Year-round 2026 schedule, Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2026, the same every day (NCDOT route page, last updated June 25, 2026). NCDOT's status board showed Normal Operations on Oct. 16, 2026. · 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 passengers, vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles in 2026, funded by NCDOT. State law requires NCDOT to start collecting tolls on this route on Jan. 1, 2027, together with Currituck-Knotts Island, Bayview-Aurora and Hatteras-Ocracoke. On Oct. 8, 2026 NCDOT presented a recommended base toll of $7 each way for Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach and a $150 annual commuter pass for active-duty military and eligible permanent residents of the 20 coastal counties. These are recommendations only: the Board of Transportation is scheduled to consider adopting rates on Nov. 5, 2026, public comment runs Oct. 9-23, and on Oct. 8 the board passed a resolution asking the legislature to delay tolling. No toll amount is loaded as a fare.
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 takes about 20 minutes, according to NCDOT's route page. NCDOT publishes a single timetable for the whole of 2026, January 1 through December 31. From Cherry Branch there are 28 departures a day, the first at 5:00 am and the last at 10:00 pm. From Minnesott Beach the web table lists 27, from 5:25 am to 11:00 pm. Sailings run about every 30 minutes through the middle of the day, with wider gaps in the early morning and evening. The schedule does not change between summer and winter, and when the division expanded service on four other routes for spring 2026 it left this one on the same pattern.
There is no reservation system and no ticket to buy -- vehicles and walk-on passengers queue at the terminal and board first-come, first-served. A change is coming, though: state law requires NCDOT to begin charging tolls here on January 1, 2027. On October 8, 2026 the division recommended a $7 base toll each way for this route; the Board of Transportation is due to consider adopting the rates on November 5 and has asked the legislature to delay the start. Until a decision is published, treat the $7 figure as a proposal.
Because the route crosses open, wind-exposed water, NCDOT sometimes suspends or trims service for strong tides, high winds, storm damage or maintenance. A roughly two-day tide-related suspension occurred in October 2025, and NCDOT described the route as running a reduced schedule after the late-September 2026 nor'easter before its status board returned to Normal Operations. NCDOT also holds 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 is free in 2026 for passengers, vehicles, motorcycles and bicycles. State law requires NCDOT to start charging tolls on this route on Jan. 1, 2027. NCDOT's recommended base toll, presented Oct. 8, 2026, is $7 each way, but the Board of Transportation had not adopted rates yet and has asked the legislature to delay tolling.
The crossing of the Neuse River takes about 20 minutes, according to NCDOT.
NCDOT's 2026 schedule lists 28 departures a day from Cherry Branch (5:00 am to 10:00 pm) and 27 from Minnesott Beach (5:25 am to 11:00 pm), roughly every 30 minutes through the middle of the day, with wider gaps early in the morning and in the evening. The same pattern runs every day of the week.
It runs year-round on the same single timetable, Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026. NCDOT does not reduce or expand this schedule between seasons, and has not published a 2027 timetable yet.
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.
Yes. NCDOT periodically suspends or trims service for strong winds, low tides, storm damage or unplanned maintenance. A roughly two-day suspension occurred in October 2025, and after the late-September 2026 nor'easter NCDOT said the route was running a reduced schedule before its status board returned to Normal Operations. Check NCDOT's Current Conditions board, its Ferry Information Notification System, or call (252) 463-7000 before a time-sensitive trip.
Possibly. NCDOT ran an alternate, shorter schedule on this route on Christmas Day 2025, announced on Dec. 17, 2025. As of October 16, 2026 it had not announced a 2026 holiday schedule, so check NCDOT's news releases or the status board in the days before December 25.