Photo above: The covered gangway and boarding dock at the Vallejo Ferry Terminal under the San Francisco Bay Ferry sign, Vallejo, California, May 2019. Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
About an hour. San Francisco Bay Ferry lists the trip between Vallejo and Downtown San Francisco at about 60 minutes, and one adult fare is $10.00. Park in the City of Vallejo’s waterfront garage or lots next to the terminal for $8.00 a day or $50.00 a month.
The details below come straight from the ferry, SolTrans and the City of Vallejo, with the date we checked each one. Try the commute once on a real weekday before you pick a house around it.
How long does the Vallejo ferry take?
Plan on about an hour each way. SF Bay Ferry lists about 60 minutes between Vallejo and Downtown San Francisco, plus about 15 minutes between the Mare Island stop and the Vallejo terminal (San Francisco Bay Ferry, Vallejo route page, checked September 24, 2026).
In San Francisco you land at the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal, Gate E1. Every weekday trip from Vallejo is timed at 60 minutes on the current timetable. Two weekend trips are scheduled at 65 and 70 minutes, so read the times for the exact boat you want.
What time does the first ferry leave Vallejo?
On weekdays the first boat leaves Vallejo at 5:30 a.m. and gets to San Francisco at 6:30 a.m. It leaves Mare Island first, at 5:15 a.m. (SF Bay Ferry, Vallejo weekday schedule effective March 9, 2026, checked September 24, 2026).
The rest of the schedule, in short:
| Schedule effective March 9, 2026 | Weekdays | Weekends |
|---|---|---|
| Trips from Vallejo to San Francisco | 13 | 8 |
| First departure from Vallejo | 5:30 a.m. | 9:15 a.m. |
| Last departure from Vallejo | 7:05 p.m. | 7:35 p.m. |
| First departure from San Francisco | 6:35 a.m. | 10:25 a.m. |
| Last departure from San Francisco | 8:10 p.m. | 8:40 p.m. |
Source: SF Bay Ferry, Vallejo route page, checked September 24, 2026. Not every trip stops at Mare Island. On holidays the route may run a different schedule, so check the ferry’s holiday page. Sign up for the ferry’s BayAlerts texts or emails, too. That’s how you hear about a late or canceled boat before you’re standing on the dock.
How much does the Vallejo ferry cost?
$10.00 one way for adults, whether you pay with Clipper, a paper ticket or a mobile ticket. The discount fare is $5.00, and children under 5 ride free (SF Bay Ferry, Vallejo route fares effective July 1, 2026, checked September 24, 2026).
The discount fare covers riders 65 or older, 17 or younger, and people with a Medicare card or a DMV disabled parking placard. Clipper START, RTC Clipper, Senior Clipper and Youth Clipper also get the discount. A round trip at the adult fare is $20.00 a day, so do the math on a five-day week before you set your budget.
Where do I park at the Vallejo ferry terminal?
In the City of Vallejo’s waterfront parking, right across from the terminal. The terminal sits at 289 Mare Island Way (SF Bay Ferry, Vallejo Ferry Terminal page, checked September 24, 2026). The city’s waterfront parking includes the Vallejo Station Parking Garage and Lots A1, A2, A3, B and F (City of Vallejo, Park Vallejo Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026).
What it costs, from the City of Vallejo Master Fee Schedule FY 2026-2027 (checked September 24, 2026):
| Waterfront parking | Fee |
|---|---|
| Daily parking (24 hours) | $8.00 |
| Monthly parking (calendar month) | $50.00 |
How it works, per the city’s Park Vallejo pages:
- Paid around the clock. Waterfront lots and the Vallejo Station garage require payment 24/7/365. Overnight and multi-day parking is allowed if you pay for the time.
- Plate, not a ticket. You need your license plate number to pay. SF Bay Ferry notes you don’t have to display a receipt.
- Three ways to pay. Kiosks in the lots, garage and Ferry Building take Visa and MasterCard. Only the Ferry Building kiosk takes cash, and it needs exact change. The Parkmobile app works for hourly and daily parking, zone code 6789. Monthly permits can be bought online through the city’s permit portal, with auto-renew.
