Weekly hours as published by VDOT (page updated 29 May 2026) and read on 6 October 2026: Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to noon, closed Sunday, one 30-minute midday break. No individual departures are published; times vary with demand. · 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
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)
Map – Sunnybank Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Vehicle, one way | Free |
| Pedestrian, one way | Free |
VDOT's Ferries page says the Sunnybank Ferry 'is free'. The page lists no fare table, toll or ticket. Maximum load is six passengers and 16 tons per VDOT.
The Sunnybank Ferry takes Route 644 across the Little Wicomico River in Northumberland County, on Virginia's Northern Neck. The Virginia Department of Transportation runs it, and VDOT lists it as free. This is a very small operation: VDOT gives the capacity as a maximum of six passengers and 16 tons, and the boat has a single operator.
That one-person crew shapes the whole day. The published hours are Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, and closed on Sunday. The operator stops for 30 minutes at midday for a lunch break, and VDOT warns that precise times vary with demand. There is no departure list to memorize; you drive down, and the boat crosses when someone is waiting. The operator may also halt briefly to change the information signs on the approach roads, which VDOT says are the primary way to read the ferry's status. For a quick check by phone, VDOT points to Virginia 511 or dialing 511 from any phone in the state.
A few names get mixed up here. The Reedville Ferry Landing, which OpenStreetMap places a few miles south, is the dock for the Tangier boat and has nothing to do with this crossing; the Sunnybank boat connects two roadsides on the Little Wicomico itself. Merry Point, another free VDOT ferry, sits a county away in Lancaster County on the Corrotoman River, and the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry belongs to VDOT too but runs around the clock and is a different scale of operation altogether.
Weather matters a great deal. VDOT's news releases show that Sunnybank has been shut for forecast tidal flooding and high winds: on 22 and 23 September 2023, on 15, 16 and 18 December 2023 with an extension to 21 December, and on 8 and 9 August 2024 ahead of Tropical Storm Debby. A ramp repair closed it from 3 September 2024 until it reopened on Saturday 7 September. VDOT's statement that the ferry saves about 20 minutes of travel versus the land route comes from the same 2024 releases. Treat the printed hours as the best case, and read the signs before you commit to the detour.
- 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
Yes. VDOT's Ferries page says the Sunnybank Ferry is free and lists no fare, toll or ticket.
Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to noon, and closed Sunday. The operator takes a 30-minute break at midday, per VDOT.
It crosses the Little Wicomico River on Route 644 in Northumberland County, Virginia. OpenStreetMap places the landings on Sunny Bank Road and Ferry Road, about half a kilometer apart.
No. The Reedville Ferry Landing on maps is a different dock for the Tangier Island boat. VDOT's Sunnybank Ferry crosses the Little Wicomico River on Route 644.
VDOT says signs on the roads leading to the ferry show its operational status. You can also check Virginia 511 or dial 511 from any phone in Virginia.
VDOT lists a maximum of six passengers and 16 tons. It has one operator, so load is limited and you may wait for the next crossing.
Yes. VDOT says wind, weather and tides can affect service, and its news releases record shutdowns for tidal flooding and high winds in September 2023, December 2023 and August 2024.
VDOT's 2024 news releases say the Sunnybank and Merry Point ferries save around 20 minutes compared with the available land route.