Image by Emi Villavicencio
Cincinnati isn’t the only waterbound city in the country to have a ferry—Seattle has one, and Chicago, too. But for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky residents, the Anderson Ferry is truly one of a kind.
The only such transportation to exist in the Greater Cincinnati region, the privately-owned Anderson Ferry shuttles passengers, vehicles, and more, rain or shine, 364 days a year (they’re closed on Christmas Day) across the Ohio River. Whether they want to bypass excessive bridge traffic, expedite the journey to CVG Airport, or head to work, the ferry is vital for its passengers.
“This is just in the right spot,” says Chris Hess, one of three owner-operators of the Anderson Ferry. Boats travel between a dock 10 miles west of downtown Cincinnati and another in Hebron, Kentucky. Hess works alongside Justin and Stephanie Anderson, both children of the previous owner, Paul Anderson.
The Big Mac Bridge fire in November took the heavily trafficked commuter bridge out of commission for some time, before reopening with fewer lanes while repairs continued. While not drastic by any means, both Hess and Stephanie Anderson
said ferry rides experienced a bit of a surge in the following months.
Recent construction on the I-275 Lawrenceburg Bridge around the river bend has led to a slight uptick as well. In the past, closer to home, when the Brent Spence Bridge was closed after an accident in 2020, the ferry extended its hours to accommodate an estimated 1,000 cars per day.
But the majority of the ferry’s daily traffic consists of the same repeat passengers. The owners estimate about 500 cars per day take the ferry throughout the week and 250 cars per day on weekends. A single ferry can make about four round trips in an hour.
“We’ll run two boats in the morning from 7 to 9,” says Hess. “It’s usually about quarter to 7 until about 8:30, we stay pretty busy. Then we’ll run both boats again in the afternoon. We start at 3, and work until 6:30 with the second boat, just to get through rush hour.”
There are only five such ferries that cross the Ohio River. The next closest is in Augusta, Kentucky, but unlike the Anderson Ferry, it is owned and operated by the city itself. In fact, the Anderson Ferry is the only ferry still privately owned, and it’s here to stay; in 1982, the Anderson Ferry landed on the National Historic Register, protecting it from any further development. It’s likely to remain competition-free in the immediate Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky vicinity as well.
According to Melissa McVay, senior city planner with the Cincinnati Department of Transportation & Engineering, the city has never considered offering a public ferry service.
The same goes for the state of Ohio. “There was a time many years ago when the Grant Bridge was built [in Portsmouth], they did a ferry service for people because the bridge was closed,” says Kathleen Fuller, public information officer for District 8 of the Ohio Department of Transportation. “[There haven’t been] any talks of public ferry service across the Ohio River.”
A new boat, the Helen Lorraine, was recently added to Anderson Ferry’s fleet, bringing the total to four. A full large ferry can carry 15 cars; the smaller ones can accommodate four to 10.
Daily commuters aren’t the only ones riding across the Ohio—the ferry has welcomed everything from motorcycle rally participants to antique car shows to an annual Pearl Harbor remembrance ceremony held by a local American Legion.
With all the business the Anderson Ferry has consistently brought in over more than 200 years, it’s reasonable to wonder: Have they ever thought about expanding?
“I don’t think that would be in the cards,” says Anderson. “There’s something uniquely successful about being here. I’m just pleased we can help people here, but I don’t know if it would function nearly as well anywhere else.”
You can get 10 rides across the river for $40.
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