The Staten Island Ferry

What The Staten Island Ferry does

The Staten Island Ferry is a municipal passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) that runs between St. George Terminal on Staten Island and Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan. The service operates 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, completing a 25-minute scenic route with 117 weekday trips (four boats) and 96 weekend trips (three boats), totaling approximately 40,404 trips and nearly 22 million passengers annually. The fleet consists of ten vessels ranging from 196 to 320 feet in length with passenger capacities from 1,280 to 6,000, including the Dorothy Day (2021), Spirit of America (2004), Senator John J. Marchi (2005), Guy V. Molinari (2005), Samuel I. Newhouse (1981), John Noble (1986), Alice Austen, and Michael Cosgrove. Propulsion technology spans Voith Schneider Propeller systems on modern vessels for docking precision and diesel-electric GM-EMD 710GB16 configurations on larger vessels delivering 10,000 SHP.

The service has been free to foot passengers since July 4, 1997 and is funded through the NYC municipal budget rather than fare revenue. NYC DOT maintains the entire fleet plus the two main terminals and ancillary facilities at City Island, Hart Island, and the Battery Maritime Building. Both terminals are ADA-compliant with escalators and elevators, offer free WiFi, and host food concessions including beer service. In 2005 the operation became the first US ferry operator to voluntarily comply with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code as certified by the American Bureau of Shipping.

Customer segments are dominated by Staten Island resident commuters connecting to Manhattan workplaces via MTA bus, subway, and Staten Island Railway links, supplemented by tourists and sightseers drawn by views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the lower Manhattan skyline. The entity is a municipal government service — not a privately held or publicly traded company — with origins in 18th-century per-auger sailboat operators, the 1817 steam-powered Nautilus under the Richmond Turnpike Company, Cornelius Vanderbilt's mid-19th-century stewardship, and city takeover in 1905. There is no commercial go-to-market motion; outreach occurs through siferry.com, NYC DOT social media, 311 information lines, and terminal signage.

Name

The Staten Island Ferry

Legal name

Staten Island Ferry (New York City Department of Transportation)

Website

https://siferry.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1817

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Staten Island Ferry is a free municipal passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation, running 24/7 between St. George Terminal (Staten Island) and Whitehall Terminal (Manhattan) using a ten-vessel fleet, serving nearly 70,000 daily passengers and approximately 22 million riders annually on a 25-minute scenic route.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Ferry Transportation

NAICS

Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114), Urban Transit Systems (48511)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Urban & Commuter Ferries (Scheduled Public Service) (THAIAJAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Ferry Terminals & Water Transit Piers (THAIALAH)

Keywords

• Public ferry service
• Passenger transportation
• Municipal transit
• Harbor ferry operations
• Commuter ferry service

Headquarters

HQ city

Staten Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Staten Island Ferry provides free, 24/7 municipal passenger ferry service between St. George Terminal in Staten Island and Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan using a ten-vessel fleet. The 25-minute crossing transports approximately 70,000 daily passengers (22 million annually) and offers scenic views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and lower Manhattan skyline. The service is fully funded and operated by the New York City Department of Transportation with no fares charged.

