Mukilteo Ferry Terminal (and Clinton): Line, Parking, Sounder, Bikes & Busy Times

WA Ferry Tracker › Mukilteo Ferry Terminal (and Clinton)

Address	910 First Street, Mukilteo, WA 98204
Ferries	Mukilteo ⇄ Clinton (Whidbey Island), about 20 minutes
Reservations	None. Cars load first come, first served
Car line	A marked ferry lane on northbound SR 525 (Mukilteo Speedway), then a right onto First Street
Walk-on boarding	Overhead walkway from the second floor. Elevators and stairs at both ends
Facilities	Waiting room, restrooms, ticket window and kiosks, food service. No bike racks
Parking	None at the terminal. City of Mukilteo paid parking nearby, 4-hour limit
Transit	Transit center at the terminal (Community Transit, Everett Transit). Sounder N-Line Mukilteo Station about 800 feet away

A new terminal on an old site

If you last rode from Mukilteo before 2021, the terminal has moved. The current one opened on December 29, 2020, about a third of a mile east of the 1957 dock it replaced. It was WSF's first new terminal in about 40 years. It sits on a former U.S. Air Force fuel depot and pier. Tearing out that pier removed a large share of the toxic creosote pilings left in Puget Sound. The engineers say the site is also where the Point Elliott Treaty was signed in 1855.

WSF designed the building with Coast Salish tribes. The two-story passenger building is shaped like a longhouse, with cedar, timber and big windows facing the water, and the art inside includes carvings by Tulalip and Suquamish artists. Before the pandemic, this was one of the busiest vehicle ferry routes on the West Coast. The designers cite about 2 million vehicles and nearly 4 million riders a year. It's worth a look even if you're only dropping someone off.

Getting in line

Whichever way you come, you end up driving north on SR 525 (the Mukilteo Speedway) in the right-hand lane marked for ferry traffic.

From the south (Seattle, Lynnwood): take I-5 exit 182 for SR 525 north and follow it all the way to the water.
From the north (Everett): take I-5 exit 189 for SR 526 west, go about 4.5 miles, turn right on 84th St SW, then right onto SR 525 north.
From Sea-Tac Airport: WSDOT puts it at about an hour without traffic, mostly on I-5 north to exit 182.
At the bottom: turn right onto First Street. At the holding-lane entrance there are two lanes. The right lane is general ferry traffic. The left lane is for priority ferry traffic and through traffic. Each lane has its own green light, so go only when your light is green.
Carpools, vanpools and medical priority vehicles: if the general ferry lane isn't moving, WSDOT lets them drive down the local access lane to any open tollbooth, merging into the line just before the booths. Carpools and vanpools still have to be ticketed and in line 10 minutes before the sailing.

Parking: plan for none at the dock

WSDOT is blunt: there's no parking at the Mukilteo ferry terminal, just a few short-term spots for pick-up and drop-off. The City of Mukilteo runs paid parking nearby, limited to 4 hours. That works for a quick lunch on Whidbey, not a weekend. For longer trips, WSDOT suggests parking at a park and ride in Lynnwood or Everett and taking the bus to the terminal. Another option on weekdays is the Sounder train.

Sounder, buses and walking on

Sounder N-Line: Sound Transit's Mukilteo Station is at 920 First Street, about 800 feet from the terminal. The N-Line is a weekday commuter train between Everett and Seattle with a stop in Edmonds. If you time it right, you can get from downtown Seattle to Whidbey on foot with no car at all.
Buses: Community Transit and Everett Transit stop at the transit center at the east end of the terminal.
Boarding on foot: all walk-on and roll-on passengers go up to the second floor (two sets of stairs and three elevators), through the turnstiles, and out the north balcony onto the overhead walkway to the boat.
Getting off: you can exit either end. The east end comes out at the transit center. The west end leads to the sidewalk toward downtown Mukilteo and Lighthouse Park.
Tickets: the passenger ticket window is on the second floor, and two kiosks there sell tickets when it's closed. Passenger fares are collected at Mukilteo, and WSDOT notes that walk-ons and bikes leaving Clinton pay nothing there. See the walk-on guide.

Bikes and motorcycles

Bikes: skip the car line, buy your ticket at a tollbooth, then follow the green bike lane to the staging area by the terminal's maintenance building. There are no bike racks at Mukilteo. Arrive about 20 minutes early to load first, and walk your bike on and off.
Motorcycles: you don't wait in the car line. Ride down to just before the tollbooth (a red light stops you before the slight left into the terminal), and staff will send you to the motorcycle staging lane. Loading order is bicycles, motorcycles, vehicles, then late motorcycles as space allows. If you arrive after car loading starts, you wait until the end.

