The North Carolina Ferry System is a refreshing reminder that our in-state transportation system is not just about roads, bridges, and commuter rail lines. There is a rich history within this network.

 

Ferries are an integral part of the coastal culture and history of North Carlina, and continue to be the lifeline of many communities in the region.

 

In the early 1900s, a ferry system in North Carolina began to take shape - A tug and barge conveyance system linked Bodie Island and Hatteras Island across the Oregon Inlet. A wooden trawler-type ferry was put online. The groundwork for a state-supported ferry system was laid in 1934, when the Department of Transportation — subsidized the route to reduce the ferry tolls.

 

In 1960 a State Ferry Operations office was created in Manteo and was moved to Morehead City in 1964. In 1974, it became known as the N.C. Ferry Division. Today, a fleet of 22 ferries operates year-round and transports over a million vehicles and more than 2.5 million passengers annually across seven year-round vehicle routes and one seasonal passenger ferry route. In addition, the division owns a dredge and numerous support vessels, maintains its docks and passenger service centers, and operates its own shipyard.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

While all of these ferries transport people on vacation and for local transportation as well, some of the routes also serve more specific needs as well.

​​

Here are some good examples:

 

The Minnesott Beach-Cherry Brancy run serves a predominantly military population at the Cherry Point Air Station.

 

The Aurora-Bayview ferry transports PCS Phosphate mine workers, and the Swan Quarter-Ocracoke ferry connects island residents to their Hyde County seat.

 

The Currituck-Knotts Island ferry route serves school kids commuting between Knotts Island and schools   on the mainland. Before the route was established, buses had to travel a circuitous route through Virginia to get to school.

​

The new Ocracoke Express (established in 2019) is a passenger-only summer route that takes visitors from Hatteras directly to the heart of Ocracoke Village, bypassing vehicle ferry waiting times.