking at Southworth for walk-on passengers: where, and how much?
In the U-Park lot beside the terminal: $15 plus tax for a stay of up to 12 hours, $20 plus tax for up to 24, with about 215 spaces. Disabled placard holders park free.
Does the schedule change in November?
Yes. A new table starts on November 9 and runs to December 26, with the Kitsap added as a third scheduled boat and more weekday sailings. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day have their own holiday tables.
Is a child's ticket needed?
Not for passengers. Anyone 18 or under travels free on foot. A teenager driving a car pays the normal vehicle-and-driver fare.