Howe Island has two ferries, and this is the small one: a three-car boat run by the Township of Frontenac Islands from the mainland just west of Gananoque to the east end of the island. It works on demand from 06:30 to midnight, pauses for thirty minutes at 11:15 and again at 19:15, and charges $10 per car for the return trip in 2026.
Standard hours as published by the County of Frontenac for the Township ferry and by the Township's red-light notice (2026); no seasonal closure published; checked 2 October 2026 County of Frontenac – Information About Other Ferries · 2026-10-02
Most people who drive to Howe Island use the big ferry at the west end: the County of Frontenac's Frontenac Howe Islander, which carries fifteen cars and runs on demand 24 hours a day. The Township ferry at the opposite tip differs from it on nearly every count. It takes three cars, keeps set hours from 06:30 to midnight, pauses twice a day for the crew to eat, and lands you on the Gananoque side of the island instead of near Kingston.
The two boats are also connected by history. The County's account of its crossing says that in 1949 Pickett's Ferry put a three-car steel-hulled boat on the western route. When a nine-car vessel replaced it in 1976, the small ferry was handed to the Township of Frontenac Islands, which operates it at the eastern end today in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.
What they share is the bill. The County and the Township use one fare structure, so a car pays $10 on either boat in 2026 and a resident's annual pass covers both.
Both Howe Island ferries use one fare table, set jointly by the County and the Township. What you buy is a return: the Township's ferry page says fees are only collected from vehicles coming onto the island, so you pay once, on the way over, and drive back off without stopping at a fare point.
The charge is per vehicle. The 2026 table lists no separate fare for the people inside the car, and none for walk-on passengers either. You can prepay through the Honk app and show the receipt on your phone, or hand over cash at the dock; tax treatment is not stated.
| Car, pickup truck or motorcycle | $ 10 |
| Car or pickup towing a trailer | $ 20 |
| Heavy truck or bus over 6,000 kg | $ 20 |
| Cyclist | $ 2 |
| Annual pass, first vehicle | $ 300 |
| Annual pass, second vehicle (eligible household) | $ 100 |
| Senior 65+, first vehicle | $ 270 |
| Senior 65+, second vehicle | $ 90 |
| Friends-and-family book of 10 tickets | $ 75 |
| Annual trailer pass | $ 300 |
Fares effective 1 January to 31 December 2026, shared by the County and Township ferries County of Frontenac – Fares and Passes (Howe Island ferries) · 2026-10-02
Howe Island lies in the St. Lawrence River between Kingston and Gananoque, at the top of the Thousand Islands. The Township boat covers the narrow channel at the island's eastern tip in about three minutes, according to the Township. Its partner at the opposite end, the County-run Frontenac Howe Islander, works a 370-metre crossing near Joyceville, roughly 20 km east of Kingston. Downstream, in Quebec, the ship that links Rivière-du-Loup with Charlevoix across the estuary is a very different proposition: a timetabled ship of more than an hour.
This is where visitors start. According to the Township, the boat links the end of Howe Island Drive with a mainland ramp a short way west of Gananoque, so you board on the Gananoque side of the island rather than near Kingston. Look across at the ferry building on the island shore before you commit to the queue: a lit red light there during normal hours means the boat is not running.
Island-side, you board at the eastern end of Howe Island Drive; the same road crosses the island to the County ferry at the western tip. This end faces the Gananoque shore; for Kingston, the County boat lands near Joyceville Road, which the County directs drivers to from exit 632 of Highway 401.
A red lamp on the island-side ferry building faces the mainland. Lit during normal hours, it means the boat is out of operation; it is not used during meal breaks.
With room for three vehicles, a queue of six means two round trips before you board. At about three minutes each way, that is still a short wait.
Single fares can be bought in advance through Honk for either Howe Island ferry; the receipt on your screen is your ticket. Cash is taken at the dock.
Only the County ferry at the west end runs around the clock, on demand, seven days a week.
The Township sends ferry notices by email and posts them on X. Its website did not answer automated checks on 2 October 2026, so status here is from the published hours only.
Because the fare is only taken from vehicles heading onto the island, you can arrive by one ferry and leave by the other for the same $10 a straight return costs: in by the Township boat from the Gananoque side, out by the County boat towards Joyceville and Highway 401, or the reverse. If you are comparing small Ontario crossings that charge a flat fee per car, the Rockland–Thurso cable ferry over the Ottawa River is the other one on this site.
The County notes that its own crossing is busiest when commuters leave Howe Island in the morning and return in the late afternoon. In February 2026 the Ministry of Transportation began rebuilding the County ferry's terminals, and while that ferry was closed for the works, the Township boat stayed in service and ran extended hours.
The small one at the east end, a three-car boat between the mainland just west of Gananoque and the end of Howe Island Drive. The 15-car County ferry is at the west end, off Joyceville.
Standard hours end at midnight and start again at 06:30. There are no fixed departures in between: the boat crosses on demand.
The crew take 30-minute breaks starting at 11:15 and 19:15 every day, and there is a midday maintenance stop on the first and third Wednesday of the month.
$10 for a car, pickup or motorcycle, collected when you head onto the island; the return is included. With a trailer, or for a truck or bus over 6,000 kg, it is $20. A cyclist pays $2.
The 2026 fare table is per vehicle and lists no charge for occupants.
Look for the red light on the ferry building on the island shore: lit during normal hours, it means the boat is out of operation. The Township also sends notices by email and on X.
Yes. The 2026 pass application states that the pass gives access to both the County and Township ferries.