West Seattle-Seattle Route

• Cash. Pay your cash fare (exact amount only) when entering the vessel.
• ORCA card. Tap your ORCA card on the card reader held by a crew member. Card must be loaded with a PugetPass or E-purse value.
• Ticket. Purchase an adult-fare ticket from a vending machine at a Water Taxi terminal before boarding. Put your ticket in the fare box as you board. Credit or debit cards may be used to buy tickets.
• Mobile APP. Download the Transit GO ticket app, for a contact free payment.
• Passport. Tap your ORCA Passport card on the card reader held by a crew member. Passport covers the full fare on the King County Water Taxi. We now also accept the U-PASS.
• Checks are NOT accepted

Learn more about paying your fare on our Rider info page

The King County Water Taxi does not accept reservations. The advance purchase of any fare media, including tickets and passes, does not guarantee a seat on a particular sailing.

The Water Taxi docks in Seacrest Park in West Seattle. The park is easy to reach by bus, neighborhood shuttles, and waterfront pathways for walkers and bicyclists. Visitors to West Seattle will find easy access to waterfront trails, Alki beach, fishing piers, restaurants, and shops along California Avenue.

Address

1660 Harbor Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98126

Amenities

• Ticket vending machines
• Restrooms
• Boat launch
• Fishing pier
• Scuba diving launch

Parking

A very limited amount of short-term parking is available at Seacrest Park   . On-street parking is available along Harbor Avenue SW.

Both the Vashon Island-Downtown Seattle route and the West Seattle-Downtown Seattle route dock at the brand new terminal at Pier 50 on the downtown Seattle waterfront. See map

Address

801 Alaskan Way (entrance at the foot of Yesler Way)
Seattle, WA 98104

Amenities

The King County Water Taxi opened its brand new multimodal terminal at Pier 50 along the downtown Seattle waterfront, on August 12th. This new terminal has a capacity to hold 500 passengers under cover and out of the weather. An elevated walkway provides safe access to restrooms located in the new Washington State Ferry terminal and to the elevated walkway to the intersection of 1st Ave and Marion St. allowing passengers to walk from downtown Seattle to the passenger only ferry terminal without having to cross city streets.

Parking

There is no parking available at Pier 50. There are paid lots available in the area, and metered parking on nearby streets. The Pier 50 terminal connects with several bus routes and the Link Light rail. Please use Metro's trip planner to see options.

The Spirit of Kingston is a foil-assisted catamaran that holds 149 passengers, 16 bicycles, and a crew of three. With a cruising speed of 28 knots, she crosses between West Seattle and downtown Seattle in about 10 minutes.

Inside, the Spirit of Kingston has a combination of theater-style seats, bench seats with tables, and facing seats on two interior decks. She also has one interior accessible restroom, two exterior restrooms on the rear of the first deck, and outdoor seating on the rear of the upper deck.

The Spirit of Kingston has four 750-horsepower propulsion engines that meet Tier 3 pollution standards. The vessel is also equipped with two radar systems, a GPS plotter, a depth sounder, a wired remote steering and propulsion controller with backup, and an AIS transponder. She is inspected annually by the U.S. Coast Guard.

The King County Ferry District acquired the eight-year-old vessel at no capital cost through an agreement with the Federal Transit Administration for the West Seattle/Downtown Seattle route.

Specifications

• Length: 72 ft.
• Beam: 25.6 ft.
• Draft (deepest): 3 ft.
• Weight: 70 tons

Capacity

• Biodiesel fuel: 1,400 gal.
• Potable water: 150 gal.
• Holding tank (sewage): 150 gal.

Fuel consumption

At cruising speed, the Spirit of Kingston uses about 100 gallons of fuel per hour.