How long does the ferry take from Manhattan to the Hamptons?

Typically 3 h 30 m – 4 h 30 m door-to-door under non-peak conditions.

Passages · Plate VII

Ferry

The Shelter Island Ferry Crossing

No direct boat — the real water route runs through Shelter Island.

Door-to-door3 h 30 m – 4 h 30 m

From$33ferry tolls + fuel

DepartsManhattan to the North Fork, then two short ferries

CadenceFerries run year-round, frequent daytime crossings

To

Manhattan

East Hampton 2 h 33 m

Each route is plotted from real road, rail, air and water geometry; rings mark rough distance from Manhattan. Times are typical, non-peak — see method.

There is no scheduled passenger ferry straight from Manhattan to the Hamptons — but there is a genuine, scenic water passage if you want one. Reach Greenport on the North Fork (by car on the LIE, or by the LIRR Greenport Branch), ride the North Ferry to Shelter Island, cross the island, then take the South Ferry to North Haven beside Sag Harbor. Two five-minute boats stitch the forks together — the North Ferry runs about $16 one-way for a vehicle, the South Ferry a little more.

The reckoning

In its favour — Sag Harbor and North Haven arrivals, a scenic alternative, North Fork detours.

Watch the weather — It is the slowest passage and only sensible for the East End villages nearest the crossing. Ferry queues build on summer weekends; check the last-boat times if you are arriving late.

On the line

North Ferry Company · South Ferry Inc.. Operators are listed for orientation only; this almanac sells no tickets and earns no commission.

Reading on this passage

The Shelter Island ferry crossing, step by step field note