Lake Champlain Transportation Company

What Lake Champlain Transportation Company does

Lake Champlain Transportation Company, operating as Lake Champlain Ferries, is a privately held ferry transportation company founded in 1826 and headquartered at 1 King Street Dock in Burlington, Vermont. The company operates a 10-vessel fleet across two designated crossings on Lake Champlain: the Grand Isle, VT to Plattsburgh, NY northern crossing (24-hour year-round service, 14-minute transit, 2 miles) and the Charlotte, VT to Essex, NY southern crossing (seasonal weather-permitting service, 25-minute scenic transit, 3 miles). These crossings connect Interstate 87 in New York to Interstate 89 in Vermont, with the company operating under Maritime Transportation Security Act guidelines since 2004. The fleet includes specialized ice-capable ferries for winter operations and rare "take-apart" vessels designed for low-bridge Champlain Canal transit.

The business operates on a transactional revenue model with per-crossing fees that scale by vehicle type and length ($8 for motorcycles up to $63 for vehicles 63-72 feet), plus passenger add-ons ($5.50 adult, $3.25 child 6-12, free under 6). A Commuter Card prepaid program offers 30% off regular fares with a $200 minimum load, functioning as a recurring revenue mechanism. Adjacent revenue streams include the wholly-owned Ferry Dock Marina at the Burlington waterfront (seasonal/hourly/transient dockage with fueling amenities), group bus tour bookings requiring advance reservations, and grade school class trips at a 30% discount.

Customer segments span commuters (the primary use case for the I-87/I-89 connection), tourists seeking scenic lake crossings with Adirondack and Green Mountain views, school groups, bus tour operators, and marina customers. The company markets through its website (ferries.com), Facebook and Instagram, SMS and email alert systems, and referral partnerships with regional Vermont and New York attractions including ECHO, the Lake Monsters, Ausable Chasm, and Fort Ticonderoga. The Pecor family has owned the company since Ray Pecor Jr.'s 1976 acquisition, with current ownership held by Ray Pecor III. No external venture, private equity, or public market funding has been disclosed.

Name

Lake Champlain Transportation Company

Legal name

Lake Champlain Transportation Company

Website

https://ferries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1826

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Lake Champlain Transportation Company, doing business as Lake Champlain Ferries, is a privately held, family-owned ferry operator founded in 1826 connecting Vermont and New York across Lake Champlain via two crossings, serving commuters, tourists, school groups, and bus tour operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ferry Transportation Services

NAICS

Inland Water Passenger Transportation (483212), Coastal and Great Lakes Passenger Transportation (483114)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400), Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)

akta.pro primary industry

Lake & Inland Water Passenger Transport Operators (TLAFALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Passenger Ferry Operators (Intercity & Regional) (THAEAGAA), Urban/Commuter Ferry Operators (Harbor/Water Taxi) (TLAFALAB)

Keywords

• Ferry transportation
• Lake crossing services
• Marina dockage
• Commuter ferry passes
• Scenic boat rides

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ferry Crossing Fees: Transaction-based fees charged per ferry crossing. Rates vary by vehicle type, length, passenger category, and route. Prices per crossing for standard vehicle under 19 feet is $12.25 each way. Additional fees for oversized vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, and passengers.
2. Commuter Card Prepaid Accounts: Prepaid commuter cards loaded with funds at ticket booths. Provides 30% discount on regular fares in exchange for bulk prepayment. Minimum $200 per card load. Cards valid year-round on both crossings.
3. Ferry Dock Marina: Seasonal, hourly, and transient/overnight dockage at Burlington waterfront marina. Amenities include gas/diesel fueling, pump facilities, and ice sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lake Champlain Transportation Company operates commercial ferry transportation across Lake Champlain connecting Vermont and New York via two crossings: the Grand Isle–Plattsburgh northern route (24-hour, year-round) and the Charlotte–Essex southern route (seasonal). Services accommodate vehicles (up to 72 feet, trucks to 40 tons), buses, motorcycles, bicycles, and walk-on passengers, supported by commuter cards, gift cards, bus tours, school class trips, and a Burlington waterfront marina.

