The Door Peninsula ends in the northeast corner of Wisconsin, and at its tip State Highway 42 simply stops at a pier. A strait and a scatter of small islands separate it from Washington Island, a 22-square-mile island with more than 700 people living there year-round. The strait between them is Porte des Morts, Death's Door, and every boat to the island crosses it.
The Washington Island Ferry Line has run this crossing since 1940, and it is a car ferry in the full sense: five boats, each taking up to 149 passengers and between 18 and 22 cars. In high summer it can run up to 25 round trips a day. In October that number falls fast, and the 2026 timetable changes twice before Christmas.
Right now, until Sunday, October 18, boats leave Northport on the hour from 08:00 to 18:00. From October 19 there are six a day.
Hourly boats until October 18, six a day after that
Every day, September 8 – October 18
| From Northport Pier | From Detroit Harbor, Washington Island |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | 07:00 |
| 09:00 | 08:00 |
| 10:00 | 09:00 |
| 11:00 | 10:00 |
| 12:00 | 11:00 |
| 13:00 | 12:00 |
| 14:00 | 13:00 |
| 15:00 | 14:00 |
| 16:00 | 15:00 |
| 17:00 | 16:00 |
| 18:00 | 17:00 |
Friday nights, through October 16
| From Northport Pier | From Detroit Harbor, Washington Island |
|---|---|
| 19:45 | 19:00 |
| 21:15 | 20:30 |
Every day, October 19 – December 6
| From Northport Pier | From Detroit Harbor, Washington Island |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | 07:00 |
| 09:30 | 08:45 |
| 11:00 | 10:15 |
| 13:00 | 12:00 |
| 15:00 | 14:00 |
| 17:00 | 16:00 |
Fall 2026: September 8 – October 18 and October 19 – December 6; read from the Washington Island Ferry Line website and 2026 PDF schedule on October 7, 2026 Washington Island Ferry Line — Washington Island Ferry Schedule · 2026-10-07
Round-trip pricing where the car pays without its passengers
All the standard tickets on this crossing are sold as returns, and the vehicle ticket pays for the vehicle, not its occupants: a couple driving over pays $30.00 for the vehicle and $16.00 each for themselves, $62.00 in all. The return half is not tied to a day or a boat, so a ticket bought for a day trip still works if you decide to stay the weekend.
Long vehicles pay one way, by overall length, and loaded trucks and trailers can be charged by the ton on top.
| Adult | $ 16 |
| Child 6 through 11 | $ 8 |
| Child 5 and under | Free |
| Auto (occupants not included) | $ 30 |
| Motorcycle | $ 18 |
| Bicycle | $ 6 |
| Pets | Free |
| 15 ft up to 20 ft | $ 19 |
| 21 ft up to 25 ft | $ 34 |
| 26 ft up to 30 ft | $ 44 |
| 31 ft up to 35 ft | $ 53 |
| 36 ft up to 45 ft | $ 68 |
| 46 ft up to 55 ft | $ 79 |
| 56 ft up to 60 ft | $ 95 |
2026 rates, in force since April 1, 2026; read October 7, 2026 Washington Island Ferry Line — 2026 Rates · 2026-10-07
Northport Pier and the Detroit Harbor dock
Both ends are run by the same company, and the island end is where most visitors decide how to get around: a car brought over, a rented bike or moped, or a narrated tram. The arrangement is similar to the Madeline Island crossing from Bayfield on Lake Superior, where a private line also carries cars to a single island town.
Northport Pier
Follow State Highway 42 north from Sister Bay until it stops: the pier is the end of the road. The ticket booth, restrooms and information are on the pier, and combination tickets for the Cherry Train tour and the Rock Island boat are sold at the same window.
Anyone leaving the car behind can use the line's lots near North Port Des Morts Drive and behind the Visitor Center; the operator's own FAQ describes parking on either side of the highway as free. Be in line 15 minutes before the boat you want.
