Hatteras ferry route expands midweek schedule through September 21

The N.C. Department of Transportation’s Hatteras-Ocracoke vehicle ferry route is expanding its summer departure schedule to meet demand on peak midweek days through Sept. 21. From Tuesday through Thursday, the number of scheduled departures will increase from 36 to 52.

Between Aug. 22 and Sept. 21, the Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday schedule will be:

• From Hatteras: 5 a.m., 6 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m., 11 p.m. and midnight.
• From Ocracoke: 4:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 7:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., noon, 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 3 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 9 p.m., 9:30 p.m., 10:30 p.m., and midnight.

Schedules from Friday through Monday will remain at their current levels, with additional unscheduled ‘shuttle’ runs during high-congestion periods.

Ocracoke visitors also have the option of taking the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry, which makes three round trips daily between Hatteras and Ocracoke Village with reservations available at www.ncferry.org and 1-800-BY-FERRY.