The Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) conducts a biennial census of all ferry operators operating in the United States and its territories. The information collected from the census is maintained in a national ferry database containing information regarding ferry routes, vessels, passengers and vehicles carried, funding sources, and other information. BTS conducted the initial NCFO in 2006 and has subsequently conducted the NCFO in 2008, 2010, 2014, and 2016. The data collection for the next NCFO will begin in the Spring of 2018.
Read the latest report: Highlights of the 2016 National Census of Ferry Operators
Featured Visualization
Segment Type by State (2015)
Datasets
NOTE:
The NCFO Query Tool is no longer available; the data in the Query Tool is now available for download below.
2016
View the 2016 NCFO on data.transportation.gov
- Operator - The Operator data table contains information about ferry operators and details about their operation.
- Operator Segment - Revised (2/8/2018)
Operator Segment - The Operator Segment data table contains information related to route segments such as ferry operators who provide service, segment length, average trip time, passenger volume, and season start and end dates. - Segment - The Segment data table contains information about each route segment such as the terminals it connects, the type geographic area it serves, and whether it serves a National Park Service location.
- Terminal - Revised (2/8/2018)
Terminal - The Terminal data table contains information about ferry terminals, their location, and facilities. - Vessel - Revised (2/8/2018)
Vessel - The Vessel data table contains information about ferry vessels such as the passenger and/or vehicle capacity, speed, and fuel type. - File layout for the data tables
- Errata
2014
The 2014 NCFO Data Zip File contains the following:
- Operator - The Operator data table contains information about ferry operators and details about their operation.
- Operator Segment - The Operator Segment data table contains information related to route segments such as ferry operators who provide service, segment length, average trip time, passenger volume, and season start and end dates.
- Segment - The Segment data table contains information about each route segment such as the terminals it connects, the type geographic area it serves, and whether it serves a National Park Service location.
- Terminal - The Terminal data table contains information about ferry terminals, their location, and facilities.
- Vessel - The Vessel data table contains information about ferry vessels such as the passenger and/or vehicle capacity, speed, and fuel type.
- File layout for the data tables (2014).
- Errata
- Download a single Zip file containing all of the 2014 Datasets.
2010
The 2010 NCFO Data Zip File contains the following:
- Operator
- Operator Segment
- Segment
- Terminal
- Terminal Vendor - Files from 2010 and earlier contain the Terminal Vendor data table with information about other business entities (such as food service concessionaires, car rental companies, facility operator, etc) that utilized a terminal facility.
- Vessel
- File layout for the data tables (2010 and prior years).
- Download a single Zip file containing all of the 2010 Datasets.
2008
The 2008 NCFO Data Zip File contains the following:
- Operator
- Operator Segment
- Segment
- Terminal
- Terminal Vendor
- Vessel
- Download a single Zip file containing all of the 2008 Datasets.
2006
The 2006 NCFO Data Zip File contains the following:
- Operator
- Operator Segment
- Segment
- Terminal
- Terminal Vendor
- Vessel
- Download a single Zip file containing all of the 2006 Datasets.
2000
The 2000 NCFO Data Zip File contains the following: