
The Saint Johns River Ferry, also known as the Mayport Ferry, is an automobile
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 ...
between
Mayport and
Fort George Island, two areas within
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
. The voyage crosses the
Saint Johns River about inland of the river's mouth and travels in an east-west direction for approximately on
State Road A1A. It departs every half-hour.
The alternate driving route uses the toll-free
Dames Point Bridge on
I-295 but is long. The ferry has been operating since 1874.
These vessels operated in the ferry fleet:
*primary
''Jean Ribault'' built 1996, 40 vehicles, 206 passengers.
*stand-by:
Blackbeard', built 1956, 42 vehicles, 207 passengers.
Additional ferries which were in service included the ''Jean LaFitte'' which was a 26-car ferry, the ''Reliance'', the ''Sirus''. U.S.Coast Guard documents these vessels; some of the older ferries have been renamed to pass inspection.
The history of the ferry dates back to 1874 according to th
New York Timesand the Library of Congress.
The
Florida Department of Transportation
The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is a decentralized agency charged with the establishment, maintenance, and regulation of public transportation in the U.S. state of Florida. The department was formed in 1969. It absorbed the power ...
, which had always operated the service, had the Mayport Ferry line item budget vetoed by Governor
Charlie Crist
Charles Joseph Crist Jr. ( ; born July 24, 1956) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida from 2007 to 2011 and as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. represen ...
for 2007-2008.
The City of Jacksonville had been contributing $200,000-300,000 for several years, so instead of allowing the service to end, the City of Jacksonville assumed full responsibility. However, they lost over $1 million in one year, and Mayor
John Peyton announced that there was insufficient money available in the new budget.
The
Jacksonville Port Authority took over operation of the ferry for 2007 and lost $500,000 each year, but uses port revenue, not tax money, to underwrite the operation.
After taking over, the JPA decided to cut costs and sell the ''Blackbeard'', the backup vessel built in 1956. That meant that whenever the ''Jean Ribault'' had problems, ferry service would be suspended. On February 5, 2009 the ferry was put into dry dock for
routine maintenance
The technical meaning of maintenance involves functional checks, servicing, repairing or replacing of necessary devices, equipment, machinery, building infrastructure and supporting utilities in industrial, business, and residential installat ...
, but hull corrosion required an extra week of repairs, and there was no service for a month.
On March 31, 2016, the
Jacksonville Transportation Authority took over permanent ownership and operation of the ferry.
The ferry helps connect segments the
East Coast Greenway, a 3000 mile long system of trails connecting Maine to Florida.
On May 4, 2025, the Jean Ribault allided with a boarding ramp on the
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River () is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and is the most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders 12 counties. The drop in elevation from River s ...
while departing from Mayport. No injuries were reported but the ferry was taken out of service.
Memorial
The
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine is an organization composed of United States civilian sailor, mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of ...
Memorial stands on the ferry grounds on the Mayport side. The Memorial was erected on September 14, 1999.
References
External links
Official website
{{Crossings navbox
, structure = Crossings
, place =
St. Johns River
The St. Johns River () is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and is the most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders 12 counties. The drop in elevation from River s ...
, bridge = Mayport Ferry
, bridge signs =
, upstream =
Dames Point Bridge
, upstream signs =
, downstream =
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...
, downstream signs =
Ferries of Florida
Transportation in Jacksonville, Florida
Crossings of the St. Johns River
1874 establishments in Florida
Northside, Jacksonville