Jamestown-Scotland Ferry - Scotland, VA
Posted by: 
xptwo
N 37° 11.099 W 076° 47.093
18S E 341566 N 4116885
The Virginia Department of Transportation runs a ferry from Jamestown, in James City County, to Scotland, in Surry County, across the James River. They have four ferries and provide a free ride across the river.
Waymark Code: WMF6N8
Location: Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 09/01/2012
Views: 12
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, this ferry takes cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles across the James River. Jamestown was the first English colony in Virginia and is near Williamsburg. On the other side, Scotland is near Surry. The four ferries are: Pocahontas, Surry, Williamsburg, and Virginia. The coordinates and address are for the landing on the Scotland side.
The trip is easy to make. One drives along Virignia Route 31 until the road ends at the landing. Depending on when you arrive, there will be a line of vehicles waiting to use the ferry. After the ferry arrives and the cars get off, the crew guides cars to their spot on the ferry. Travelers are allowed to leave their vehicles most of the time, so one can see the sights during the trip, which takes about fifteen minutes. We took the ferry on a sunny morning and were able to enjoy the trip from the front of the Surry.
The history of the ferry is interesting. The following comes from the VDOT website (
visit link)
"Albert Jester made the first automobile ferry crossing of the James River with the "Captain John Smith" on Feb. 26, 1925. That ferry was 60 feet long and could carry 16 Model-T Fords.
Today, the ferry fleet transports approximately 936,000 vehicles annually. It's the only 24-hour state-run ferry in Virginia.
The Virginia Department of Transportation took over operation of the ferry in 1945. It has more than 90 employees.
The operations budget for the ferry is approximately $12 million annually.
The heaviest traffic volumes are over holidays and weekends. We do not track passengers per vehicle, but it's estimated to be approximately 2.5 people per car.
When you ride on the free Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, it's not hard to imagine what the first colonists saw as they traveled on the same river 400 years ago. The 15-minute ride will give you a unique view of the land and connect you to interesting sites on both sides of the James River."