Washington’s ferry to Victoria isn’t coming back until 2030 — here’s how to still get there this summer
Washington used to have a straight shot to Canada by ferry. Right now it doesn’t, and the wait is longer than most people expect.
Washington State Ferries suspended the Anacortes-to-Sidney run back in 2020, and the agency says it can’t bring the route back until at least 2030 — that’s when the first of three new hybrid-electric ferries is expected to arrive. Until then, the fleet just doesn’t have a boat to spare for it.
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The workaround locals actually use
Skip Anacortes and drive to Port Angeles instead. The Black Ball Ferry Line’s Coho makes the crossing to Victoria in about an hour and a half, and through peak summer it runs as many as four sailings a day in each direction.
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Foot passengers and vehicles both board the Coho, but vehicle space fills up faster than you’d guess in August. Reserve ahead if you’re bringing a car — walk-on tickets are the more forgiving option.
Seattle has its own option if you’d rather skip the drive: the Victoria Clipper runs a direct, passenger-only route straight from downtown, about two hours and forty-five minutes each way. It’s the easier pick if you’re already based in Seattle, but the Port Angeles crossing is shorter and gets you through the Olympic Peninsula on the way there — that’s the one I’d take.
Bring a passport either way. Canada checks documents at the dock, and there’s no talking your way around it.
Time it around the orcas, not just the border
August happens to be one of the better months to see them. Southern resident orcas follow the salmon runs through the San Juan Islands late in summer, and sighting odds stay high through June, July, and August before things quiet down in fall.
You don’t need a boat tour to catch them, either — some of the best whale watching in the San Juans happens straight from shore, and it pairs naturally with a ferry day out of Port Angeles.
Stack the two: whale watching in the San Juans, then the Coho over to Victoria before heading home. It turns one border crossing into a full weekend instead of a rushed there-and-back afternoon. If you’ve got extra time, Port Angeles itself is worth a slow morning before you board.
Trip tips: grab a rental car for the drive out, lock in a Washington hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change — always confirm current requirements before you go.
