Washington State Ferries is preparing for its busiest Thanksgiving week in six years, with the agency anticipating more than 300,000 passengers will travel aboard the system from 26 November to 30 November, marking the highest holiday ridership levels the ferry network has experienced since before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel patterns.
The ferry system is currently experiencing calm conditions, but that tranquility is expected to end abruptly as the holiday travel surge begins. By Wednesday, ferry terminals throughout Puget Sound are expected to see lengthy vehicle queues and crowded passenger decks as holiday travelers make their way to and from island communities and the Olympic Peninsula for Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends.
“Busy, probably running late, probably overcrowded,” predicted Mark Smith, a frequent ferry passenger, describing what he expects conditions to resemble during the peak travel days this week.
Regular ferry riders indicate the Thanksgiving holiday rush can become chaotic, with vehicle lines extending nearly a mile from terminal entrances in some locations as cars stack up waiting for available vessel space. “There have been lines going about a mile back from the ferry terminal,” stated passenger Joey Broholm. “It gets pretty crazy. And then the terminals also get very busy, almost as busy as after a sports game or concert in Seattle,” he added, comparing the congestion to the crush of crowds departing major events in the city.
Washington State Ferries officials indicated Thanksgiving week ridership has not reached these elevated levels since 2019, the year before pandemic restrictions and changed travel behaviours dramatically reduced ferry usage. Last year, approximately 290,000 passengers travelled on ferries during the same Thanksgiving week period, about 10,000 fewer than this year’s projection. To accommodate the increased demand, the system plans to operate up to 440 sailings daily from Wednesday through Sunday, approximately 20 more than the typical daily schedule.
“Be here early, be prepared. One of the things we say is pack your patience,” advised Brian Vail, a spokesperson for Washington State Ferries. “There’s going to be waits, there’s going to be potentially delays, and we just want people to be ready when they show up,” he added, urging travellers to plan for extended journey times and bring entertainment, snacks, and other supplies to make lengthy waits more tolerable.
The heaviest westbound traffic is anticipated on Wednesday and Thursday as travellers head to the San Juan Islands, Whidbey Island, Bainbridge Island, Vashon Island, and communities around Hood Canal to join family members and friends for Thanksgiving celebrations. Return trips to the mainland will likely peak on Saturday and Sunday as holiday visitors head home, with heavy bidirectional traffic expected on Friday as some travellers return early whilst others arrive late.
Thanksgiving Day itself, Thursday 27 November, is projected to be the single busiest day of the week, with an estimated 70,000 passengers using the ferry system, approximately 20,000 more than a typical Thursday ridership level. The surge reflects both regular commuters making holiday trips and out-of-town visitors travelling to the region for celebrations.
Some regular ferry commuters who typically use the system for daily work travel plan to avoid ferries altogether during the holiday period, choosing to remain home or find alternative routes rather than contend with the crowds and delays. “It’s probably best to avoid it because public transit during the holidays can get really chaotic,” Broholm stated, suggesting that flexibility to skip travel during peak periods provides the most stress-free option.
Smith added that for some travellers, it can sometimes prove faster to drive substantial distances using alternate routes rather than waiting through multiple ferry sailing cycles when terminals are backed up with holiday traffic, though such detours add considerable mileage and driving time under normal circumstances.
Despite the anticipated congestion and delays, many passengers express gratitude for ferry crews who maintain operations through one of the year’s most demanding periods, managing vessels, terminals, and customer service under pressure whilst working long hours to accommodate holiday demand.
“I’m super grateful for the work that they do,” Broholm stated. “Give them a little more grace within their jobs because they’re doing the best they can,” he added, urging fellow passengers to remain patient and courteous when delays occur or conditions become crowded.
Officials estimate that by the end of 2025, Washington State Ferries will have served approximately 20 million passengers for the full year, the highest annual ridership since 2019 when the system transported 24 million passengers before the pandemic caused dramatic ridership declines that persisted through 2020 and 2021.
