Cape May – Lewes Ferry

The Cape May – Lewes Ferry is a ferry system that traverses a 17-mile (27 km) crossing of the Delaware Bay to connect Cape May, New Jersey with Lewes, Delaware. The ferry constitutes a portion of U.S. Route 9, and is the final crossing of the Delaware River-Delaware Bay waterway before it meets the Atlantic Ocean.

The system

The Cape May – Lewes Ferry, operated by the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA), consists of three ferry vessels and two terminal facilities. Its operations are based at its Cape May terminal, which is actually located in North Cape May, on the north shore of the Cape May Canal.

The three vessels in the fleet carry both vehicles (passenger cars, buses, RVs, tractor trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles are all common) and foot passengers. Each has a capacity of about 100 cars, which sells out in advance during the popular summer weekends (although passenger capacity usually does not). Advance reservations are accepted.

The ferry trip takes approximately 80 minutes and provides a view of three lighthouses: the Cape May Light in New Jersey, and the Harbor of Refuge Light and Delaware Breakwater East End Light near Lewes.