MBTA Ferry

MBTA Ferry is the boat arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, carrying commuters and visitors across Boston Harbor. The MBTA owns and funds the network; the boats themselves are run under contract by Boston Harbor City Cruises (part of Hornblower). Ferries have plied Boston–Hingham waters since 1832, but the modern commuter service traces to 1963, when Hull became — in the agency's words — the only commuter ferry in the country.

Catamarans across Boston Harbor

The workhorse is the high-frequency Charlestown run between Long Wharf and the Navy Yard, with roughly forty weekday round trips. The commuter Hingham/Hull service links the South Shore to Rowes Wharf and downtown, and several routes call at Logan Airport. Seasonal boats reach Lynn, Winthrop, Quincy and East Boston, and a new weekday Harbor Loop connects the inner-harbour wharves. The fleet is almost entirely catamarans of around 150 seats; the MBTA added its largest-ever vessel, the 400-passenger Millennium, in 2025.

Fares and tickets

Fares are zoned: US$2.40 for the inner-harbour hops (Charlestown, East Boston, Harbor Loop), US$6.50 to Winthrop and Quincy, US$7.00 to Lynn, and US$9.75 for Hingham/Hull. Buy tickets in the MBTA mTicket app (cheaper than paper), where monthly passes are also sold; note that CharlieCards are not accepted on the boats. The ferry is consistently the MBTA's most reliable mode, with on-time performance above 95%.