How to get from SeaTac to Bainbridge Island by car and ferry

Bainbridge Island sits across Elliott Bay from downtown Seattle: close enough to see from the waterfront, far enough that the quickest trip from the airport involves a boat. Getting from Seattle-Tacoma International to the island comes down to two parts, a drive to the downtown ferry terminal and a Washington State Ferries crossing to Winslow. It is one of the region’s most traveled routes, and with a little planning it is an easy one. Here is how the car-and-ferry trip works in both directions, and where a chauffeured airport transfer helps.

The route at a glance

The Seattle–Bainbridge Island ferry leaves from Colman Dock, the Seattle Ferry Terminal at Pier 52 (801 Alaskan Way) on the downtown waterfront, and arrives at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal in Winslow, a short walk from Winslow Way and Eagle Harbor. From the airport, the trip breaks down like this:

1. SeaTac to Colman Dock: about 25 minutes by car in normal traffic.
2. At the terminal: time to check in and board, which varies with the sailing and the season.
3. The crossing: about 35 minutes across Elliott Bay.
4. Winslow to your door: a short drive to most of the island, a little longer to Lynwood Center, Port Blakely or Rolling Bay.

In normal conditions, plan on about 90 minutes from SeaTac to the island. The sailing schedule decides the rest: reach the dock just after a boat leaves, and you wait for the next one.

Walk-on or by car?

On foot. Walk-on passengers reach the passenger terminal at Colman Dock from Alaskan Way, or over the Marion Street pedestrian bridge from First Avenue, and board when the boat is ready. They don’t wait in the vehicle line, so crossing on foot is often the simpler option on a busy day, especially if you travel light. The catch is the island side: Winslow’s shops and restaurants are close to the terminal, but most homes, rentals and venues need a ride from the dock, so arrange it before you sail.

By car. Vehicles line up at the tollbooth, then wait in the holding lanes until they are waved aboard. You stay with your luggage the whole way and step out at your door, which helps with large suitcases, ski bags, young children or anyone who would rather not walk. The trade-off is the wait: each boat has limited room for vehicles, and when the lanes are full, cars can miss a sailing that walk-on passengers make.

Washington State Ferries asks drivers on most routes to be in the tollbooth line at least 20 minutes before a sailing, and walk-on passengers to be aboard at least five minutes before it leaves.

Seasonal waits and schedules

The route is busy all year, with commuters on weekdays and visitors on weekends. Summer weekends and holidays can mean long waits for vehicles. Schedules change by season, and sailings can run behind on busy days, so check the current schedule and any travel alerts on the Washington State Ferries website on the day you travel. WSF also publishes seasonal guides to the times when vehicle lines are usually longest.

There is a road route too: south through Tacoma and over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge, then north up the Kitsap Peninsula to the Agate Pass Bridge at the island’s north end. It is a much longer drive, but if vehicle lines are unusually long, ask us whether it makes sense for your trip.

Bainbridge Island to SeaTac: catching a flight

Flying out is where the ferry deserves the most respect, because a missed boat costs you a whole sailing rather than a few minutes. Work backward from your flight:

1. Start with the time you want to be at SeaTac, following your airline’s guidance for check-in and security.
2. Allow about 25 minutes from Colman Dock to the airport in normal traffic, and more at rush hour.
3. Add the 35-minute crossing, then pick a sailing that leaves a comfortable buffer, not the last one that would just about work.
4. Reach the Winslow terminal in good time: earlier with a car than on foot, and earlier still on a summer weekend or a holiday.

For a very early flight, check that a sailing fits before you book. If none does comfortably, a night in Seattle may be the calmer choice. Tell us which sailing you plan to take when you book your ride to SeaTac, and let us know straight away if you end up on a different one.

SeaTac to Bainbridge Island: after you land

Arrivals are simpler, because the ferry comes at the end of the trip rather than the start. Your flight is tracked, so if you land early or late your chauffeur adjusts and texts you the meeting point as you land. The drive north to the waterfront takes about 25 minutes in normal traffic. If a late landing means a later boat, we plan around the next sailing with you; for a late-evening arrival, check the last sailings of the night before you fly.

Visiting rather than heading home? The Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and the shops along Winslow Way are a few minutes’ walk from the terminal. The Bloedel Reserve, Fay Bainbridge Park and the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial on Eagle Harbor are a short drive away, and the Agate Pass Bridge leads on to Suquamish, Poulsbo and the rest of Kitsap.

How a chauffeured transfer helps

What goes wrong usually happens around the ferry: a late flight, a heavy bag, a missed boat. A private SeaTac transfer takes those off your hands:

• Flight tracking, so the pickup follows the time you actually land.
• Luggage handled, loaded and unloaded for you at each end of the drive.
• The right vehicle: the Mercedes-Benz S550 for up to 3, the Cadillac Escalade for up to 6, or the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for groups of up to 14.
• A plan for the water: a drop at Colman Dock to cross on foot, or a car that crosses with you where that is available. The concierge confirms which, and how the ferry is reflected in your rate, with your quote.

Our Bainbridge Island car service page covers the island in more detail, or you can request a SeaTac to Bainbridge Island quote now.

What to share when you book

1. Airline and flight number
2. Your Bainbridge Island address, or the terminal if someone is meeting you there
3. Whether you would rather cross on foot or with the car
4. The sailing you plan to take, if you are flying out
5. Passengers, bags and anything oversized