Padre IslandPADREISLAND.CC
Live · TxDOT SH 361

Port Aransas ferry wait times, right now

The current wait TxDOT is posting on its Highway 361 signs, this minute — both directions, free to check, nothing to install.

To Port Aransas

Loading the current wait

Checking TxDOT's signs…

To Aransas Pass

Loading the current wait

Checking TxDOT's signs…

Reading TxDOT's SH 361 signs & district alerts…cameras
On camera

The TxDOT ferry cameras, both landings

See the line for yourself: TxDOT's cameras at Harbor Island and Port Aransas. The stills load as you scroll and keep themselves current, each labeled with its capture time and how long ago that was.

Harbor Island landing — the line to Port Aransas

Loading still…
Ferry entrance—
Loading still…
Stacking lanes—

Port Aransas landing — the line back

Loading still…
Loading lanes—
Loading still…
Stacking lanes—
Stills from TxDOT's district cameras — each caption shows the capture time (Central) and how long ago that was.all district cameras
The source

Where these numbers come from

No estimates, no crowdsourcing: the waits above are read straight from TxDOT's Corpus Christi district feeds — the same data behind the electronic signs on Highway 361.

Highway message signs

TxDOT posts "FERRY WAIT TO…" times on the boards approaching each landing. When no wait is posted, the signs rotate safety messages instead — which usually means the line is short.

Live cameras

Cameras cover the stacking lanes on both sides of the channel — the four ferry views are embedded above, and the full district list lives on TxDOT's site.

Open the ferry cameras

Incidents & closures

Fog suspensions and lane closures come from the district's incident feed and appear as alerts under the wait times the moment TxDOT logs them.

How it works

The ferry in six facts

Everything first-timers ask about the Port Aransas ferry, minus the folklore.

Free, around the clock

The Port Aransas Ferry is free and runs 24 hours a day, weather permitting — operated by TxDOT, no ticket, no reservation, first come, first served.

A short hop

The crossing between Harbor Island (Aransas Pass) and Port Aransas takes under ten minutes; two to six boats run at once.

Cars, bikes & walk-ons

Drive on, bike on, or walk on. Stay in your lane in the stacking area and follow the deckhands' signals.

Fog can pause it

Dense fog or rough weather can suspend service — that's what the alerts above will show. Crossings resume as soon as it lifts.

Watch the wake

Dolphins surface in the ship channel constantly — the wait line and the crossing double as wildlife watching.

There's a no-ferry route

From Corpus Christi you can skip the boat entirely: JFK Causeway (Park Road 22) onto the island, then Highway 361 north into Port A.

Beat the line

When the ferry wait gets long

Most of the year the ferry is a five-minute afterthought. The exceptions are predictable.

  • Summer weekends and holiday Saturdays, roughly late morning through early evening — the classic 30–60 minute stretches.
  • Spring break afternoons, both directions.
  • Sunday evenings in season, leaving Port A, when everyone heads home at once.
  • Fog mornings — service pauses entirely until it lifts, then the backlog clears over an hour or so.

Directions to Port Aransas without the ferry

From Corpus Christi there's a ferry-free route the whole way: take South Padre Island Drive across the JFK Causeway onto the island, then Highway 361 north up Mustang Island into Port Aransas — about 45 minutes from town, zero boats involved. Coming from the north (Rockport, Aransas Pass), the ferry is the only direct road in, so a long suspension means looping through Corpus.

The Port A day-trip guideAll official links
No download

Looking for a ferry wait time app?

TxDOT doesn't publish one. The official wait lives on the Highway 361 message signs and the district's cameras — which is exactly what this page reads, every 90 seconds, for free and without an account.

Keep it one tap away

  • iPhone: tap Share in Safari, then 'Add to Home Screen'.
  • Android: open the browser menu, then 'Add to Home screen'.
  • It opens full-screen like an app — no install, no account, no notifications you didn't ask for.
Ferry FAQ

Questions about the Port Aransas ferry

Cost, hours, closures, what you can bring across, and how to get to Port A when the line is an hour long.

