Washington State Ferries
Olympia, WA · NTD ID 00035 · 2024 report year
Washington State Ferries carries 18.9 million passenger trips a year on ferryboat service — making it the 43rd-busiest transit operator in the United States. It is based in Olympia, WA.
It spends $354 million a year running that service, or $18.76 per trip. Its ferryboat service, the largest of its modes, costs $18.76 per rider — 3% below the $19.42 median for the 39 US agencies reporting ferryboat.
Over the 10 years reported, ridership remains 22% below its 2019 level, the last full year before the pandemic, and up 3% on 2023. Fares cover 17% of operating cost.
Service by mode, 2024
| Mode | Annual trips | Operating expense | Cost per rider | vs national median | Farebox | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferryboat#1 of 39 nationally | 18,859,209 | $354 million | $18.76 | -3% | 17% | 15 |
Ridership, 2015–2024
| Year | Annual trips | Operating expense (2024 $) | Cost per rider (2024 $) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 18,859,209 | $354 million | $18.76 |
| 2023 | 18,241,119 | $348 million | $19.09 |
| 2022 | 17,156,046 | $303 million | $17.65 |
| 2021 | 15,326,725 | $313 million | $20.45 |
| 2020 | 19,376,331 | $328 million | $16.92 |
| 2019 | 24,255,403 | $332 million | $13.70 |
| 2018 | 24,566,419 | $331 million | $13.47 |
| 2017 | 24,239,866 | $309 million | $12.74 |
| 2016 | 24,089,468 | $317 million | $13.16 |
| 2015 | 23,657,447 | $313 million | $13.22 |
Where Washington State Ferries ranks
- Highest-Ridership Ferry Systems #1 of 39
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These are the headline figures. Ask NTD answers the rest in plain English — by mode, by year, against any other agency.
Ask NTD about Washington State Ferries →Source & method. Figures are from the Federal Transit Administration's National Transit Database (NTD) annual reporting for 2024, the most recent published report year. Cost per rider is operating expense divided by unlinked passenger trips. Farebox recovery is fare revenue divided by operating expense. Ten-year trends are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; single-year figures are as reported. Agencies self-report to the NTD, and reporting practice varies, so figures are best read as comparable in magnitude rather than to the cent.