Hornblower Cruises (under contract to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
No. of lines
6
No. of terminals
12
Daily ridership
300 (weekdays, Q1 2024)[1]
Yearly ridership
1,260,000 (2023)[2]
Route map
Show interactive map
v
t
e
Legend
Route
F4
Navy Yard
F3
Lewis Wharf
F2H/F3
Long Wharf (north)
F54/F5
Long Wharf (south)
F6
Central Wharf
F1
Rowes Wharf
F6
Fan Pier
F2H/F6
Logan Airport
F6
Marina Bay
F6
Winthrop
F5
Lynn
F2H
Georges Island
F2H
Pemberton Point, Hull
F1/F2H
Hingham
All ferry terminals are accessible
Show diagram map
The MBTA ferry system is a public boat service providing water transportation in Boston Harbor. It is operated by Hornblower Cruises (branded as City Cruises) under contract to the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). In 2023, the system had a ridership of 1,260,000, or about 300 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024. The system has six routes that terminate in downtown Boston. Year-round routes run to Hingham directly (F1) and via Hull (F2H), and to the Charlestown Navy Yard (F4). Seasonal routes run to Lynn (F3), Winthrop (F5), and East Boston (F6).
In the 19th century, numerous steamship routes ran from Boston to various destinations in the inner harbor, North Shore, and South Shore, plus routes to elsewhere in New England and to Europe. Ferry service declined in the late 19th century and 20th century due to competition from railways, streetcars, and finally automobiles; by the 1930s, only summer routes plus the East Boston ferry remained. Year round service to Hull was reintroduced in 1963, and was then the only commuter ferry service in the country. This was followed by Hingham service in 1975, tourist-oriented Charlestown service in 1979, and Quincy service in 1996 – as well as several other short-lived routes. Most routes were either unsubsidized or state-funded; from 1986 to 2002, they gradually became subsidized by the MBTA. Service to Quincy and Hull was combined in 1998; in 2013, the Quincy terminal was replaced by Hingham. Winthrop service began in 2016 and was taken over by the MBTA in 2023. East Boston service began in 2022; Lynn service began in 2023 after several previous iterations failed.
The MBTA owns some ferries, while Hornblower owns others. The ferry system has the highest on-time performance and farebox recovery ratio of MBTA service types. However, it is only a small component of MBTA service: in 2016, the three routes the funded by the MBTA carried 5,070 passengers per weekday – about 0.4% of total MBTA ridership.
^"Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
^"Transit Ridership Report First Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. May 23, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
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