- Monthly means calendar month. The city says monthly fees cover one full calendar month and are not prorated. Buy on the 1st, not the 20th.
Parking questions go to the City of Vallejo Parking Division at (707) 648-5407 (SF Bay Ferry, Vallejo Ferry Terminal page, checked September 24, 2026).
Is parking free at the Mare Island ferry stop?
Today it is, but there isn’t much of it. SF Bay Ferry says limited free parking sits next to the Mare Island Ferry Terminal entrance at 1050 Nimitz Avenue (SF Bay Ferry, Mare Island Ferry Terminal page, checked September 24, 2026).
Don’t build your budget on that lasting. In its February 7, 2026 comment letter on the draft Mare Island Specific Plan, the City of Vallejo suggested that parking at the Mare Island ferry terminal be paid, time limited, or both (City of Vallejo, comment letter on the Draft Mare Island Specific Plan, February 7, 2026). That is a suggestion in an ongoing plan review, not a decision.
Can I take a bus to the Vallejo ferry instead of driving?
Yes. The Vallejo Transit Center is two blocks from the ferry terminal, and several SolTrans local routes stop there (SF Bay Ferry, Vallejo Ferry Terminal page, checked September 24, 2026). With Clipper, SF Bay Ferry says SolTrans riders get a transfer discount equal to the local bus fare.
One warning: SolTrans redesigned its routes and schedules on August 2, 2026 (SolTrans, checked September 24, 2026). The ferry’s terminal page still lists some old route names. Plan your trip from SolTrans’s own route pages.
Two more ways to reach the boat:
- Bike. Secure BikeLink lockers are at the Vallejo Transit Center, about a 5-minute walk from the terminal. Bikes ride the ferry on a space-available basis (SF Bay Ferry, checked September 24, 2026).
- Lyft discount. Solano Mobility’s First/Last Mile program pays 60% of a Lyft fare, up to $20, for rides to or from transit hubs in Solano County, including the Vallejo Ferry Terminal. You have to apply first, and you get up to 45 discounted rides a month (SF Bay Ferry, Vallejo Ferry Terminal page, checked September 24, 2026).
What if I miss the last ferry?
You have bus options, but plan them ahead of time. These SolTrans routes connect Vallejo to San Francisco or BART:
| SolTrans route | Where it goes | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| 82 | Fairfield Transportation Center, Vallejo Transit Center, Curtola Park and Ride, San Francisco Ferry Building | Weekdays, four trips each way. The printed schedule shows about 40 to 55 minutes between the Vallejo Transit Center and the Ferry Building, depending on the trip. Effective August 2, 2026. |
| 60 | Vallejo Transit Center to El Cerrito del Norte BART | Every day. On weekdays, buses leave the Vallejo Transit Center about every 30 minutes starting at 4:00 a.m., scheduled at about 25 to 30 minutes to El Cerrito del Norte. Effective August 2, 2026. |
| 70 | Vallejo Transit Center to BART Concord, by way of Benicia | Every day. Effective September 1, 2026. |
Source: SolTrans route schedules, checked September 24, 2026. The Route 82 schedule marks afternoon and evening trips in bold, so read the PDF for the trip you need.
SolTrans sells day passes for adults ages 19 to 64 at $4.50 for local routes, $5.50 for Solano County express routes and $10.00 for out-of-county express routes. Riders ages 6 to 18 ride free (SolTrans Fares page, checked September 24, 2026).
What does driving I-80 to San Francisco cost?
$17.00 a day in bridge tolls for a two-axle car in 2026, $8.50 each way. Here’s why. Heading to San Francisco you cross the Carquinez Bridge southbound, which has no toll that way, then pay the Bay Bridge toll westbound. Coming home you pay the Carquinez toll, which is collected in the eastbound direction (Bay Area FasTrak, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Carquinez Bridge pages, checked September 24, 2026).
| Toll, two-axle car, 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Bay Bridge, westbound into San Francisco | $8.50 |
| Carquinez Bridge, collected eastbound on the way home | $8.50 |
| Carpool of 3 or more in the carpool lane with FasTrak, weekdays 5:00 to 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. | $4.25 at each bridge |
Source: Bay Area FasTrak, checked September 24, 2026. So the round trip is $17.00 in tolls on a normal weekday.
Tolls rise every year through 2030. Starting in 2027, the toll is $9.00 if you pay with a FasTrak tag, $9.25 with a license plate account, and $10.00 if you get an invoice by mail (Metropolitan Transportation Commission, “New Bridge Toll Rates Now in Effect,” January 2026). A FasTrak tag saves you money.
Add gas and San Francisco parking on top of that.
How long is the drive from Vallejo to San Francisco?
We won’t give you a number. No official source publishes a typical drive time, and it changes a lot with the hour and the day. Here’s how to check it yourself:
- Open 511.org, the Bay Area’s official traveler information site, and look at live I-80 speeds and incidents.
- In a map app, put in your real work address and your real arrival time on a weekday.
- Drive it once at that time, and ride the ferry once. Then compare.
Questions people also ask
How long is the ferry ride from Vallejo to San Francisco?
About 60 minutes. SF Bay Ferry lists the trip between Vallejo and Downtown San Francisco at about an hour, arriving at Gate E1 of the Downtown San Francisco Ferry Terminal. Boats that start at Mare Island add about 15 minutes. The weekday schedule effective March 9, 2026 has 13 trips from Vallejo, starting at 5:30 a.m., per SF Bay Ferry, checked September 24, 2026.
How much is parking at the Vallejo ferry?
Waterfront parking next to the Vallejo Ferry Terminal costs $8.00 for 24 hours or $50.00 for a calendar month, per the City of Vallejo Master Fee Schedule FY 2026-2027, checked September 24, 2026. Pay at a kiosk, with the Parkmobile app using zone 6789, or buy a monthly permit online. You need your license plate number, and monthly permits are not prorated.
How much is the Vallejo ferry fare?
The adult fare is $10.00 one way with Clipper, a paper ticket or a mobile ticket. The discount fare is $5.00 for riders 65 or older, 17 or younger, or with a Medicare card or DMV disabled placard. Children under 5 ride free. These fares took effect July 1, 2026, per SF Bay Ferry, checked September 24, 2026.
Is there parking at the Mare Island ferry terminal?
Yes, a little. SF Bay Ferry says limited free parking is next to the Mare Island Ferry Terminal entrance at 1050 Nimitz Avenue, checked September 24, 2026. In a February 7, 2026 letter on the draft Mare Island Specific Plan, the City of Vallejo suggested making that parking paid or time limited. Nothing has been decided, so check before you count on it.
Your next step
Tell us where you work and when you need to be there. We’ll show you which Vallejo streets make the ferry or the drive easiest, and pull recent sales on each. Talk to a Vallejo agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Vallejo: Living in Vallejo, CA · Vallejo market update · Search Vallejo homes · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Vallejo, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
Sources
- San Francisco Bay Ferry, Vallejo route page (schedule effective March 9, 2026; fares effective July 1, 2026): sfbayferry.com/routes-schedules/vallejo (checked September 24, 2026)
- San Francisco Bay Ferry, Vallejo Ferry Terminal and Mare Island Ferry Terminal pages: sfbayferry.com/terminals (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Vallejo, Master Fee Schedule FY 2026-2027, Parking Fees: cityofvallejo.net (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Vallejo, Park Vallejo and Waterfront parking pages: cityofvallejo.net (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Vallejo, comment letter on the Draft Mare Island Specific Plan (File SPA24-0001), February 7, 2026: cityofvallejo.net
- SolTrans, Routes and Fares pages, and Route 60, 70 and 82 schedules: soltrans.org (checked September 24, 2026)
- Bay Area FasTrak, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Carquinez Bridge toll pages: bayareafastrak.org (checked September 24, 2026)
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission, “New Bridge Toll Rates Now in Effect,” January 2026: mtc.ca.gov
- 511.org, Bay Area traveler information (checked September 24, 2026)