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The ferry is located on the St. Lawrence River about 20km east of Kingston. It operates between the foot of Howe Island Ferry Rd. on the mainland side and Howe Island Drive on Howe Island.
The crossing time is dependent on the load carried, loading time, wind and ice conditions and boat traffic in the channel. The crossing time is impossible to predict.
The busiest travel times are the commuter hours. It’s busiest leaving Howe Island in the morning between 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. The busiest time leaving the mainland is late afternoon between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. During these periods wait times will increase. During the summer on Fridays, traffic increases after noon and as such longer wait times occur.
Yes. You can learn all about various fares and purchase options on our Fares and Passes page.
The Frontenac County Howe Islander Ferry runs on‑demand 24 hours per day, seven days a week. There are no scheduled crossing times and reservations are not required or accepted.
Service may be suspended as crews take short meal breaks during the summer months (Victoria Day Weekend through Labour Day) at 9:00–9:15 a.m., 12:00–12:30 p.m. and 3:00–3:15 p.m.
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In the interests of minimizing risk of transmission of COVID-19 and other communicable respiratory infections among passengers and crew, passengers purchasing fares are encouraged to do so before they arrive at the ferry dock using the contactless Honk service.
Ferry crews accept cash or prepaid tickets at the dock. We ask that you provide exact change whenever possible.
Passengers purchasing single-crossing-and-return fares for cars, light trucks, motorcycles, and trailers are encouraged to pay fares before they arrive at the ferry dock using the contactless Honk service.
Honk is a contactless fare payment service offered by Honkmobile.com that ferry passengers use to purchase fares. It is the same service used to pay parking fees at dozens of parking lots around Kingston. Passengers are encouraged to use Honk to purchase ferry fares before they arrive at the ferry dock. Learn all about using Honk to purchase fares on Howe Island County Ferry.
Annual passes and friends-and-family booklets covering the period 1 January – 31 December are available for purchase by Howe Island residents. There is a seniors discount for annual passes.
Learn about pre-paid fares and annual passes on our Fares and Passes page.
Learn all about using Honk. You can make your annual pass purchase via Honk. Seniors are elligble for the Honk seniors’ discount. You can make your purchase by cheque if you prefer.
Submit your completed application form, payment or Honk receipt, proof of residency, and proof of age of seniority as required in person at the Howe Island Ferry office at the ferry dock or by mail:
County of Frontenac
2069 Battersea Road
Glenburnie, ON
K0H 1S0
Once your application is approved you will receive your pass sticker by mail or notice for pick-up at the ferry office at the ferry dock.
Yes, crew will accept cash or prepaid tickets. We ask that you provide exact change whenever possible.
Welcome aboard! Please follow ferry crew instructions and stay close to your bike while the ferry is underway.
Learn about the Frontenac Howe Island County Ferry.
Ferry service is operated by the County of Frontenac under the governance of Frontenac County Council and oversight of Frontenac County Marine Services staff. Staff have responsibility and authority to manage staffing and training of ferry operators, fare collection, day-to-day service operation, and public communications.
The vessel is owned and maintained by the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO). MTO staff have responsibility and authority to keep the vessel in safe operating condition. They have authority to remove the ferry from service as needed in order to complete any required repairs or maintenance tasks. There is a partnership contract for ferry operation and maintenance between The County of Frontenac and the MTO.
Transport Canada (TC) staff have responsibility and authority to regulate safe operation of all commercial vessels in Canadian waters, including the Frontenac Howe Islander. They have authority to inspect – and require changes to – the vessel, its equipment, and operational procedures to ensure compliance with safety regulations. The vessel cannot carry public passengers without valid TC certification.
Motorcycles are welcome on the Howe Island ferries. Please stay with your bike while aboard the ferry and follow the crew’s instructions.
- Length Overall: 30.48 metres
- Beam: 9.86 metres
- Draft: 1.67 metres
- Gross Tonnage: 130 tonnes
- Weight Capacity: 45 tonnes
- Passenger & Crew Capacity: 51
- Car Capacity: 15
- Propulsive Power: 69 kW
- Length of Crossing: 370 metres
- Top Hull Speed: 5 knots
The Frontenac Howe Islander is a cable ferry that runs on two different cables. The drive cable is a 3/4” cable that is driven through our hydraulic winch, and is responsible for moving the vessel forward and backwards. The orange guide cable is a 1 1/8” cable and acts as a stabilizer, controlling side to side movements. The Frontenac Howe Islander is the only 24-hour, on-demand ferry service in the area. Because of the constant wear and tear, both of these cables are changed out several times a year. This table is actually a spool that held the orange guide cable that you can see spanning from shore to shore. This cable is 500 metres long, and weighs approximately 1.8 tonnes.
The distance between the both docks on the mainland and island is 370 metres. It just so happens that 370 metres is exactly two cables, which is a nautical unit of distance equal to 1/5th of a nautical mile. This means that the ferry is never more than two cables away!
If you just missed the ferry, don’t worry because a round trip only takes about 15 minutes.
A cable ferry has been in operation at the current ferry site since at least 1898.
There have been different ferries and different owners or operators at this location. Names of prior operators and owners are O’Brien’s and then Foley’s Ferries followed by Pickett’s Ferry, which was the last private ferry.
In 1949, Pickett’s Ferry came into existence with a three-car steel hulled ferry at the current location of the County Ferry at the foot of Howe Island Ferry Road, which is also known as Joyceville Side Road. This ferry was and still is known to some as Pitt’s ferry. The name was derived as the ferry operated in the old township of Pittsburgh.
In 1976, Pickett’s three-car ferry was replaced by a nine-car steel hulled ferry. The three-car ferry was delegated to the Township of Frontenac Islands and is operated at the eastern end of Howe Island. The nine-car ferry was owned by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications and operated by Frontenac Management Board until 2004.
In 2004 the nine-car ferry was replaced by a 15-car ferry, owned by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation and named Frontenac – Howe Islander. This ferry is currently crewed by Frontenac County.
Yes. There is a Passenger Code of Conduct in the Howe Island Ferry by‑law.
No person shall cause a disturbance, act contrary to the public peace or display other behaviour that is deemed to be unsafe or disruptive, including but not limited to:
- Harassment
- Violence
- Behaving in an indecent or offensive manner
- Fighting
- Behaving in a manner which would interfere with the ordinary enjoyment of persons using the service
The improper disposal of garbage, litter or waste is prohibited. No person shall:
- Discard any item overboard
- Litter or deposit any household, industrial or commercial waste within or outside of the ferry
No passenger shall act in an unsafe or uncontrolled manner throughout the voyage, including:
- Riding, hanging or standing on any exterior portion of the ferry
- Sitting, standing, jumping, laying or climbing on, over or across any exterior or interior railings or other protective barriers
- Tampering with fire‑fighting or life‑saving equipment
No person shall, without authorization, handle, interfere with or operate any part of the mechanical, electrical, electronic or safety equipment of the ferry or dock facility.
No person shall smoke or hold lighted tobacco, lighted cannabis, use an electronic cigarette or any other lighted smoking equipment or material while in or on the ferry.