Reduced schedule in force (NCDOT 'Operating Limited Schedule', checked 16 September 2026) — the normal year-round timetable has 28 departures each way and is listed below. · Representative sailings only — check the operator for today's full schedule
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~20 min
Operator
NCDOT Ferry Division
Map – Cherry Branch Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| All passengers and vehicles, one way | Free |
The Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach ferry is free for all passengers, vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles, funded by NCDOT as one of its untolled river crossings. This is changing: under a state legislative mandate, NCDOT is required to begin charging tolls on this route starting Jan. 1, 2027, alongside the Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora and Hatteras-Ocracoke routes. As of this research date (Sept. 15, 2026), NCDOT had not yet published specific toll amounts for Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach; the agency was still holding public listening sessions and collecting comments on the new tolls through Sept. 14, 2026.
The Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach ferry is a free, state-run car ferry operated by the NCDOT Ferry Division across the Neuse River, connecting Cherry Branch in Craven County (a few miles south of Havelock) with Minnesott Beach in Pamlico County along NC Highway 306. It is one of North Carolina's seven regular ferry routes and, for now, one of four that carry no toll at all -- the others being Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora and Hatteras-Ocracoke.
The crossing covers roughly 20 minutes over about 6 km of open river. NCDOT publishes a single year-round timetable for this route with 28 scheduled departures in each direction, starting around 5 a.m. and continuing until 10-11 p.m., with sailings roughly every 30 minutes through the middle of the day and wider gaps of up to an hour in the early morning and evening. Unlike several of NCDOT's other routes, this schedule does not change between summer and winter: when the division expanded service on four other routes for spring 2026, it specifically left Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach on the same year-round pattern published here.
There is no reservation system and no ticket to buy -- vehicles and walk-on passengers simply queue at the terminal and board first-come, first-served. Two river-class vessels have served the route since a 2024 fleet upgrade, replacing older, smaller boats. That said, riders should know a change is coming: under a state legislative mandate, NCDOT is required to start charging tolls on this route from Jan. 1, 2027, and the agency was still finalizing the exact fare structure through public listening sessions in September 2026.
Because the route crosses open, wind-exposed water, NCDOT occasionally suspends service temporarily for strong tides, high winds, or unplanned maintenance -- as happened for about two days in October 2025 -- and posts updates through its Ferry Information Notification System and @NCDOT_Ferry social accounts. NCDOT has also secured a $28.2 million federal grant to rebuild roughly 2,750 feet of deteriorated bulkhead at the Cherry Branch terminal, work that may affect the terminal in the coming years without necessarily closing the crossing.
- 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
It's currently free for all passengers, vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles. That will change on Jan. 1, 2027, when a state mandate requires NCDOT to start charging tolls on this route; exact fare amounts had not been published as of September 2026.
The crossing of the Neuse River takes about 20 minutes and covers roughly 6 km (about 4 miles) between the two terminals.
NCDOT's 2026 schedule lists 28 departures a day in each direction, roughly every 30 minutes from about 5 a.m. to mid-evening, with wider gaps of up to an hour in the early morning and after 6 p.m., and the last boat leaving around 10-11 p.m.
It runs year-round on the same single timetable, Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. Unlike some other NC ferry routes, NCDOT does not reduce or expand this schedule between seasons.
No. NCDOT does not offer reservations on this route (unlike Cedar Island-Ocracoke or Swan Quarter-Ocracoke). Vehicles and passengers board first-come, first-served at no charge.
The Cherry Branch terminal is off Ferry Road near Havelock, NC (Craven County). The Minnesott Beach terminal is at the end of NC Highway 306 in Pamlico County, on the opposite bank of the Neuse River.
Two river-class ferries have served the crossing since NCDOT christened new vessels for the route in 2024, replacing older, smaller boats that had been in service since the early 1990s.
Yes. NCDOT periodically suspends service for strong winds, low tides, or unplanned maintenance -- a roughly two-day suspension occurred in October 2025. Check NCDOT's Ferry Information Notification System or the @NCDOT_Ferry account, or call the Cherry Branch terminal, before a time-sensitive trip.