National Census of Ferry Operators

The NCFO is a census of all known ferry boat operations within the United States and its territories, encompassing the 50 States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. In addition to ferry operations providing domestic service within the U.S. and its territories, operations providing services to or from at least one U.S. terminal are also included. Ferry operations included within the scope of the NCFO are those providing itinerant, fixed route, common carrier passenger and/or vehicle ferry service. Railroad car float operations are also included within the scope of the NCFO. Ferry operations that are exclusively non-itinerant, such as excursion services (e.g., whale watches, casino boats, day cruises, dinner cruises, etc.), passenger only water taxi services not operating on a fixed route, LoLo (Lift-on/Lift-off) freight/auto carrier services, or long distance passenger only cruise ship services are not included within the scope of the census.

• Administrative records
• Survey (self- or interviewer-administered)

• Every two years

• Last year/last 12 months

https://www.bts.gov/browse-statistical-products-and-data/surveys/national-census-ferry-operators-ncfo/Methodology

Up to 250 operators, up to 1,000 vessels and terminals, and up to 1,500 segments

About 160 variables across all the files

• Other (see Linkage Capabilities description)

All 5 of the basic files can be linked using the identifiers