Sept. 8-Dec. 31, 2026 grid, cross-checked between NCDOT's interactive route lookup and the printed 2026 schedule sheet on the day of this research, Sept. 22, 2026
Departures 1–10 / 10
Departures 1–10 / 10
Crossing time
~160 min
Operator
NCDOT Ferry Division
Map – Swan Quarter-Ocracoke Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian, one way | $1.00 |
| Bicycle rider (includes bicycle), one way | $3.00 |
| Motorcycle, one way | $10.00 |
| Scooter, golf cart, ATV or 3-wheel motorcycle, one way | $10.00 |
| Motorcycle with sidecar or trailer, one way | $15.00 |
| Vehicle or combination under 20 feet, one way | $15.00 |
| Vehicle or combination 20 to 40 feet, one way | $30.00 |
| Vehicle or combination 40 to 65 feet, one way | $45.00 |
Swan Quarter-Ocracoke shares its toll table with sister route Cedar Island-Ocracoke, making it one of only four NCDOT crossings that charge a fare (with Cedar Island, Southport-Fort Fisher, and the seasonal Ocracoke Express). Fares below are one way and were last revised May 22, 2023, still the figures on NCDOT's current pricing page and 2026 schedule sheet. A vehicle's fare already covers the driver and everyone riding inside it -- the pedestrian and bicycle rows apply only to travelers boarding without a car. Tickets can be bought up to 90 days in advance online or by phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY, or at the terminal ticket booth, which also takes cash alongside the major card networks. All fares in US dollars (USD).
Of the two NCDOT routes that reach Ocracoke Island across open water, Swan Quarter draws the lighter crowd. The drive in comes down US-264 through the Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge, a flat, marshy stretch of Hyde County that most visitors never see otherwise, ending at a small terminal on the edge of Swan Quarter itself. From there it's close to two hours and forty minutes on the water -- a few minutes longer than the parallel run from Cedar Island -- before the boat ties up at the same Silver Lake dock in the heart of Ocracoke Village, an easy walk from the harborfront restaurants and the lighthouse.
Money changes hands here, which sets it apart from most of North Carolina's ferries: a car under 20 feet runs $15 one way, climbing to $45 for anything between 40 and 65 feet, while someone crossing on foot pays $1 and a cyclist $3 -- figures a driver's fare already folds in for every passenger riding along. Because the boat only runs a handful of times a day, NCDOT opens reservations 90 days out and pushes hard for travelers to use them, particularly in the warmer months, though nobody is turned away for skipping the step -- a same-day seat is fair game if the sailing isn't full. The catch is timing: show up more than 30 minutes late for a booked departure and NCDOT hands the spot to whoever's waiting standby.
Four different departure grids rotate through the calendar year on this route. Right now, in the Sept. 8-Dec. 31 window, that means three sailings each way; winter thins it to two, spring and the tail end of summer bring it back to three, and the height of summer briefly pushes it to four. Sound conditions get a mention too -- NCDOT's printed materials flag periodic shoaling along this corridor and send riders to its X account, @ncdot_ferry, for anything the daily status page doesn't catch (which itself showed nothing wrong as of this research date). Looking further out, a statewide mandate now requires NCDOT to introduce tolls on every route it runs by the start of 2027; because Swan Quarter-Ocracoke already collects a fare, exactly how that rule reshapes its pricing, if at all, remains to be seen.
- 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 priced by vehicle length, one way: $15 under 20 feet, $30 between 20 and 40 feet, and $45 for anything from 40 up to 65 feet. That single fare covers the driver and everyone else in the car. Traveling without a vehicle is cheaper -- $1 on foot, $3 with a bike.
NCDOT lists the crossing at about 2 hours and 40 minutes across Pamlico Sound, making it the longest regular route in the state ferry system -- slightly longer than the Cedar Island-Ocracoke crossing.
Not technically, but you're gambling with a very limited number of sailings if you skip it -- as few as two boats a day in winter. NCDOT takes bookings up to 90 days out through its website or 1-800-BY-FERRY, and once you have one, get to the terminal at least half an hour ahead of time; arrive later than that and your spot goes to someone on standby.
The count shifts four times over the year. Through the end of 2026 (from Sept. 8) it's three round trips a day; that shrinks to just two during the first three months of the year, climbs back to three from late March to mid-May, and tops out at four a day for the peak summer stretch, mid-May through early September.
At the Silver Lake waterfront inside Ocracoke Village -- the same dock the Cedar Island-Ocracoke ferry uses, and a different dock from the one the free Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry uses at the island's undeveloped north end.
Yes -- they're two separate NCDOT routes to the same island from two different mainland towns, sharing the same fare table and the same Ocracoke dock. Swan Quarter sails from Hyde County via US-264; Cedar Island sails from Down East Carteret County. Pick whichever mainland town fits your route.
As of this research date, NCDOT's Current Conditions board showed Ocracoke-Swan Quarter at Normal Operations with no active alert. NCDOT also warns that shifting shoal water in this part of Pamlico Sound can periodically affect the route and directs riders to its @ncdot_ferry account on X for the latest updates before a long drive to either terminal.