What is the Port Aransas ferry wait time right now?
The live card at the top of this page is the answer: it reads the wait TxDOT is posting on its Highway 361 message signs this minute, in both directions — to Port Aransas and back to Aransas Pass — and refreshes every 90 seconds. If nothing is posted, there's usually little to no line; the signs only carry a wait when there is one worth announcing.
Is there a Port Aransas ferry wait time app?
TxDOT doesn't publish one. The official wait comes from the Highway 361 message signs and the district's cameras, which is exactly what this page reads — so there's nothing to install. On an iPhone, tap Share then 'Add to Home Screen'; on Android, the browser menu's 'Add to Home screen' does the same. It opens full-screen like an app, costs nothing, and needs no account. Third-party ferry apps exist and pull from the same TxDOT feeds.
How do I see the TxDOT ferry cameras?
The four ferry views — the Harbor Island entrance and stacking lanes on the Aransas Pass side, and the Port Aransas landing and its approach — are embedded on this page, each stamped with when the frame was captured and how long ago that was. TxDOT's own camera index for the Corpus Christi district carries the full set, including the highway cameras beyond the ferry.
How much does the Port Aransas ferry cost?
Nothing. The ferry is operated by the Texas Department of Transportation and is free for cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and walk-on passengers alike. There's no ticket, no reservation, and no way to buy a place in line — it's first come, first served.
Does the ferry run 24 hours, and at night?
Yes — TxDOT runs the route 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, weather permitting. Anywhere from two to six boats work the crossing depending on demand, so late nights typically mean fewer boats but also almost no line. The weather caveat is the real one: dense fog or rough water suspends service until it lifts.
How long does the crossing take?
Under ten minutes across the Corpus Christi Ship Channel, between Harbor Island on the Aransas Pass side and Port Aransas. Load and unload add a few minutes on each end. Dolphins surface in the channel constantly, so the crossing is worth standing up for.
Why is the ferry closed or suspended?
Almost always weather. Dense fog is the usual culprit — it can shut the crossing down for hours on a spring morning — and high wind or rough water in the channel will do it too. Occasionally it's an incident or maintenance at a landing. Any suspension TxDOT logs shows up as an alert under the wait times on this page, and the backlog usually clears within an hour or so of service resuming.
Can I take an RV, a boat trailer, or a big truck on the ferry?
Usually yes, within limits. TxDOT caps combined vehicles (a truck towing a boat, for instance) at 80 feet long, 13 feet wide, and 13 feet 6 inches tall, with axle and gross weight limits on top of that. Oversized loads and anything carrying hazardous material need to check first — TxDOT's ferry line is 361-749-2850. If you're over the limits, the JFK Causeway route has no restrictions.
Can I walk or bike onto the ferry?
Yes, and it's free. Walk-ons and cyclists board alongside the cars — follow the deckhands' directions and stay clear of the vehicle lanes. On a summer weekend when the car line is 45 minutes, parking on the Aransas Pass side and walking on is the fastest way across.
How do I get to Port Aransas without the ferry?
From Corpus Christi you never need the boat: take South Padre Island Drive across the JFK Causeway (Park Road 22) onto North Padre Island, then Highway 361 north up Mustang Island into Port Aransas — roughly 45 minutes from town. Coming from the north (Rockport, Aransas Pass, Houston), the ferry is the only direct road in, so a long wait or a fog suspension means looping down through Corpus Christi and back up the islands, about an extra hour.The Port Aransas day-trip guide

padreisland.cc is an independent guide and is not affiliated with TxDOT. Wait times and alerts are read from TxDOT's public feeds and can lag or drop out — for anything critical, confirm with TxDOT directly.

Keep exploring

Across the channel and beyond

Once you're over the water: a full Port A day trip, things to do around the Coastal Bend, and the full visitor guide.