What City Ferry does

City Ferry is a privately held U.S. marine management and operations company that runs passenger and vehicle ferry services on behalf of government clients, including state and local departments of transportation, federal agencies, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and divisions of the U.S. Military. The company operates approximately 100 vessels across seven disclosed routes — NYC Ferry, Liberty Landing City Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, Mobile Bay Ferry, Gees Bend Ferry, Pierce County Ferry, and Pensacola Bay City Ferry — spanning New York, New Jersey, Alabama, Washington State, Florida, and Puerto Rico. It is the largest private operator of high-speed passenger/vehicle ferries in the United States and operates the first zero-emission, all-electric passenger/vehicle ferry in the country. Its technology stack centers on High Speed Vessel engineering, electric-ferry powertrains, vessel management and maintenance services, and regulatory-compliant maritime operations rather than software or AI platforms.

City Ferry's business model is a managed-services/government-contracting model in which it staffs, maintains, and operates vessels under bespoke contracts with government counterparties; pricing is contract-specific and not publicly disclosed. A secondary professional-services revenue stream covers marine consulting and turn-key management for new or expanded ferry operations. The firm is anchored by Hornblower Group and sits within City Experiences as its ferries division, alongside sister brands City Cruises, Walks, Devour Tours, Seaward Services, and Hornblower Marine. Go-to-market is B2G enterprise field sales targeting state/local DOTs, federal agencies, and military divisions, with the website and parent-company brand providing top-of-funnel credibility.

Customer concentration is high: the entire disclosed customer base consists of seven government entities, with NYC Ferry representing the largest single contract. The firm employs 501-1,000 people and is headquartered at 4901 Vineland Rd., Ste. 200, Orlando, FL (with a contact office at 222 Pearl Street, New Albany, IN). No funding rounds, M&A events, leadership changes, regulatory actions, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed in the available source materials, and revenue figures are not publicly reported.

Name

City Ferry

Legal name

City Ferry

Website

https://cityferry.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

City Ferry is a privately held U.S. marine management company that operates approximately 100 passenger and vehicle ferries across seven government-contracted routes, serving state DOTs, federal agencies, and U.S. Military divisions as the ferries division of Hornblower Group's City Experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Passenger Ferry Services

NAICS

Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Ferry & Passenger Water Transport Operators (TLAFAAAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Harbor & River Shuttle Services (THAIAJAE), Island & Remote Community Ferry Services (THAIAJAG)

Keywords

• Passenger ferry services
• Marine management
• Vessel operations
• High-speed ferries
• Government ferry contracts

Headquarters

HQ city

New Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ferry Operations Management Contracts: City Ferry generates revenue through managing ferry operations for government clients. They operate approximately 100 vessels on a regular basis under contracts that are unique, specific to each operation, and vary in size and scope. Revenue comes from state, local, and federal government agencies, departments of transportation, and U.S. Military divisions.
2. Marine Consulting and Project Services: Revenue generated from project consulting services to clients looking to expand or optimize existing ferry operations, or start new maritime ventures. Services range from advisory consulting to turn-key management solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

City Ferry is a full-service marine management and operations company that operates passenger and vehicle ferry services across multiple U.S. locations, including NYC Ferry, Liberty Landing City Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, Mobile Bay Ferry, Gees Bend Ferry, Pierce County Ferry, and Pensacola Bay City Ferry. The company manages approximately 100 vessels under contracts with state, local, and federal government agencies, departments of transportation, and U.S. Military divisions, and complements operations with vessel management, maintenance, and consulting services.

Product overview

City Ferry is a marine management and operations company offering a portfolio of ferry services across multiple U.S. locations, including NYC Ferry, Liberty Landing City Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, Mobile Bay Ferry, Gees Bend Ferry, Pierce County Ferry, and Pensacola Bay City Ferry. The company operates approximately 100 vessels and serves government and military clients, providing specialized knowledge to transport passengers, vehicles, and cargo across inland and coastal waterways. As the largest private operator of high-speed passenger/vehicle ferries in the U.S., City Ferry complements its core ferry services with complete vessel management, maintenance services, and comprehensive operational support including onshore and onboard customer service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NYC Ferry Ferry service providing dependable transportation for New Yorkers commuting and connecting across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island.
• Liberty Landing City Ferry Fast, affordable, efficient ferry alternative across the Hudson River connecting New York and New Jersey.
• Puerto Rico Ferry Ferry service connecting San Juan to Cataño and Ceiba to Culebra and Vieques in Puerto Rico.
• Mobile Bay Ferry Ferry service utilizing the Fort Morgan and Marissa Mae Nicole vessels to carry passengers and vehicles across Mobile Bay in Alabama.
• Gees Bend Ferry Daily ferry service between Camden and Gees Bend, Alabama, home of the famous Quilters of Gees Bend.
• Pierce County Ferry Passenger and vehicle ferry connecting Steilacoom, Ketron, and Anderson Island in Washington State.
• Pensacola Bay City Ferry Ferry service transporting passengers from Pensacola to Pensacola Beach and Fort Pickens in Florida.
• Vessel Management and Maintenance Services Complete vessel management and maintenance services combined with comprehensive operational support, including onshore and onboard customer service for passenger, vehicle, and cargo ferry operations.
• Marine Consulting and Services Consulting and services for new or existing ferry operations, from project consulting to turnkey management, providing tailored solutions for clients of all sizes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 100 vessels operated on a regular basis
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hornblower GroupcoreOthersHornblower Group is the parent company of City Ferry. City Ferry is anchored by Hornblower and represents the ferries division of City Experiences, which is a sub-brand of Hornblower Group. Hornblower Group is a global leader in world-class experiences and transportation, with City Experiences representing their portfolio of water and land-based experiences.
• City ExperiencescoreOthersCity Experiences represents the portfolio of water and land-based experiences under Hornblower Group and includes sub-brands City Cruises and City Ferry. City Ferry now represents the ferries division of City Experiences.
• HMS Global MaritimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHMS Global Maritime was the original parent company of City Ferry before it became part of Hornblower Group. City Ferry was originally the core product of HMS Global Maritime.
• Seaward ServicesminorOthersSeaward Services is listed as one of Hornblower Group's divisions alongside City Ferry, suggesting a sister-company relationship within the corporate family.
• Hornblower MarineminorOthersHornblower Marine is listed as a division of Hornblower Group alongside City Ferry, representing marine-specific services within the corporate portfolio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Casco Bay Lines: Operates passenger ferry services in Casco Bay, Maine, serving island and commuter communities; comparable in service model (government-contracted, commuter-focused) but operates in a different regional market from City Ferry.

Broad incumbents

• Transdev North America: Large multi-modal transit operator managing ferries, buses, and rail across U.S. cities; competes for outsourced municipal ferry contracts like NYC Ferry and offers comparable turnkey transit management services to government clients.
• Hornblower Group (City Experiences): City Ferry's parent conglomerate and a global operator of water-based experiences, cruises, and ferry services; comparable through its City Cruises and ferry operations across U.S. coastal cities, though it operates at a broader portfolio level.

Direct peers

• New York Waterway: Operates commuter and tourist ferry services across the Hudson River and New York Harbor, directly competing with City Ferry's NYC Ferry and Liberty Landing City Ferry routes in the same geography and customer base.
• Billybey Ferry Company: Provides passenger and vehicle ferry services in the New York Harbor and Hudson River, overlapping with City Ferry's NY/NJ routes and competing for similar commuter and tourist passengers.
• Boston Harbor City Cruises: Sister brand under City Experiences/Hornblower offering commuter and sightseeing ferry cruises in Boston Harbor; directly comparable as a sister ferry operator with shared parent resources and similar passenger/vehicle ferry model.

Others

• Washington State Ferries: Largest public ferry operator in the U.S., operating passenger and vehicle ferries in Puget Sound; comparable in service category and vehicle ferry capability, but operates as a public agency rather than contracted operator like City Ferry.
• Seaward Services: Sister company under Hornblower Group providing marine services primarily to the U.S. Navy and federal agencies; comparable in marine operations management and government client base, but focused on military rather than passenger ferry services.
• Staten Island Ferry (NYC DOT): Publicly-operated passenger ferry service connecting Staten Island and Manhattan; overlaps geographically with City Ferry's NYC Ferry operations and serves similar commuter passengers, though it is municipally operated.

Emerging players

• All-American Marine: Builds high-speed aluminum passenger ferries, including hybrid-electric vessels, and is a key technology partner to U.S. ferry operators; comparable to City Ferry through high-speed vessel expertise and zero-emission ferry development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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 City Ferry