Product overview

Lake Champlain Transportation Company operates Lake Champlain Ferries, providing ferry transportation across Lake Champlain since 1826. The service consists of two ferry crossings: the Grand Isle, VT–Plattsburgh, NY northern crossing (24-hour, year-round service) and the Charlotte, VT–Essex, NY southern crossing (scenic route open year-round as weather permits). Supporting services include the Ferry Dock Marina in Burlington, Commuter Cards offering 30% fare discounts, Gift Cards, and specialized group services for bus tours and school class trips. All services connect Vermont and New York across the lake.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lake Champlain Ferries Service Core ferry transportation service across Lake Champlain connecting Vermont and New York via two crossings: Grand Isle, VT to Plattsburgh, NY (northern) and Charlotte, VT to Essex, NY (southern). Serves individual commuters, tourists, school groups, and bus tour operators.
• Grand Isle, VT – Plattsburgh, NY Crossing Northernmost crossing on Lake Champlain, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round. Crossing takes approximately 14 minutes across 2 miles and serves as the key connector between Interstate 87 (NY) and Interstate 89 (VT).
• Charlotte, VT – Essex, NY Crossing Southernmost crossing on Lake Champlain offering a 25-minute scenic boat ride across 3 miles with views of the Adirondack and Green Mountains. Open year-round as weather permits.
• Ferry Dock Marina Marina located in downtown Burlington, Vermont offering seasonal, hourly, and transient/overnight dockage with amenities including gas/diesel fueling, pump facilities, and ice sales. Serves boat owners needing waterfront access near downtown amenities.
• Commuter Cards Prepaid card program offering 30% discount on regular ferry fares for frequent commuters. Valid at both ferry crossings year-round with a $200 minimum load. Cards can be replenished at ticket booths.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for purchase at ferry booths in any denomination, or orderable by phone for pickup or mailing. Designed for gifting ferry transportation to individuals.
• Bus Tours Group transportation service for bus groups requiring advance reservation via the bus reservation form. Serves bus tour operators coordinating group travel across Lake Champlain.
• Class Trips School group ferry service offering 30% discount for grade school groups. Requires advance Class Trip Form submission and payment via cash or credit card at the crossing.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BC Ferries: Major Canadian ferry operator serving coastal British Columbia. Comparable passenger and vehicle ferry business, but at much greater scale, with multi-route network and tourism integration.
• Staten Island Ferry: Free municipal passenger ferry operated by the City of New York across New York Harbor. Comparable passenger ferry use case but operates at urban mass-transit scale as part of a public transit network.
• Washington State Ferries: The largest ferry operator in the United States, a state-run system across Puget Sound. Overlaps in passenger and vehicle ferry operations but operates at vastly greater scale, with public funding and a much broader route network.

Direct peers

• Key West Express: Passenger ferry service between Fort Myers, FL and Key West. Comparable as a regional passenger-only ferry operator serving both commuters and tourists on a defined crossing route.
• Lake Express: High-speed passenger and vehicle ferry across Lake Michigan between Milwaukee, WI and Muskegon, MI. Comparable as a regional inland-lake ferry operator focused on passenger and vehicle crossings between two states.
• Cross Sound Ferry: Operates passenger and vehicle ferry service across Long Island Sound between Connecticut and Long Island, NY. Comparable regional passenger ferry connecting two states with commuter and tourist traffic.
• Casco Bay Lines: Operates passenger ferry service between Portland, Maine and islands in Casco Bay. Highly comparable as a small, regional, year-round inland passenger ferry serving commuters and tourists across a New England body of water.
• Steamship Authority (Martha's Vineyard / Nantucket): Operates ferry service from Cape Cod to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Comparable as a regional passenger and vehicle ferry operator with strong commuter card/seasonal pass programs and tourism focus.

Regional players

• Block Island Ferry: Passenger ferry service between the Rhode Island mainland and Block Island. Comparable passenger ferry use case focused on tourism and seasonal travel, but serves a different New England route.

Others

• Honolulu Sea Trails / Hawaii Superferry: Adjacent maritime passenger transport operators in Hawaii. Relevant thematically as ocean-based passenger ferry operators, though discontinued/scaled back relative to LCT's continuous inland-lake model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lakechamplainferries
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakechamplainferries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-champlain-ferries

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Lake Champlain Transportation Company