Mobile BayFerry

Departure times for every season, what loading is really like, and how to avoid watching the boat leave without you.

40-minute crossingRuns year-roundCars and passengers

What the Mobile Bay Ferry is

The Mobile Bay Ferry is a car and passenger ferry that crosses the mouth of Mobile Bay between the Dauphin Island landing and Fort Morgan. On the island side it connects to SR 193; on the Fort Morgan side it connects to SR 180. The crossing takes about 40 minutes, and it saves you the long drive around the bay.

Two vessels run the route: the Fort Morgan and the Marissa Mae Nicole. At least one operates year-round, with both boats normally running from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

Closed three days a year: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Weather and maintenance can also suspend runs at any time, so check the ferry's Facebook page or call ahead on the day you travel.

Ferry schedule

Departure times shift with the season. These are the published times from the operator.

Daylight Saving Time to Memorial Day

Departs Dauphin IslandDeparts Fort Morgan
8:00 AM8:45 AM
9:30 AM10:15 AM
11:00 AM11:45 AM
12:30 PM1:15 PM
2:00 PM2:45 PM
3:30 PM4:15 PM
5:00 PM5:45 PM
6:30 PM7:15 PM

Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day

Both boats run in summer, roughly every 45 minutes.

Departs Dauphin IslandDeparts Fort Morgan
8:00 AM8:45 AM
8:45 AM9:30 AM
9:30 AM10:15 AM
10:15 AM11:00 AM
11:00 AM11:45 AM
11:45 AM12:30 PM
12:30 PM1:15 PM
1:15 PM2:00 PM
2:00 PM2:45 PM
2:45 PM3:30 PM
3:30 PM4:15 PM
4:15 PM5:00 PM
5:00 PM5:45 PM
5:45 PM6:30 PM
6:30 PM7:15 PM

After Labor Day to the end of Daylight Saving Time

Departs Dauphin IslandDeparts Fort Morgan
8:00 AM8:45 AM
9:30 AM10:15 AM
11:00 AM11:45 AM
12:30 PM1:15 PM
2:00 PM2:45 PM
3:30 PM4:15 PM
5:00 PM5:45 PM
6:30 PM7:15 PM
The 6:30 PM departure from Dauphin Island and the 7:15 PM departure from Fort Morgan only run during Daylight Saving Time. Outside those months the last boat leaves earlier.

End of Daylight Saving Time to the start of Daylight Saving Time

Departs Dauphin IslandDeparts Fort Morgan
8:00 AM8:45 AM
9:30 AM10:15 AM
11:00 AM11:45 AM
12:30 PM1:15 PM
2:00 PM2:45 PM
3:30 PM4:15 PM
5:00 PM5:45 PM

Tickets and loading

Tickets are sold in person at the landing. There is no online booking, and the ferry does not take reservations: it is first come, first served, and vehicles load in the order they line up. Current fares are posted at the booth and listed by the operator.

On summer weekends and holiday Mondays, arriving 30 to 60 minutes before the sailing you want is the difference between making the boat and watching it leave. Once the car deck fills, you wait for the next crossing.

Ferry tips

  • Cross for the view, not just the shortcut. The run passes between Fort Gaines and Fort Morgan, the two forts that guarded the bay, and dolphins and pelicans are common.
  • Walk on if you can. Passenger boarding is simpler than vehicle loading, and the crossing is short.
  • Bring a layer. It is breezier on the water than on the beach.
  • Check the weather first. Wind cancels sailings, and an afternoon storm can strand you on the far side.
  • Driving to the landing: it sits at the east end of Bienville Boulevard near Fort Gaines. Directions and drive times →

Checking on the day

Schedules change for weather and maintenance. Call the operator at 251-861-3000, check mobilebayferry.com, or watch the Mobile Bay Ferry Facebook page for same-day updates.

Crossing for the day?

Fort Gaines is a five-minute walk from the island landing.

Things to do on the island →