The Long Way
Pierce County
A ferry wake churns in front of a dock and coastal landscape.
Plate I. Ferry slip, Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry. From piercecountywa.gov
An elevated view of a ferry terminal with a line of waiting cars on the road and a wooden pier structure leading to the water.
Plate II. Ferry dock, Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry. Photograph by drums600, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Aerial view of two ferries docked at a pier near a coastal town.
Plate III. Ferry boats at Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry terminal. From piercecountywa.gov
An aerial view of two ferries docked at a pier.
Plate IV. Ferries at dock, Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry. From piercecountywa.gov
A ferry undergoing work in a shipyard.
Plate V. Steilacoom II ferry, Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry. From piercecountywa.gov
A ferry is on the water with snowy mountains in the background.
Plate VI. Ferry boat, Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry. From piercecountywa.gov

Steilacoom-Anderson Island Ferry

Steilacoom, Pierce County, Washington. Ferry.

Details

Map. Steilacoom, Pierce County, Washington. Larger map
Where
56 Union Ave., Steilacoom, WA 98388. Directions
When
Departing Steilacoom 4:45 a.m., 5:45 a.m., 7:05 a.m., 8:20 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10:35 a.m., 12:10 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 3:55 p.m., 5:15 p.m., 6:25 p.m., 7:35 p.m., 9:15 p.m., 10:20 p.m.; peak season extra runs 12:45 p.m., 2:05 p.m., 3:20 p.m., 4:35 p.m.
Season
Year-round; peak season May 22 - Sept. 7, 2026, non-peak Jan. 1 - May 21 and Sept. 8 - Dec. 31, 2026.
Fees
Walk-on adults (ages 19 and older) $8.14; youth 18 and under free with ticket; senior 65+ or disability $4.46.
Hours
Daily; from Steilacoom 4:45 a.m. to 10:20 p.m., plus extra midday runs in peak season.
Access
Oversize and low vehicles, including low-hanging parts and RV rear overhangs, may be restricted or denied boarding at extreme low tides of zero feet and below.
Walk-in or reserve
Ketron Island departures require a reservation at least 60 minutes in advance at (253) 588-1950.
Phone
253-588-1950
Managed by
HMS (City Experiences), contract ferry operator for Pierce County.
Established
1922.

Pierce County-owned ferry route from Steilacoom to Anderson Island with a Ketron Island spur; only road connection to both islands; free youth fares funded by Washington State Move Ahead Washington; eligible for Federal Transit Administration funding distributed by the Puget Sound Regional Council and administered by Pierce Transit, but not classified as a public transit system under Washington law.

Notable Events

  1. 1922Pierce County awarded a ferry contract to Skansie Brothers of Gig Harbor for a Steilacoom-Anderson Island-McNeal Island-Longbranch route with their new 67-foot, 16-car motor ferry Elk. piercecountywa.gov
  2. 1924The ferry City of Steilacoom, launched July 21, 1924, carried passengers and 30 cars between Steilacoom, Anderson Island, McNeil Island and Longbranch. harborhistorymuseum.smugmug.com
  3. 1938Pierce County resumed control of the system and contracted the service out; Olsen Ferries, Inc. won the initial contract and operated the nine-car ferry Tahoma. piercecountywa.gov
  4. 1961The Steilacoom to Ketron Island route was added to the system. piercecountywa.gov
  5. 1967The County purchased the M/V Islander from the State of Oregon; formerly the Tourist 2, it had operated across the Columbia River from Astoria, Oregon to Meglar, Washington until World War II. piercecountywa.gov
  6. 1976The County took possession of a 1936-vintage Navy surplus vessel christened the M/V Steilacoom, and the long-served Tahoma was retired. piercecountywa.gov
  7. 1994The newly constructed M/V Christine Anderson, with capacity for 54 vehicles and 215 passengers, entered service and the Islander was sold, later operating as the Argosy on Lake Washington. piercecountywa.gov
  8. 1995The Christine Anderson took over the route, later joined by its twin, the Steilacoom 2. historylink.org
  9. 2006The new M/V Steilacoom II was completed and placed in service with a capacity of 54 vehicles and 288 passengers. piercecountywa.gov
  10. 2008The Steilacoom II was loaned to Washington State Ferries to serve the Port Townsend-Keystone route. piercecountywa.gov
  11. 2011The Steilacoom II returned to service in Pierce County, and two boats ran on the Independence Day holiday for the first time in the system's history. piercecountywa.gov

People

  • Olsen Ferries, Inc., Won the initial county operating contract and provided the nine-car ferry Tahoma (from 1938).
  • Skansie Brothers, Sole operators of the ferry service under the first county contract (until 1938).

Sources

  1. piercecountywa.gov/ferry
  2. piercecountywa.gov/8922/2026-Ferry-Schedule
  3. piercecountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/123086/2023-Fourteen-Year-Ferry-Program-Adopted?bidId=
  4. historylink.org/File/21119
  5. harborhistorymuseum.smugmug.com/HarborHistoryMuseumCollection/Boats-mix/Boats-Ferry-City-of-Steilacoom
  6. nicholsboats.com/portfolio/project/christine-anderson
  7. anderson-island.org/hs/history.html