Detroit Harbor, Washington Island
The island landing is on Detroit Harbor, the bay on Washington Island's south shore. Bicycle, moped and UTV rental counters stand next to the dock, which is how many foot passengers get around an island of 22 square miles.
Rock Island State Park is a second boat ride away: about eight miles across the island to Jackson Harbor, where the passenger-only Karfi leaves. The island also has its own ticket booth for Cherry Train seats, sold on a space-available basis.
Past Plum, Pilot and Detroit islands
The boats head northeast from Northport across the Porte des Morts passage and, in the line's own description of the trip, run past Plum, Pilot and Detroit islands before landing in Detroit Harbor on the island's south side. Two of the five boats, the Arni J. Richter and the Madonna, were built as icebreakers, and they are what keeps the crossing open through the winter months.
Before you drive to the tip of the Door Peninsula
- Fifteen minutes in line
There is no booking in the fall: whoever reaches the pier first boards first, and the line wants drivers and walk-ons queued 15 minutes ahead of the sailing. There are no reservations until the winter rule starts on December 21.
- October 18 is the cut-off
Hourly boats end on Sunday, October 18. From Monday, October 19 the timetable thins to six departures in each direction, the last one leaving the island at 16:00.
- Winter needs a booking
From December 21, 2026 to March 11, 2027 vehicles must be reserved. In the January–March table there are only two boats a day, with a third on Thursdays and Fridays.
- Dogs ride free
Leashed pets are welcome on the main deck at no charge, or can stay in the car.
- Mind the exhaust
The ramps can catch low-slung vehicles, and the operator states it is not responsible for low exhaust systems.
- Rock Island is a second ticket
There is no entry fee at Rock Island State Park, but you need the Karfi ferry from Jackson Harbor. Combination tickets are sold at Northport.
An Icelandic island community and a family ferry line since 1940
The fleet carries the island's history in its names. Eyrarbakki is named for a village on Iceland's south coast that was the port of departure for many of the Icelanders who settled Washington Island in the late 1800s. Robert Noble honors a 25-year-old who survived the icy water of Death's Door in December 1864 and went on to run Door County's first ferry in Sturgeon Bay. The newest boat, Madonna, was built in 2020 at Sturgeon Bay as an icebreaker, joining the Arni J. Richter of 2003 as the line's second icebreaker.
In winter the service shrinks to the essentials: two round trips a day, booked in advance, keeping a year-round island community connected to the mainland. Beaver Island, on the Michigan side of the lake, depends on a boat from Charlevoix in a similar way, though its crossing is far longer.
The boats
Washington Island ferry questions asked at Northport Pier
Northport Pier to Detroit Harbor takes how long?
About 30 minutes, past Plum, Pilot and Detroit islands. Allow another 15 minutes on the pier, because the line wants you in line before departure.
Car plus driver to Washington Island: what is the bill?
$30.00 round trip for the vehicle alone; the people inside pay separately. Each adult pays $16.00 and each child aged 6 to 11 pays $8.00, both round trip; children 5 and under ride free.
Final October departure from the island: what time?
Until October 18 the island's last regular sailing is at 17:00, with Friday extras at 19:00 and 20:30 through October 16. From October 19 the last daily departure from the island is 16:00, with a 19:00 Friday boat from October 23 to November 6.
Is a car reservation needed this fall?
Not in the fall. Tickets are first come, first served until December 21, 2026; from then until March 11, 2027 vehicle reservations are required.
Can I stay overnight and use the same ticket to come back?
Yes. According to the line, the return half can be used on any boat back, at any time, on any day.
Rock Island from the Detroit Harbor dock: how does that work?
Drive or ride about eight miles across Washington Island to Jackson Harbor, roughly 20 minutes, and take the passenger-only Karfi ferry. Rock Island does not charge an entry fee, but it has no bikes allowed and no supplies for sale.
What happens to the Washington Island ferry in winter?
Yes, all year, with the line's two icebreakers. The 2026–27 printed schedule has four round trips a day from December 7 to January 10 (one on Christmas Day) and two from January 11 to March 11, plus a third on Thursdays and Fridays.