The Bainbridge run takes roughly 35 minutes and is the classic choice for skyline views on the way back toward the city. Bremerton is the other destination, home to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and a ferry link that dates back to the private steamer era.
Pier 50: passenger-only boats
Just south of Colman Dock, Pier 50 handles two passenger-only services. The King County Water Taxi runs to West Seattle and Vashon Island, and Kitsap Fast Ferries runs to Bremerton and Kingston. These boats do not carry cars, so they suit walkers, commuters and anyone without a vehicle.
The Pier 50 facility opened in August 2019 with a covered waiting area that holds about 500 people. A pedestrian overpass completed in 2020 ties it to the state ferry building, so transfers between the two do not require crossing traffic.
Inside the Seattle Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock
Colman Dock went through a major rebuild that wrapped up in stages. The first section of the new terminal opened in September 2019, the rest of the main building followed in November 2022, and the entry building facing Alaskan Way opened in August 2023. The whole expansion cost $489 million and turned the indoor space to face the water.
The main waiting room can hold up to 1,900 passengers, with 362 seats and twelve turnstiles for boarding. Plans have called for a grab-and-go counter and other vendor spaces in the entry building, so check what is open before counting on a meal at the dock. A pedestrian bridge alongside Marion Street was part of the project, linking the terminal toward the downtown streets above.
The plazas and their names
The open spaces at either end of the terminal carry Lushootseed names chosen by local tribes and approved by the Washington State Transportation Commission in June 2023. The north plaza at Columbia Street is ʔulułali, named by the Suquamish Tribe and meaning a place of traveling water. The south plaza at Yesler Way is sluʔwił, named by the Muckleshoot Tribe for a canoe pass. Signs marking both went up in March 2025.
Routes Beyond the Downtown Waterfront
Colman Dock is only one piece of a much larger network. Washington State Ferries is the largest ferry system in the country, and its routes are officially part of the state highway system. Several of them start elsewhere in the Seattle area, so make sure you head to the right dock.
West Seattle and the south Sound
The Fauntleroy dock in West Seattle serves two state routes: one to Vashon Island and one to Southworth on the Kitsap side. The crossing to Vashon is a short hop of about 15 minutes. Farther south, a separate route links Point Defiance with Tahlequah on Vashon, and another connects Southworth with Vashon.
North of the city and the islands
Heading north, the state runs Edmonds to Kingston and Mukilteo to Clinton on Whidbey Island. Mukilteo is about a 40-minute drive north of Seattle, and the boat ride to Whidbey takes around 20 minutes. Port Townsend to Coupeville is another option on the north Sound.
For the San Juan Islands, ferries leave from Anacortes, roughly 105 miles northwest of Seattle. The archipelago was designated a national monument in 2013, and Lime Kiln Point State Park on San Juan Island is considered one of the best places in the world to watch orcas from shore.
How to Ride: Tickets, Reservations and Live Status
The official Washington State Ferries site from WSDOT is the place to plan any trip. You can look up the sailing schedule for each route, buy tickets or passes online and read current alerts. Fares and timetables change by season, so always confirm before you leave.
- Vehicle reservations: Some routes let drivers save a spot ahead of time. Reservation windows open on set dates, so book early for busy periods.
- Live tracking: A real-time map shows where each boat is, and terminal traffic cameras help drivers judge the line before arriving.
- Disruptions: WSDOT publishes a service contingency plan explaining how it keeps boats running when something goes wrong.
- New riders: A first-time rider's guide, information for riders with disabilities and a downloadable route map are all available on the same site.
For the King County Water Taxi and Kitsap Fast Ferries at Pier 50, check each operator directly for schedules and fares, since they run separately from the state system.
A Fleet Built for Scale
The state keeps 21 vessels in service, all able to carry both people and cars. The largest, the Jumbo Mark II class, can take 1,791 passengers and 202 vehicles on a single sailing. Boats are built to last about 60 years, get at least one major refurbishment, and are maintained at a facility on Bainbridge Island under U.S. Coast Guard inspection.
Ridership is huge: the system carried 20.1 million riders in 2025, split between 10.7 million passengers and 9.4 million vehicles. The agency plans to shift its diesel fleet to hybrid-electric propulsion and add new hybrid ferries by 2040.
A Dock With a Long, Eventful Past
The first Colman Dock was built in 1882 by Scottish engineer James Colman to serve coal bunkers. It burned in the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 and was quickly rebuilt. In 1908 Colman stretched it to 705 feet and added a domed waiting room and a 72-foot clocktower.
Accidents mark its history. In April 1912 the ship Alameda went full speed ahead instead of reversing, knocking the clocktower into the bay. The next month a gangplank collapsed under boarding passengers, killing a woman and a child. In the mid-1930s the dock was restyled in Art Deco to match the streamlined ferry Kalakala, which later rammed the new state terminal in February 1966 with only minor damage.
How the state took over
Private operators ran Puget Sound ferries for decades, and the Black Ball Line grew into a near-monopoly. Strikes, fare fights and a full shutdown in 1948 pushed the state to step in. Washington State Ferries began service on June 1, 1951, and the state paid $500,000 for the Colman Dock terminal itself. The old dock clock, salvaged and restored more than once, was removed in 2018 during the rebuild and slated for reinstallation.
Making a Day of a Ferry Trip
Many visitors ride simply for the views, but the boats also open up easy day trips. Bainbridge Island is a walk-on favorite, and the Bloedel Reserve there covers 150 acres including a Japanese garden. Vashon Island, reached from West Seattle or by water taxi from Pier 50, has a rural, farm-country character.
Back on the mainland, Colman Dock sits on the central waterfront, close to many of the city's best-known Seattle landmarks. Browse our guide to Seattle neighborhoods to plan what comes before or after your sailing, or see more things to do in Seattle for the rest of your day.
