TDOT operating hours, weekdays shown: Monday-Friday 5:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday 6:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. (Central). TDOT lists no individual departure times. · Departures shown by frequency — exact times from the operator. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full schedule
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Operator
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
Map – Benton-Houston Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Automobile with passengers and driver | $2.00 |
| Person on foot, each | $0.50 |
| Motorcycle and driver | $2.00 |
| Truck or bus, 1 ton capacity and under, with driver | $2.00 |
| Truck or bus, over 1 ton capacity, with driver | $4.00 |
| Automobile trailer | $1.50 |
| Truck trailer or bus trailer (in addition to towing vehicle) | $3.00 |
| Resident of Houston, Benton, Stewart or Henry County, at this ferry | $0.75 |
Crossing fees from TDOT's ferry-services page, read October 16, 2026: $2.00 for an automobile with its passengers and driver, $0.50 for each person on foot, $2.00 for a motorcycle and driver, $1.50 for an automobile trailer, $2.00 for a truck or bus of one ton capacity and under with driver, $4.00 over one ton, and $3.00 for a truck or bus trailer in addition to the towing vehicle. Residents of Houston, Benton, Stewart and Henry counties pay $0.75 at this ferry. All official government vehicles are exempt. TDOT's December 2024 release quoted $1 per car; the page now says $2.00 and is the one used here. The page does not say how fares are paid. All fares in US dollars (USD).
The Benton-Houston Ferry is a state-owned crossing of the Tennessee River on State Route 147, linking Benton County on the west bank with Houston County on the east. It is a Tennessee operation, not a Kentucky one: the Tennessee Department of Transportation owns the vessels and says they are run by a contractor, River Marine Service, Inc., of Clarksville, which operates the ferries 365 days a year with captains and deckhands holding state, federal and Coast Guard certifications. TDOT places the landing about 2.35 miles west of McKinnon in Houston County. In 2023 it carried roughly 14,500 vehicles, according to TDOT.
The current boat arrived in late 2024. A TDOT release of December 16, 2024 announced the tug 'The Summitt', named for Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, which pushes the barge 'The Volunteer' and replaced a 67-year-old boat. The release priced a car at a dollar; TDOT's ferry-services page, last modified on March 20, 2026, now lists $2.00 for an automobile with driver and passengers and $0.50 for a person on foot. Residents of Houston, Benton, Stewart and Henry counties pay $0.75 at this ferry, and official government vehicles ride free.
TDOT does not publish a timetable. What it posts is operating hours: Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., local time. Those are the span in which the ferry works, not the minutes a boat leaves, so this page shows no countdown and no departure list. A 2007 launch release said the trip took about seven minutes and that nobody would wait more than half an hour; both statements describe the earlier vessel and are the only crossing-time figures TDOT has published that we found.
To find out whether the ferry is running, TDOT gives one number to call or text, 931.249.0831, and cautions that cell coverage at the ferry is not dependable. If you cannot reach it, the page tells you to try the Cumberland City Ferry number, 931.827.2322. There is no closing date on the page and no notice of a stoppage as of October 16, 2026.
- Arrive at the terminal several minutes before departure; vehicle lanes close earlier than the foot-passenger gate.
- Check the operator's service alerts before you set out — weather, tides and vessel maintenance change sailings.
- Confirm accepted payment methods: some crossings are card-only and some take cash only.
Frequently asked questions
TDOT's ferry-services page, read on October 16, 2026, lists it as one of the state's two ferries and carries no closure notice. It states that the ferries operate 365 days a year. For same-day status, call or text 931.249.0831.
The ferry belongs to the State of Tennessee, and TDOT says a contractor, River Marine Service, Inc. of Clarksville, operates it. It is not run by Kentucky's transportation cabinet; both landings are in Tennessee.
Monday through Friday 5:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., local time, according to TDOT. It lists no individual departure times.
TDOT lists $2.00 for an automobile with passengers and driver, $0.50 for each person on foot, $2.00 for a motorcycle and driver, and $0.75 for residents of Houston, Benton, Stewart and Henry counties. Trucks and buses over one ton are $4.00 with driver.
TDOT's current page gives no crossing time. Its 2007 launch release, which described the earlier vessel, said about seven minutes. No newer figure was found, so treat it as an estimate.
On State Route 147 over the Tennessee River, about 2.35 miles west of McKinnon in Houston County, per TDOT. The far landing is in Benton County.
TDOT's fee table includes an automobile trailer at $1.50, a truck or bus trailer at $3.00 on top of the towing vehicle, and trucks or buses over one ton at $4.00. It publishes no length or weight limit on that page.
Yes on weekends, with hours from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. TDOT says the ferries run 365 days a year and names no holiday closures.