Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal (West Seattle): Line, Parking, Bikes & Busy Times

WA Ferry Tracker › Fauntleroy Ferry Terminal (West Seattle)

Address	4829 SW Barton St, Seattle, WA 98136 (Fauntleroy neighborhood of West Seattle, just south of Lincoln Park)
Ferries	Fauntleroy ⇄ Vashon Island and Southworth (the "triangle" route, SR 160). Some sailings stop at both
Reservations	None. Vehicles load first come, first served
Car line	One holding lane on the shoulder of southbound Fauntleroy Way SW, shared by both destinations
Walk-on boarding	No overhead passenger walkway and no elevator
Facilities	Waiting room, restrooms, ticket kiosk, food service. No bike racks
Parking	Limited on-street parking only. No WSF lot
Transit	King County Metro, including the RapidRide C Line stop at Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Barton St

Why Fauntleroy is different

Fauntleroy is one of the busiest terminals in the system. WSDOT counts more than 2.3 million riders a year. It's also one of the most cramped. The dock was built in the 1950s and holds about 80 cars, but it serves three Issaquah-class ferries that each carry 124. WSF's own planning study calls it the only WSF terminal not served by a state route or major arterial. The approach is Fauntleroy Way SW, a city street through a residential neighborhood.

The result is the Fauntleroy line: cars waiting on the shoulder of Fauntleroy Way SW, north of the dock and before the tollbooths. That one lane feeds both Vashon and Southworth. WSF's study estimates the shoulder lane holds roughly 140 more cars on top of the dock. On a bad afternoon it can stretch toward Lincoln Park.

Getting in line

WSDOT's directions are simple: follow Fauntleroy Way SW about three miles to the terminal, just past Lincoln Park. In practice:

Join from the north, heading south. Drivers without a ticket must come southbound on Fauntleroy Way SW and stop at the tollbooth. Unless you're a pre-ticketed carpool, vanpool or motorcycle (see below), don't approach northbound and try to turn in. The northbound lanes beside the dock are exit lanes.
Prepaid HOVs and motorcycles have a different entry. WSDOT lets pre-ticketed carpools, vanpools and motorcycles enter northbound along Fauntleroy Way using the exit lanes, but only when no boat is unloading.
Know your destination. Staff sort cars for Vashon and for Southworth on the dock. Tell the tollbooth where you're going, and follow the lane signs and the crew.
Respect the neighborhood. The line runs past homes and driveways. Leave driveways and side streets clear.

Boarding order on two-stop sailings

Some boats from Fauntleroy stop at both Vashon and Southworth, so WSF loads them so the right cars can drive off at each stop. WSDOT's published order for these multi-destination sailings is:

Bicycles
Vashon motorcycles
Vashon vehicles
Southworth motorcycles
Southworth vehicles

On single-destination sailings the order is bicycles, motorcycles, vehicles, then late motorcycles as space allows. On these routes trucks may be loaded out of order because of limited height clearance on the boats.

Tickets and fares

You can buy at the vehicle tollbooth, at the passenger booth when it's open, at the kiosk in the terminal waiting room, or online in advance. A prepaid ticket speeds up the booth but doesn't reserve a space. WSDOT says outright that pre-purchasing doesn't guarantee a spot.
On the Vashon run, WSDOT describes fares as round-trip, bought at Fauntleroy or Southworth. Check the fare calculator for your exact trip.
Riders under 19 travel free as passengers. Seniors 65+, riders with disabilities and Medicare card holders pay about half the regular passenger fare with proof of eligibility. Teen drivers pay the vehicle-and-driver fare.
Don't expect to drive through on a toll pass. WSF's 2026 planning study lists Good To Go! and advance ticketing only as possible future improvements at Fauntleroy.
Carpools and vanpools must be ticketed and in line about 10 minutes before the sailing to get preferential loading. Arrive later and you load at the end, if there's room.

Parking and drop-off

There's no ferry parking lot at Fauntleroy. WSDOT notes only "limited on-street parking" and asks riders to stay out of areas signed "permit parking only." If you're walking on for the day, it's usually easier to get dropped off, take a bus, or park farther away in West Seattle and ride in. Lincoln Park has parking for park visitors, but it isn't a commuter lot and fills on nice weekends.

Walking on, biking and the bus

Walk-ons board at dock level. There's no overhead walkway or elevator at Fauntleroy, which matters if you use a wheelchair or travel with a stroller. The waiting room has restrooms and a kiosk for tickets. Be aboard about five minutes before departure.

Bikes can ride past the car line to the dock, then walk to the tollbooth or passenger booth to pay. Arrive about 20 minutes before departure to load first. Arrive after car loading starts and you'll board at the end. Walk your bike on and off. The terminal has no bike racks, so you can't leave a bike here.

