Year-round hours, 5:30 am to 9:45 pm daily. Marion County runs an operating-status page that it updates through the day; the ferry stops without notice when the Willamette reaches 15 feet at the county gauge, so check that page before you drive out. · 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
Marion County Department of Public Works
Map – Wheatland Ferry
| Fare type | Price |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian, one way | Free |
| Bicycle, one way | $1.00 |
| Motorcycle, one way | $2.00 |
| Vehicle under 22 feet, one way | $3.00 |
| Vehicle under 42 feet, one way | $6.00 |
| Vehicle over 42 feet, one way | $9.00 |
| Single vehicle using the entire ferry, or over 65,000 lbs, one way | $18.00 |
Fees are per one-way crossing, paid on board in cash or check, or with a Marion County ferry toll card (credit cards are not accepted on either ferry). The fee schedule has been in effect since March 15, 2021, per Marion County's published rate table, and applies equally to the Wheatland and Buena Vista ferries. Toll cards get a 10% credit on purchases of $50 or more and can be bought or reloaded by phone or online with a credit card, or on board with cash or check. All fares in US dollars (USD).
Marion and Yamhill counties jointly operate the Wheatland Ferry, an electric cable ferry that has crossed the Willamette River near river mile 72 since the 1850s, when founder Daniel Matheny first ran a pole-powered raft at the site. Every replacement vessel since has carried his name; the current boat, Daniel Matheny V, was built in 2001-2002 and holds up to nine vehicles. Two steel cables guide and brace the ferry against the current, one submerged and one strung overhead, while an onboard diesel-electric generator now powers the crossing instead of relying on overhead wires for electricity.
The ferry links Wheatland Road on the Marion County side with the Yamhill County bank roughly midway between Salem and Newberg, a stretch where the nearest bridge is about 15 miles away in either direction, so the crossing genuinely saves a long detour for local drivers, farm trucks hauling produce to canneries, and cyclists. Marion County's Department of Public Works staffs and runs the boat seven days a week, year-round, from 5:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m., with no fixed departure times: the ferry simply shuttles back and forth continuously, loading whichever vehicles and pedestrians are waiting at either landing.
Pedestrians ride free. Vehicles pay a toll scaled to length, from $3 for anything under 22 feet up to $9 for rigs over 42 feet, with cash, check, or a county ferry toll card accepted; credit cards cannot be used on board. The ferry closes for only two holidays, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day, but it also shuts down without notice whenever the Willamette rises to 15 feet at the county's river gauge, so Marion County posts a same-day operating-status page and offers an email alert list for unscheduled closures. Before heading out during storms or spring runoff, checking that live status page is worth the extra minute, since the county updates it directly rather than relying on a printed schedule.
- 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
Pedestrians ride free. Vehicles pay a toll based on length: $3 under 22 feet, $6 under 42 feet, $9 over 42 feet, and $18 for a vehicle needing the whole ferry or weighing over 65,000 lbs. Bicycles are $1 and motorcycles are $2, per Marion County's fee schedule effective March 15, 2021.
5:30 am to 9:45 pm, seven days a week, year-round, according to Marion County Public Works.
Yes, on the same year-round hours, but Marion County automatically closes it whenever the Willamette River reaches 15 feet at the county gauge, which happens more often during winter storms and spring runoff. Check the county's live operating-status page before heading out.
$3 for vehicles under 22 feet, $6 for vehicles under 42 feet, $9 for vehicles over 42 feet, and $18 for a single vehicle that takes up the whole ferry or exceeds 65,000 lbs, per Marion County's current rate table.
Not on board. Marion County accepts cash, check, or a county ferry toll card on the ferry itself; toll cards can be purchased or reloaded with a credit card by phone or online.
It crosses the Willamette River at river mile 72, connecting Wheatland Road on the Marion County side with Yamhill County, roughly midway between Salem and Newberg, Oregon.
No. It has no timetable or headway; the ferry runs continuously back and forth during its 5:30 am-9:45 pm operating hours, crossing whenever vehicles or pedestrians are waiting.
Yes, on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, per Marion County. It otherwise runs every day of the year, river conditions permitting.