Michigan · Charlevoix County Transportation Authority (Ironton Ferry)
~5 min
Charlevoix County Transportation Authority (Ironton Ferry)
From $5.00
South Arm of Lake Charlevoix, Charlevoix County, Michigan
Next departure
LIVE
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2026 season hours set by the Charlevoix County Transportation Authority on March 10, 2026: 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from April 15 to May 15 and from September 16 until closing, and 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from May 16 to September 15. The closing date is calculated from the county's 'day before Thanksgiving' rule (Nov. 25, 2026), not announced. Nothing is published for 2027. The ferry shuttles all day; there is no departure list. · 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
Crossing time
~5 min
Operator
Charlevoix County Transportation Authority (Ironton Ferry)
Map – Ironton Ferry
Fare type
Price
Car or motorcycle with driver and passengers, per crossing
$5.00
Bicycle, per crossing
$1.00
Pedestrian, per crossing
Free
Book of 20 rides
$50.00
31-day pass (single user)
$75.00
Annual pass (calendar year)
$500.00
One fare of $5.00 covers a car or motorcycle with its driver and any passengers, per the county brochure, which also says walkers and cyclists are always welcome for a minimal charge. In practice pedestrians ride free and a bicycle costs $1.00: on March 10, 2026 the Transportation Authority voted to keep the 2026 rates at $5.00 per car, $1.00 per bike and free for walkers. The operator's Token Transit page lists the same $5.00 single ride, $50.00 for 20 rides, $75.00 for a single-user 31-day pass, $500.00 for a calendar-year pass and $1.00 for a bicycle. The authority was still using paper ticket books in March 2026 and researching a point-of-sale system, so how to pay by card at the landing is not confirmed. All fares in US dollars (USD).
The Ironton Ferry is a cable-guided boat that carries cars, bicycles and walkers across the Ironton Narrows, a 610-foot gap in the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix in Charlevoix County, Michigan. The county's brochure says the crossing has been served since 1883 and that the present vessel, named Charlevoix, entered service in 1925 and was rebuilt with a new engine, transmissions and cabin in 2013. It measures 50 feet by 30 feet and weighs 43 tons. With no rudder, it is held on course by two cables whose slack drops 25 feet below the surface so other boats can pass, and it has right of way on the water because it cannot easily maneuver.
The ferry belongs to a county authority, not a state agency. Charlevoix County's Transportation Authority sets the rates and hours, with a transportation coordinator, Joe Kroll, named in its minutes. Its brochure puts the crossing at about 5 minutes, or 10 minutes for a round trip, and describes the landing as just off M-66, about 6 miles south of Charlevoix and 9 miles north of East Jordan, and about 9 miles west of Boyne City at the end of Ferry Road.
The season is the thing to plan around. The ferry operates from mid-April to the day before Thanksgiving, so by that rule, which is our calculation and not an announced date, 2026 service ends on Wednesday, November 25. The authority has published no hours or opening date for 2027. Hours were changed for 2026 in a March 10 vote: 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from April 15 to May 15, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from May 16 to September 15, and back to 9:00 p.m. from September 16 until the end of the season. The vote kept the fare at $5.00 per car, $1.00 per bicycle, with walkers free. The brochure says that fare covers the vehicle, its driver and any passengers.
In winter the boat is out of service. The authority reported it winterized by December 9, 2025, and the county brochure notes that every five years the vessel is hauled out for a full Coast Guard inspection, with annual in-water checks between. For up-to-the-day information the county gives a phone number, 231-308-3727. The authority's September 2026 minutes also mention a planned cable replacement, postponed for weather, with no date.
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
A car or motorcycle pays $5.00 for the crossing, and the brochure says that covers the driver and any passengers. A bicycle is $1.00 and walkers ride free. The Transportation Authority voted on March 10, 2026 to keep those rates for the season. A book of 20 rides is $50.00.
The Transportation Authority set April 15 as the 2026 opening date (the actual opening was delayed for a fuel-line repair). Under the county's rule of 'the day before Thanksgiving', 2026 service should end on Wednesday, November 25. That date is calculated from the rule, not announced; in 2025 the ferry did close on the day before Thanksgiving, November 26. No 2027 opening date has been published; the brochure says only 'mid-April'.
In 2026 the hours were 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from April 15 to May 15, 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from May 16 to September 15, and 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from September 16 until the season ends. No 2027 hours have been published.
About 5 minutes. The county brochure gives the crossing as 610 feet and about 10 minutes round trip, so a trip there and back is roughly twice the one-way time.
No. The boat shuttles between the two landings all day within the posted hours instead of leaving at set times. For current operating information the county lists 231-308-3727.
Yes. The operator's Token Transit page sells a single ride at $5.00, 20 rides at $50.00, a single-user 31-day pass at $75.00 and a calendar-year pass at $500.00, plus a $1.00 bicycle ride. A purchased ride stays valid for 10 minutes after it is first used.
Two cables guide it, because the boat has no rudder; the brochure says it is driven by propellers at both ends that turn in either direction. The cables slacken to 25 feet below the surface so other boats can pass over them.
No. Service ends for the season the day before Thanksgiving (Nov. 25 in 2026 by that rule), and the authority reported the boat winterized by December 9 in 2025. It resumes in mid-April per the county brochure; no 2027 opening date has been announced.