The Cave-In-Rock Ferry is one of four passenger

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

services that cross the Ohio River into the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. It connects

Illinois Route 1 Illinois Route 1 (IL 1) is a state highway (US), state highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. Running parallel to the Indiana border, the highway starts at the Cave-In-Rock Ferry, free ferry crossing to Kentucky at Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, ...

in Cave-In-Rock,

Hardin County, Illinois Hardin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 3,649, making it the least populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Elizabethtown. Hardin County is located in the ...

, to

Kentucky Route 91 Kentucky Route 91 (KY 91) is a state highway that traverses three counties in western Kentucky. It begins in Hopkinsville, Kentucky and ends at the Ohio River, the Kentucky–Illinois state line in northern Crittenden County. Route descripti ...

, 10.6 miles north of

Marion, Kentucky Marion is a home rule-class city in Crittenden County, Kentucky, in the United States. It is the seat of its county. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,039. The farm communities surrounding Marion are home to a large Amish popu ...

. It is the only public river crossing available between the

Brookport Bridge The Brookport Bridge (officially the Paducah-Brookport Bridge 1929–43, and the Irvin S. Cobb Bridge since 1943) is a ten-span, steel deck (grate), narrow two-lane truss bridge that carries U.S. Route 45 (US 45) across the Ohio River ...

Paducah, Kentucky Paducah ( ) is a List of cities in Kentucky, home rule-class city in the Upland South, and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. The most populous city in the Jackson Purchase region, it is located in the Southeastern Unit ...

, and the Shawneetown Bridge at

Old Shawneetown, Illinois Old Shawneetown is a village in Shawnee Township, Gallatin County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 113, down from 193 at the 2010 census. Located along the Ohio River, Shawneetown served as an i ...

History

In October 1829, the county court of Livingston County, Kentucky granted James Ford a franchise to operate a ferry. Since 1994, Lonnie Lewis of Lonnie Lewis Inc., doing business as Cave in Rock Ferry Company, has operated the ferry. Operation is jointly funded by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). The Loni Jo is the current vessel that traverses the river. As of July 2022, 500 vehicles cross daily. The ferry operates 16 hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Commuters use the ferry to avoid the approximately 35-mile detour to the nearest bridge in Shawneetown. The ferry is a tourist attraction that connects the

Shawnee National Forest The Shawnee National Forest is a United States National Forest located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, United States. Administered by the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, it consists of approximately 498,615 acres (2,100 km²) ...

and Cave-In-Rock in Illinois and Amish country in Crittenden County, Kentucky. Farmers use the service to transport tractors and agricultural equipment.

References

{{reflist

External links

Ferry Services – Illinois Department of TransportationFerries – Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
by Joe Gisondi, ''

Herald & Review The ''Herald & Review'' is a daily newspaper based in Decatur, Illinois. It is owned by Lee Enterprises. The Herald & Review was named one of Editor & Publisher's "10 Newspapers That Do It Right" in 2019 for its use of government documents and ...

''. October 19, 2013. Hardin County, Illinois Ferries of Illinois Ferries of Kentucky Transportation in Crittenden County, Kentucky Free ferries Crossings of the Ohio River

History

See also

References

External links