Washington State Ferries Ridership Rose in 2024

The m/v Suquamish, an Olympic-class ferry operated by Washington State Ferries. Image: Washington State Ferries via Vigor Fab LLC.

An estimated 19.1 million people rode Washington State Ferries in 2024, nearly a half-million more riders than in 2023, according to data released Jan. 13 by the state ferry system.

The transit agency attributed the heightened attendance of 2.6% to a leap in walk-on riders and its fewest number of canceled sailings since 2020.

Walk-on passengers accounted for the 5.7% increase (about 224,000 more riders) with tourism and more people returning to the workplace on the rise, according to WSF, which also saw a 1.1% uptick in passengers with vehicles with 102,000 people.

The most notable year-to-year surge was experienced on the ferry system’s Point Defiance/Tahlequah route, where total ridership jumped 5.8% (vehicles up 3.6%; walk-ons up 9.8%). The Seattle/Bainbridge Island route attracted 4.9 million total riders (vehicles down 1.9%; walk-ons up 6.5%), the ferry system’s busiest in 2024, while the Edmonds/Kingston route drew 3.7 million total riders (vehicles up 5.9%; walk-ons up 0.9%), according to the data.

By Karen Robes Meeks