Buses: King County Metro serves the terminal. The RapidRide C Line stops at Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Barton St and runs through the Alaska Junction to downtown Seattle and South Lake Union, which makes a car-free trip to Vashon or Southworth practical. Check Metro for current routes and times.

When the line is worst

WSF's fall 2026 best-times chart for Fauntleroy–Vashon is clear-cut. Nearly every sailing it expects to be "often" or "likely full" leaves Fauntleroy on a weekday between early afternoon and early evening, which is the commute home out of the city. Mornings out of Fauntleroy are mostly "unlikely to fill," and trips from Vashon back to Fauntleroy rarely fill. The Fauntleroy–Southworth chart has the same afternoon shape. Summer weekends and holiday getaway days add more full boats. Our guide to avoiding ferry waits explains how to read these charts.

Before you leave, check the Fauntleroy cameras on WSDOT's terminal page. The one to watch shows the line along Fauntleroy Way. If it's past the dock entrance and up the hill, expect to wait at least one boat.

While you wait: Lincoln Park and the beach

The terminal sits at the south edge of Lincoln Park, one of West Seattle's biggest parks, with forest trails and a long beach walk on Puget Sound. If you're a walk-on or cyclist with time to kill, it's the obvious stop. Drivers in the shoulder lane should stay with the car. The line moves as each boat loads, and gaps hold everyone up. Tiny Cove Park sits beside the dock. WSF's preferred rebuild design avoids it.

Trucks, low tides and oversize loads

The boats on this route have limited height clearance. Trucks over 80,000 lbs gross or wider than 8'6" need WSF travel approval in advance (allow three business days). WSDOT also warns that vehicles with less than 14 inches of ground clearance may not be allowed to travel to or from Vashon during extreme low tides, so check before you haul a low trailer to the island.

Accessibility

WSDOT lists no overhead passenger loading and no elevator at Fauntleroy. Walk-on passengers can ask terminal and boat crews for help boarding, or ask to be told when boarding starts. Staff can't lift or transfer riders, so bring an attendant if you need one. To plan around a disability, WSF's team at 206-464-6400 can help you choose sailings and terminals.

Lost something?

Items found on the triangle route go to the Fauntleroy terminal and are kept for 30 days. Call (206) 515-3439 or email WSFLost_Found@wsdot.wa.gov, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. WSF's general line, (206) 464-6400, can also help.

What is changing at Fauntleroy

WSF is replacing the terminal. The plan WSDOT is moving forward with is a longer, narrow dock in deeper water that would hold 124 to 155 cars instead of about 80, enough to stage a full boat on the dock. WSDOT lists construction starting in 2028 and the new terminal opening around 2031. First comes a new traffic signal where the dock meets Fauntleroy Way SW. WSDOT scheduled it for fall 2026, and the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber reported in late October 2026 that work was now expected to start in December or January. Expect some lane changes and flaggers around the entrance this winter.

For the crossing itself, see the Fauntleroy–Vashon–Southworth route guide, or browse all ferry terminal guides.

FAQ

Where do I line up for the Fauntleroy ferry?

Drive south on Fauntleroy Way SW toward the dock and join the holding lane on the right shoulder, north of the terminal. One lane serves both Vashon and Southworth. Only pre-ticketed carpools, vanpools and motorcycles may use the northbound exit lanes, and only when no boat is unloading.

Is there parking at the Fauntleroy ferry terminal?

No WSF lot. There is limited on-street parking nearby, and WSDOT asks riders to avoid permit-only areas. Getting dropped off or taking the RapidRide C Line is usually easier for walk-ons.

Can I reserve a car spot on the Fauntleroy–Vashon ferry?

No. The triangle route is first come, first served. A ticket bought online speeds up the tollbooth but doesn't guarantee a space.

When is the Fauntleroy ferry line longest?

On weekday afternoons and early evenings heading out of Fauntleroy, according to WSF's fall 2026 best-times chart, plus summer weekends and holiday getaway days. Trips from Vashon toward Fauntleroy rarely fill.

Does the Fauntleroy terminal have an elevator or overhead walkway?

No. WSDOT lists no overhead passenger loading and no elevator at Fauntleroy. Walk-ons board at dock level and can ask staff for help.

Which bus goes to the Fauntleroy ferry?

King County Metro serves the terminal, including the RapidRide C Line stop at Fauntleroy Way SW & SW Barton St, which connects to the Alaska Junction, downtown Seattle and South Lake Union.

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Sources

Independent guide, not affiliated with Washington State Ferries or WSDOT. Schedules, fares and rules change by season, so confirm on wsdot.wa.gov before you travel. Last updated November 5, 2026.