The North Carolina Department of Transportation’s Ocracoke Express passenger ferry is scheduled next week to launch its seventh season.
Beginning Tuesday, the 129-passenger Ocracoke Express Ferry will carry passengers between Ocracoke’s Silver Lake Harbor and Hatteras. The ferry ride across Pamlico Sound takes about 70 minutes. Officials said the service will stop Sept. 15.
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“Passenger surveys have shown us that the Express is an extremely popular option for day trips to Ocracoke,” Ferry Division Director Jed Dixon said in a release Thursday. “It’s the easiest and most convenient way to spend a day on Ocracoke Island.”
For 2025, the passenger ferry is scheduled to make a total of eight departures a day on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, which officials said are busier days. Trips from Hatteras are to leave at 8:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 5 p.m., and return trips from Ocracoke are at 9:45 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3.p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Departures from Hatteras on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are scheduled for 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., with return trips from Ocracoke at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. No passenger ferry service will be available on Sundays.
Once on Ocracoke, visitors can walk, bike or use Hyde County’s free Ocracoke Village Tram to travel between businesses and other points of interest.
The fare is $15 for a round-trip ticket, with children under 3 riding for free, and an additional $1 to bring a bicycle on board.
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Reservations are available 90 days in advance for the passenger verry and highly recommended during the busy summer season. Travelers can make reservations online at www.ncferry.org, or on the phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY.
The Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry route will continue running 52 scheduled departures at no charge everyday between Hatteras and the north end of Ocracoke Island. No reservations are accepted on the Hatteras vehicle ferry.
For real-time text or email updates on weather or mechanical delays, sign up for the Ferry Information Notification System at www.ncdot.gov/fins.