Product overview

The Staten Island Ferry is a free municipal ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation, providing passenger transportation between St. George Terminal in Staten Island and Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan. The service operates a ten-vessel fleet of passenger ferries including Dorothy Day, Spirit of America, Senator John J. Marchi, Guy V. Molinari, Samuel I. Newhouse, John Noble, Alice Austen, and Michael Cosgrove, with vessels ranging from 450 to 6,000 passenger capacity. The fleet serves approximately 70,000 daily passengers on the 25-minute route that offers scenic views of the Statue of Liberty and New York Harbor. Facilities include food concessions serving food and beer, free WiFi at terminals and aboard vessels, and accessibility accommodations at both terminals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Staten Island Ferry Service Free public ferry service operating 24/7 between St. George Terminal in Staten Island and Whitehall Ferry Terminal in Manhattan, transporting approximately 70,000 passengers daily with a ten-vessel fleet on a 25-minute crossing. The service is provided at no fare to all passengers and is the only non-vehicular mode of transport between Staten Island and Manhattan.
• Dorothy Day Passenger Ferry Passenger ferry commissioned in 2021, built by Eastern Shipbuilding with Elliott Bay Design Group design. Carries up to 4,500 passengers, powered by EMD 12V-710 engines with Voith Schneider Propeller delivering 10,000 horsepower for superior maneuverability and docking control.
• Spirit of America Passenger Ferry Passenger ferry commissioned December 18, 2004, built by Marinette Marine in Wisconsin. Capacity for 4,400 passengers and 30 cars. Named to honor the spirit and unity of America following the 9/11 attacks. Powered by GM-EMD 710GB16 engines with Diesel Electric 4160 volts AC propulsion delivering 10,000 SHP.
• Senator John J. Marchi Passenger Ferry Passenger ferry commissioned May 8, 2004 with capacity for 4,400 passengers and 30 cars. Arrived in New York Harbor on March 20, 2005. Named after New York State Senator John J. Marchi.
• Guy V. Molinari Passenger Ferry Passenger ferry commissioned September 20, 2003 with first trip on January 26, 2005. Named after Staten Island Representative and Borough President Guy V. Molinari. Part of the operating ten-vessel fleet.
• Samuel I. Newhouse Passenger Ferry Passenger ferry commissioned in 1981, built by Equitable Shipyards. Capacity for 6,000 passengers (tied for the highest passenger capacity in the fleet alongside Andrew J. Barberi). Powered by GM-EMD 645E16 engines.
• John Noble Passenger Ferry Passenger ferry commissioned in 1986, built by Derektor Shipyards. Length 196 feet with capacity for 1,280 passengers. Powered by Caterpillar 3516 engines with Voith Schneider propulsion.
• St. George Terminal Staten Island ferry terminal at 1 Bay Street, featuring a renovated waiting area with 40-foot tall glass wall, a photovoltaic louver system that delivers 25% energy savings, an 18,000-square-foot living roof, and connections to MTA buses and the Staten Island Railway. Equipped with escalators, elevators, free WiFi, and ADA-compliant accessibility.
• Whitehall Ferry Terminal Manhattan ferry terminal at 4 South Street with 200,000 square feet of total area including a 19,000-square-foot waiting room, 6,000 square feet of concessions, rooftop viewing decks, photovoltaic solar panels, and easy connection to the South Ferry Subway Station. Equipped with ADA-compliant elevators and escalators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transports approximately 22 million people annually
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT)coreOthersNYC DOT is responsible for the maintenance of the ten-vessel fleet along with numerous facilities including the St. George and Whitehall terminals, the City Island and Hart Island facilities, and the Battery Maritime Building including all floating dock equipment. The department operates and maintains the entire ferry service.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Hornblower Cruises & Events: Operates the NYC Ferry system under city contract and broader marine passenger services nationally. Comparable as a large-scale passenger ferry operator with NY Harbor presence and broader service portfolio beyond commuter routes.

Direct peers

• Washington State Ferries: Large-scale publicly operated passenger ferry system moving commuters and travelers across Puget Sound. Comparable in scale, public ownership structure, and scheduled commuter service model to the Staten Island Ferry.
• Seastreak: Private operator running commuter and leisure ferry routes across NY Harbor including service to/from Manhattan and Staten Island-adjacent terminals. Directly competes for harbor passenger traffic and offers a paid alternative.
• NY Water Taxi: Private harbor ferry operator running routes across NY Harbor with commuter and tourist services. Directly comparable paid passenger ferry competitor in the same waterways.
• MBTA Ferry (Boston Harbor Cruises): Operates commuter ferry routes under contract with MBTA serving Boston Harbor. Comparable as a publicly-tied commuter passenger ferry operation providing scheduled service across urban harbor waters.
• NYC Ferry (Citywide Ferry Service): City-contracted commuter ferry service operated across NYC waterways with overlapping ridership base of commuters and tourists. Operates multiple routes in NY Harbor under municipal oversight, making it the closest functional analog to the Staten Island Ferry.

Emerging players

• Liberty Landing Ferry: Operates a short commuter route from Liberty State Park to the Battery in lower Manhattan, partially overlapping the Staten Island Ferry's harbor corridor and serving similar commuter/tourist segments.
• Governors Island Ferry (Trust for Governors Island): Seasonal ferry service from Manhattan to Governors Island, sharing harbor geography and tourist use cases with the Staten Island Ferry. Operates at smaller scale but in overlapping passenger market.

Others

• MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority): Operates NYC subway, bus, and Staten Island Railway services that physically connect to the Staten Island Ferry terminals. An enabling multimodal partner that shapes first/last-mile demand for ferry ridership.
• NYC Department of Transportation (parent operator): The municipal parent body operating the Staten Island Ferry and other surface transit infrastructure. Relevant as the governing/capital-funding authority whose budget decisions drive service levels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/si_ferry_info
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@siferry
• Facebookfacebook.com/StatenIslandFerry
• Instagraminstagram.com/siferry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-staten-island-ferry

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Staten Island Ferry