The King County Water Taxi is getting ready for its fall and winter sailing schedule after a summer that saw a record number of riders “Make it a Boat Day.” In October, the Vashon Water Taxi will conclude its pilot weekend service. The West Seattle Water Taxi late-night Friday and Saturday seasonal service also ends Oct. 10.
This summer, the water taxi’s theme was “Make it a Boat Day,” and it included extra sailings for Seattle Mariners weekday evening games and the World Cup tournament, along with its regular extended summer service on weekends (Friday and Saturday) to West Seattle. Tourists and residents of the region took advantage and made the 10-15 minute ride to West Seattle and the 22-minute trip to Vashon.
The results were the biggest ridership for both routes in close to a decade—including a record 8,552 boardings for the West Seattle Water Taxi on June 19 for the U.S. vs. Australia World Cup Match, shattering a single-day ridership record of 7,721 that stood since 2018.
As summer turns to fall, the water taxi is getting ready for its shift to reduced sailings starting on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Vashon returns to weekday only service
After a year of Saturday service and the “summer Sunday” service of 2026, the Vashon Water Taxi returns to operating 10 round trips Monday through Friday, starting Oct. 10.
Metro received approximately $1.1 million from the state legislature as part of the state transportation budget in 2025. Those funds supported one additional round trip on Friday evenings and Saturday water taxi service, which began in October 2025, as well as six months of Sunday water taxi service, which started in April 2026.
The funds supported the added service through October 2026.
Thousands of Vashon Island riders took advantage of the additional service.
| Vashon boardings in 2025 (Saturday only) | |
| Month | Riders |
| Sept. | 331 |
| Oct. | 1,122 |
| Nov. | 1,264 |
| Dec. | 1029 |
| Vashon boardings in 2026 (Saturday-Sunday) *Sunday service began April 12 | ||
| Month | Saturday | Sunday |
| Jan. | 1,228 | |
| Feb. | 838 | |
| Mar. | 1,322 | |
| Apr. | 1,129 | 738 |
| May | 1,581 | 1,682 |
| June | 1,373 | 1,634 |
| July | 2,309 | 1,887 |
| Water Taxi schedule – Vashon Island route Monday-Friday (Oct. 10, 2026 through April 9, 2027) | |
| Seattle (Pier 50) to Vashon Ferry Terminal | Vashon Ferry Terminal to Pier 50 |
| 5:30 a.m. | 6:10 a.m. |
| 6:38 a.m. | 7:10 a.m. |
| 7:40 a.m. | 8:15 a.m. |
| 8:50 a.m. | 9:25 a.m. |
| 11:25 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12:45 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. |
| 3:00 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. |
| 4:30 p.m. | 4:58 p.m. |
| 5:30 p.m. | 5:58 p.m. |
| 6:30 p.m. | 6:58 p.m. |
The 7:30 p.m. late Friday sailing from Pier 50 to Vashon also ends on October 10.
Fall and winter schedule returns for West Seattle
Late night Friday and weekend service for riders in West Seattle ends on Oct. 10 with the return of the annual fall and winter schedule. Seventeen round-trip sailings from Pier 50 operated through 6:45 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Eleven round-trip sailings operate through 6:30 p.m. on Saturdays and -Sundays.
| West Seattle Water Taxi Route Monday-Friday (Oct. 10, 2026 through April 9, 2027) | |
| Depart Pier 50 to West Seattle | Depart West Seattle to Pier 50 |
| 5:55 a.m. | 6:15 a.m. |
| 6:30 a.m. | 6:50 a.m. |
| 7:05 a.m. | 7:25 a.m. |
| 7:40 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. |
| 8:15 a.m. | 8:35 a.m. |
| 8:50 a.m. | 9:10 a.m. |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 11:30 a.m. | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12:30 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 2:30 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 3:25 p.m. | 3:45 p.m. |
| 4:05 p.m. | 4:25 p.m. |
| 4:45 p.m. | 5:05 p.m. |
| 5:25 p.m. | 5:45 p.m. |
| 6:05 p.m. | 6:25 p.m. |
| 6:45 p.m. | 7:05 p.m. |
| West Seattle Water Taxi Route Saturday-Sunday (Oct. 10, 2026 through April 9, 2027) | |
| Depart Pier 50 to West Seattle | Depart West Seattle to Pier 50 |
| 8:30 a.m. | 9:00 a.m. |
| 9:30 a.m. | 10:00 a.m. |
| 10:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. |
| 11:30 am | 12:00 p.m. |
| 12:30 p.m. | 1:00 p.m. |
| 1:30 p.m. | 2:00 p.m. |
| 2:30 p.m. | 3:00 p.m. |
| 3:30 p.m. | 4:00 p.m. |
| 4:30 p.m. | 5:00 p.m. |
| 5:30 p.m. | 6:00 p.m. |
| 6:30 p.m. | 7:00 p.m. |
Ride free shuttle buses to and from the Water Taxi. The days may be getting shorter, but whether you live in West Seattle or are coming across Elliott Bay for a day of bargain hunting in the Junction, riders can take the free Metro water taxi shuttles to and from the dock at Seacrest Park, and between other destinations on the route.
- Route 773 will get you to the businesses and restaurants in the West Seattle junction.
- Route 775 takes you along Alki and into the Admiral District.
How much does it cost to travel by water taxi?
Water taxi fares to and from Vashon are $7 each way for adults ($6 with an ORCA card). Adult fare to West Seattle is $6.25 one way ($5.25 with an ORCA card). Passengers 18 and under ride free. Reduced fares are available for people with disabilities, people with lower incomes, and seniors. ORCA also has Tap to Pay, allowing riders to use credit and debit cards and digital wallets to pay for transit across the Puget Sound region. Don’t have an ORCA Card yet? MyOrca.com is the place to go to purchase a card. If you want to use your mobile device to pay your fare, download the Transit GO Ticket app prior to boarding.
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