Late Fall 2026 timetable, Oct. 5 to Dec. 26, 2026: 10 sailings each way, the same every day of the week. WSF's winter schedule starts Dec. 27 and is not yet posted.
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~35 min
Operator
Washington State Ferries
Map – Port Townsend-Coupeville Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult passenger (19-64), one-way | $5.00 |
| Senior (65+) / disability passenger, one-way | $2.50 |
| Youth passenger (18 and under) | Free |
| Bicycle surcharge (rider 19+) | $0.50 |
| Vehicle under 14' and driver | $12.55 |
| Vehicle under 22' (standard) and driver | $15.80 |
| Vehicle under 14' and senior/disability driver | $10.30 |
| Vehicle under 22' and senior/disability driver | $13.55 |
| Motorcycle and driver | $7.15 |
| Motorcycle and senior/disability driver | $4.90 |
| Vehicle/RV under 30' (7'2" or under) and driver | $23.25 |
| Vehicle/RV under 30' (over 7'2" high) and driver | $45.45 |
| Vehicle/RV under 40' and driver | $60.30 |
| Vehicle/RV under 50' and driver | $75.10 |
| Vehicle/RV under 60' and driver | $89.95 |
| Vehicle/RV under 70' and driver | $104.75 |
| Vehicle/RV under 80' and driver | $119.60 |
| Vehicle/RV over 80', per additional foot | $1.50 |
| 20-ride commuter card, passenger | $84.00 |
| 62-ride monthly pass, passenger | $134.40 |
| 20-ride commuter card, vehicle under 14' and driver | $204.80 |
| 20-ride commuter card, vehicle under 22' and driver | $256.80 |
| 20-ride commuter card, motorcycle and driver | $118.40 |
Unlike some Washington State Ferries routes that collect the fare only one way (for example Point Defiance-Tahlequah), Port Townsend-Coupeville charges the passenger and vehicle fare in both directions: WSDOT's fare pages for each direction say fares are collected at that departure terminal, and both list identical prices (read Oct. 15-16, 2026). A round trip costs two one-way fares. Vehicles are priced by length in WSDOT's bands. The prices shown are the ones WSDOT listed for Thursday, October 15, 2026: a car under 14 feet with driver is $12.55 and a standard vehicle under 22 feet is $15.80. They are lower than the summer prices because WSF adds a peak season surcharge to full-fare vehicle-and-driver tickets from May 1 through Sept. 30 (WSDOT's ticket-information page), so expect higher vehicle prices again from May 1. Passenger, bicycle, commuter-card and monthly-pass prices did not change. Since March 1, 2026, WSF adds a 3% cost recovery surcharge to card payments. A vehicle reservation is free to make (a no-show fee applies) and does not include the fare, which is bought separately. All fares in US dollars (USD).
The Port Townsend-Coupeville ferry is a Washington State Ferries (WSF) route linking Port Townsend, on the Olympic Peninsula in Jefferson County, with Coupeville (also called Keystone) at the south end of Whidbey Island in Island County. It is the shortcut across Admiralty Inlet that saves drivers the long detour around Puget Sound through Deception Pass or the Hood Canal Bridge, and it is one of only two WSF routes -- alongside Anacortes/San Juan Islands -- where a vehicle reservation exists.
The crossing takes about 35 minutes, according to WSDOT's route page. WSF's Late Fall timetable began on Monday, October 5, 2026 and runs through December 26. It has 10 sailings each way, the same every day of the week: the first boat leaves Port Townsend at 6:30 am and the last at 8:30 pm, and from Coupeville the first leaves at 7:15 am and the last at 9:10 pm. The route page lists a single vessel, the Kennewick, so the frequency is roughly half what the summer two-boat season offered. WSF's winter season starts December 27, and that timetable is not posted yet. WSDOT's route notes say the route runs its regular schedule on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
A reservation holds a vehicle's spot but is not itself a ticket; fares are still bought at the terminal or online, and there is no fee to reserve unless the driver fails to show up. WSDOT recommends reserving for every vehicle, advises arriving 30 to 45 minutes before a reserved sailing, and describes stand-by space as very limited. Reservations are open through December 26, and winter-season reservations open on October 27 at 10 am. Fares are charged in both directions on this route, not just one way as on some other WSF routes.
The Coupeville dock sits on a steep ramp that is sensitive to extreme low tides. WSDOT keeps a dated table of sailings it has cancelled or shifted for tidal clearance, and as of October 16, 2026 it lists 28 days between October 25 and December 26. This page loads each of those days with the affected departures removed. Riders planning around a specific low tide, especially with a trailer, RV, or low-clearance vehicle, should still check the table and the schedule's low-tide warning, since WSDOT notes that extreme tides may interrupt service on other days too.
- 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 reservation is not strictly required, but WSF strongly recommends one for every vehicle on this route -- it's one of only two WSF crossings (with Anacortes/San Juan Islands) that offers vehicle reservations. Without one, you travel stand-by, and WSDOT describes stand-by space here as limited on every sailing.
WSDOT's reservations page says 20% of vehicle space on this route is kept for stand-by (10% on the San Juan Islands run). It still describes stand-by space as very limited and advises reserving ahead if your travel dates are fixed.
Yes. Unlike some WSF routes that collect the fare only one-way, Port Townsend-Coupeville charges passenger and vehicle fares at both Port Townsend and Coupeville -- confirmed on WSDOT's own fare pages for each direction, which list identical prices. A round trip costs two one-way fares.
An adult passenger pays $5.00 one way, seniors and riders with disabilities pay $2.50, and passengers 18 and under ride free. On WSDOT's fare page for October 15, 2026, a standard vehicle under 22 feet with driver was $15.80 and a vehicle under 14 feet was $12.55, rising by length to $119.60 for a vehicle under 80 feet. WSF adds a peak season surcharge to full-fare vehicle tickets from May 1 through September 30, so summer prices are higher.
Yes. The Coupeville terminal has a steep loading ramp affected by extreme low tides. WSDOT's tidal-cancellation table, read on October 16, 2026, lists cancelled or shifted sailings on 28 days from Sunday, Oct. 25 through Saturday, Dec. 26. The page shows the adjusted list on those dates. Check the table again before you travel, especially with a trailer, RV, or low-clearance vehicle.
About 35 minutes, covering roughly 5 miles across Admiralty Inlet between the Olympic Peninsula and Whidbey Island.
The Late Fall timetable (Oct. 5 to Dec. 26, 2026) lists one vessel, the Kennewick, on the route page, with 10 round trips a day. The summer and Early Fall two-boat timetable ended Oct. 4, 2026.
Yes, in the Late Fall timetable (Oct. 5 to Dec. 26, 2026) WSDOT lists one table, daily, with 10 sailings each way. WSDOT also says the route runs its regular schedule on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 26) and Christmas Day (Dec. 25). The exceptions are the low-tide days in WSDOT's cancellation table.