The Early Bird Catches the Ferry!

During the summer, it seems everyone wants to go to Ocracoke Island. And why not? With world-class beaches, a charming village and friendly locals, there's no better place to make a day trip on North Carolina's beautiful Outer Banks.

That popularity, however, sometimes comes along with long lines at the North Carolina Ferry System’s Hatteras Terminal. The ferry system is running as many boats as possible on its Hatteras-Ocracoke route all summer long, but during peak travel times, there can be 1- to 3-hour delays before boarding a ferry to Ocracoke.

But here’s the good news: You can largely avoid those waits if you travel at the right time. The busiest days on the route are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so if you make your day trip on Monday, Friday or the weekend, you’ll already be one step ahead. (View all the ferry routes and schedules.)

Generally speaking, you can avoid waiting on the Hatteras side if you arrive at Hatteras before 9 a.m. By 10 a.m., lines will begin forming, and 1 p.m. is when you can usually expect the longest waits.

If you want to head to Ocracoke for the evening, waiting lines have usually dissipated on the Hatteras side by 4 p.m.

For the return trip, the Ocracoke side is usually wait-free until 2 p.m. Lines begin to form around 4 p.m. with peak travel happening between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Lines on the Ocracoke side have usually gone away for the night after 9 p.m.

So, keep this in mind when planning your day trip to Ocracoke during you Outer Banks vacation. The less time you spend in a ferry line, the more time you’ll have to discover all that Ocracoke has to offer.