The biennial National Census of Ferry Operators (NCFO) is a data collection of all ferry operations providing service within and to the United States and its territories. The census collects information on the vessels, terminals, segments that make up our Nation’s ferry system, as well as key operational information, such as passenger and vehicle boardings. In 2017, there were 967 unique ferry segment routes reported among 181 operators, connecting 608 unique terminals. These features can be explored, queried, and downloaded in the interactive map below.



The map displays the results of the 2018 NCFO which captured 2017 operational information. Geometry for the route segments was gathered from a variety of sources. Many were calculated using Automatic Identification System GPS data obtained from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Others were gathered from government agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), United States Geological Survey (USGS), Census Bureau, National Park Service, and the USACE. Routes which could not be sourced from any of the above were digitized and denoted to have "unofficial geometry", as demonstrated in the map's legend.

