Seattle–Bremerton ferry

Seattle–Bremerton ferry
	Hyak boarding at Bremerton.
Waterway	Puget Sound
Route	Seattle – Bremerton, Washington
Carries	SR 304
Authority	Washington State Ferries (1951–present); Kitsap Fast Ferries (2017–present)
Travel time	60 minutes (2018); 45 minutes (1968)
	Connections at Bremerton
Ship	Kitsap Foot Ferry
Bus	Kitsap Transit, Mason Transit Authority
Road	SR 304
	Connections at Seattle
Ship	King County Water Taxi
Tram	Pioneer Square station
Bus	King County Metro, Sound Transit Express
Road	SR 519
Route map
	This graph was using the legacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to the new Chart extension.

The Seattle–Bremerton ferry is a ferry route across Puget Sound between Seattle and Bremerton, Washington. Since 1951, the route has primarily been operated by the state-run Washington State Ferries system, currently the largest ferry system in the United States. Kitsap Transit also runs passenger-only "fast ferries" service on the route.

History

The Seattle–Bremerton ferry route was once known as the "Navy Yard route". Before ferry service, the route was served by steamships and steamboats, such as the Inland Flyer. The sternwheeler Bailey Gatzert, once considered one of the most prestigious vessels to operate on Puget Sound and the Columbia River, was converted to an automobile ferry and as such became the first ferry to run on the Seattle-Bremerton route.^[1] Another vessel to run on the route was the unique "streamlined" ferry Kalakala.

From 1986 to 2002, Washington State Ferries operated passenger-only service on the Bremerton route using specialized high-speed boats. After the service was cancelled, Kitsap Transit contracted with private companies to operate a similar service for several years, and later debuted its own service, Kitsap Fast Ferries, on July 10, 2017.^[2]

Current status

The route from Seattle departs from Colman Dock on the central Seattle waterfront. As of August 2025^[update], the vessels assigned to the Seattle–Bremerton route are the Tacoma and Walla Walla. The Issaquah, which underwent conversion into a hybrid electric vessel, was reintroduced to the route in July 2025 but pulled from service due to mechanical issues; Walla Walla had been assigned as the standby vessel and replaced the Wenatchee.^[3]

MV Chimacum, ferry on the Seattle–Bremerton route, arriving at Colman Dock in Seattle

Popular culture

A ship (Klickitat) in this ferry route is mentioned in the Emergency! TV movie "Most Deadly Passage" that first aired in 1978.

Notes

^ Newell, Gordon, R., ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, at 291, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA, 1966
^ Gutman, David (July 5, 2017). "Bremerton takes another crack at fast ferry service". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 14, 2017.
^ Deshais, Nicholas (August 19, 2025). "A month after hybrid-electric conversion, ferry pulled from service". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 21, 2025.

References

Demoro, Harre, The Evergreen Fleet – A Pictorial History of Washington State Ferries, Golden West Books, San Marino, CA (1971) ISBN 0-87095-037-1
Kline, Mary S., and Bayless, G.A., Ferryboats – A Legend on Puget Sound, Bayless Books, Seattle, WA (1983) ISBN 0-914515-00-4
Newell, Gordon, R., ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA (1966)

[McCurdy-1] Newell, Gordon, R., ed., H.W. McCurdy Marine History of the Pacific Northwest, at 291, Superior Publishing, Seattle, WA, 1966

[2] Gutman, David (July 5, 2017). "Bremerton takes another crack at fast ferry service". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 14, 2017.

[3] Deshais, Nicholas (August 19, 2025). "A month after hybrid-electric conversion, ferry pulled from service". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 21, 2025.

[1]

[2]

[3]