Accessibility and restrooms

There are two ADA parking spots inside the transit area and WSF staff lot at the east end. To reach them, drive east on First Street past the holding-lane entrance. Don't turn into the ferry line. The spots are next to the terminal gate and the east elevators. Public restrooms are at the head of the holding lanes, in the maintenance building at the east end, and on the second floor at the west end of the passenger building. That's useful to know when you're stuck in the car line with a toddler.

When Mukilteo–Clinton is busiest

From WSF's fall 2026 best-times chart for this route (no specific times, since they change by season):

Leaving Mukilteo for Whidbey: weekday afternoons, from early afternoon until the evening commute ends, are "often full," with several sailings rated "likely full." Saturday late morning is the weekend peak. Mornings and evenings are mostly "unlikely to fill."
Leaving Clinton for the mainland: the surprise is that weekday mid-morning boats are rated busier than the early commute boats, with several "often" or "likely full." On Sunday, late morning to early afternoon fills.
Quiet: after the evening commute, most sailings in both directions are rated "unlikely to fill."

Summer and holiday weekends are worse than the fall chart shows. Check the space counter and cameras before you leave, and see our guide to avoiding ferry waits.

The Clinton side (Whidbey Island)

The Clinton terminal is at 64 South Ferrydock Road, Clinton, WA 98236, at the south end of Whidbey. On the island, SR 20 turns into SR 525 south, which leads right down to the dock. Things that work differently from Mukilteo:

No overhead walkway and no elevator. Walk-ons board at car-deck level. WSDOT says disabled riders should ask the ticket sellers or crew for help.
Parking exists, but it's small. There's one small paid lot to the right of the tollbooths, daily and monthly parking half a block away, and a pay lot behind Simmon's Garage about half a mile away. The best deal is the free Park & Ride on Deer Lake Rd, behind the post office about half a mile north off SR 525, with free Island Transit buses to the ferry during normal bus hours.
Drop-off and pick-up happen on Ferry Dock Road before the tollbooth.
Bikes ride past the car line straight onto the dock without stopping at the tollbooth, since there's no fare from Clinton to Mukilteo. Arrive about 20 minutes early. There's one rack that holds eight bikes.
Motorcycles can bypass the ferry holding lane (the right lane) by using the local traffic lane (the left lane) coming down the hill. Past the light in front of the booths, queue behind the last car, ride down the bus lane, and stage in front of vehicle holding.
Lost and found: WSDOT's Mukilteo page says route items are held at Mukilteo for 30 days, while its Clinton page points to Edmonds. Either way, call (206) 515-3439 or email WSFLost_Found@wsdot.wa.gov on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Langley is a short drive up the island from Clinton. If you're making a loop, many people ride Mukilteo–Clinton one way and the Port Townsend–Coupeville ferry the other. That one takes reservations, and WA Ferry Tracker can alert you when a spot opens.

Trucks and tall vehicles

Mukilteo's page has the clearest size limits of any WSF terminal. You need an Oversized/Overweight Vehicle Travel Request (emailed to wsfinfo@wsdot.wa.gov, about two business days) if your vehicle is over 80,000 lbs gross, wider than 8 ft 6 in, taller than 13 ft 4 in, or has less than 14 inches of ground clearance. A low trailer or lowered RV can trip that last rule. If you're over 80,000 lbs gross but hauling less, bring a weight slip instead.

FAQ

Is there parking at the Mukilteo ferry terminal?

No. WSDOT says there's no parking at the terminal, only a few short-term pick-up and drop-off spots. City of Mukilteo paid parking nearby has a 4-hour limit. For longer trips, park at a park and ride in Lynnwood or Everett and take the bus, or come by Sounder on a weekday.

Which lane do I use for the Mukilteo ferry?

Drive north on SR 525 in the right-hand lane marked for ferry traffic and turn right onto First Street. At the holding-lane entrance, the right lane is general ferry traffic and the left lane is for priority and through traffic. Each lane has its own green light.

Can I take the train to the Mukilteo ferry?

On weekdays, yes. Sound Transit's Sounder N-Line Mukilteo Station is at 920 First Street, about 800 feet from the terminal, on the Everett–Seattle line with a stop in Edmonds.

Where do I park at the Clinton ferry terminal?

There's a small paid lot by the tollbooths and paid daily and monthly parking about half a block away. The free option is the Park & Ride on Deer Lake Rd, about half a mile north off SR 525, with free Island Transit buses to the dock.

Do walk-on passengers pay from Clinton to Mukilteo?

No. WSDOT says passengers and bicycles travel free from Clinton to Mukilteo. Fares are collected at Mukilteo.

When is the Mukilteo ferry least busy?

On WSF's fall 2026 chart, mornings out of Mukilteo and most sailings after the evening commute in both directions are rated "unlikely to fill." The longest waits leaving Mukilteo are weekday afternoons and Saturday late morning. Leaving Clinton, they're weekday mid-mornings and Sunday midday.

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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.