How to Get to the Staten Island Ferry by Subway

How to get to the staten island ferry by subway is simple: take the 1 train to South Ferry, the 4 or 5 train to Bowling Green, or the R train to Whitehall St for Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan. The terminal sits at South Street and Whitehall Street in the South Ferry area, and the ferry runs between Whitehall Terminal and St. George Terminal on Staten Island.

The Staten Island Ferry is free as of September 2026 and runs 24 hours a day. Trains, buses, and the ferry connect at Whitehall Terminal, so riders can reach the waterfront from several subway lines without needing a complicated transfer.

How to Get to the Staten Island Ferry by Subway

Beyond that, the Staten Island Ferry is easiest to reach by subway through Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan. From these subway stops, head for the ferry terminal.

South Ferry station serves the 1 train and sits in the South Ferry section of Lower Manhattan. Each stop offers a direct Manhattan subway option near the ferry.

Where the Terminal Sits

Whitehall Terminal is described as being at the corner of South Street and Whitehall Street in the South Ferry area, and it is also placed at Manhattan’s southern tip. From there, the Staten Island Ferry runs through New York Harbor between Whitehall Terminal and St. George Terminal on Staten Island.

Nearby transit helps make the trip simple. The terminal has connections to the New York City Subway and several local NYC bus routes, and the M15 Select Bus Service stops via a bus loop directly at the front door. In practice, the M15, M20, and M55 local bus routes stop on nearby streets.

What the Subway Route Gets You

Each listed subway option brings riders into the same waterfront area rather than to a separate ferry system. That matters because the Staten Island Ferry leaves from Whitehall Terminal, while the Governors Island ferry uses the Battery Maritime Building, and ferries for the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island leave from The Battery in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in Jersey City.

Once you reach the terminal, the ferry service itself has only two terminals, Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan and St. George Terminal on Staten Island.

At St. George Terminal, passengers can transfer to the Staten Island Railway and many bus routes at the St. For context, George Bus Terminal, which makes the ferry useful for travel in both directions.

Confirm the Whitehall Terminal Address

Use Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan as your destination name for the Staten Island Ferry. For a street-address entry, use 4 South Street, New York, NY 10004. That is the listed street address for Whitehall Terminal and supplies a precise numbered destination.

Address results for the terminal appear in more than one format. Time Out places the ferry location on South St, New York, 10006, and identifies Whitehall St as the cross street. Those listings describe the terminal area through different ZIP codes and street presentations.

Whitehall Street remains part of the terminal’s established Lower Manhattan identification. Search by Whitehall Terminal and the Staten Island Ferry, then enter 4 South Street, New York, NY 10004 when a numbered address is needed.

That approach retains the terminal name while recognizing South St, New York, 10006 and Whitehall St as alternate location formats rather than a separate ferry destination.

Which Subway Stops Serve Whitehall Terminal

The subway options above lead to Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan, which sits at the corner of South Street and Whitehall Street in the South Ferry area.

South Ferry is the most direct label for the 1 train, because the South Ferry-Whitehall Street station complex includes the New South Ferry station on the IRT Broadway-Seventh Avenue Line. Bowling Green is the listed stop for the 4 and 5 trains, and that station sits in the same South Ferry-Whitehall Street complex area on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line.

Station Options at a Glance

Subway Option	Listed Station	Terminal Context
1 train	South Ferry	South Ferry-Whitehall Street station complex includes New South Ferry station for the 1 train.
4 train	Bowling Green	Bowling Green serves the 4 and 5 trains in the South Ferry-Whitehall Street area.
5 train	Bowling Green	Bowling Green is the listed stop for both the 4 and 5 trains.
R train	Whitehall St	Source 5 lists Whitehall St for the R train, while the terminal address is South Street and Whitehall Street.

Whitehall Terminal is also described as being at Manhattan’s southern tip, so the subway stops near South Ferry all point to the same waterfront area rather than separate ferry systems. Nearby bus service also reaches the terminal, with local routes stopping on nearby streets.

By contrast, other ferries in the same neighborhood do not use the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Other ferries in the neighborhood use separate departure points.

Travelers can use the station name as a practical check before heading south on foot. Whitehall Terminal connects Manhattan and Staten Island by the free ferry, and the subway choices above are the listed Manhattan stops that place riders in the right part of Lower Manhattan.

Step-by-Step from the Train to the Ferry

From the train, head toward Whitehall Terminal and continue south into the South Ferry area of Lower Manhattan. The listed subway choices put riders within reach of the terminal at South Street and Whitehall Street, where the Staten Island Ferry begins its trip to St. George Terminal.

After exiting, use the station name as your check against the terminal location. South Ferry, Bowling Green, and Whitehall St are the subway stops named for reaching the ferry, and the terminal sits at Manhattan’s southern tip in the South Ferry section.

Simple Arrival Sequence

Leave the subway at South Ferry, Bowling Green, or Whitehall St.
Move toward Whitehall Terminal in the South Ferry area of Lower Manhattan.
Look for the corner of South Street and Whitehall Street.
Enter the Staten Island Ferry terminal for the route to St. George Terminal.

Nearby transit can help confirm that you are close. Whitehall Terminal’s transit connections can help confirm your location.

Beyond the terminal, the route is straightforward because the ferry has only two endpoints. One endpoint is Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan, and the other is St. George Terminal on Staten Island, with the ferry running through New York Harbor between the two.

What Helps Confirm You Are in the Right Place

Nearby waterfront services should not be treated as interchangeable with the Staten Island Ferry. The Whitehall Terminal name and address are the best way to keep the trip on track.

How the Ferry Works Once You Arrive

Once aboard, the Staten Island Ferry crosses New York Harbor between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island. A trip takes about 25 minutes, and the route runs 5.2 miles, or 8.4 kilometers, from Whitehall Terminal to St. George Terminal.

Route details stay simple because the ferry serves only those two terminals. Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan is one end of the line, and St. George Terminal on Staten Island is the other.

Riders do not pay a fare as of September 2026. Service runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so the ferry continues overnight as well as during the day.

What to Expect on the Water

Passengers can expect a direct harbor crossing rather than a sightseeing cruise with extra stops. The vessel moves between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island, and the ride links the two boroughs without changing boats.

Boarding and arrival remain tied to the same Manhattan terminal naming used at the subway stop, so Whitehall Terminal is the place to remember on the way back. That return trip follows the same route through New York Harbor and ends again at Whitehall Terminal.

Onboard time is short enough that the trip can feel like a quick shuttle, yet the crossing still covers the full harbor distance. Fare-free service and round-the-clock operation make the ferry a regular transit option rather than a special excursion.

NYC Ferry Service and the Staten Island Ferry

NYC Ferry service is not the Staten Island Ferry. For a subway trip to Staten Island, follow the Staten Island Ferry name and Whitehall Terminal in Lower Manhattan. Its other terminal is St. George Terminal on Staten Island.

Whitehall Terminal is the Manhattan endpoint of the Staten Island Ferry. It is not the Statue City Cruises boarding point at Castle Clinton in The Battery. Ferries from The Battery serve Liberty and Ellis Islands, a separate boarding purpose from the Staten Island route.

Service names and terminal names separate trips with different destinations. Do not substitute a vessel or terminal identified for another ferry service when your destination is Staten Island. The Staten Island Ferry is free for all passengers.

South Ferry, Whitehall Street, and Broad Street are the relevant Lower Manhattan subway stations for the Staten Island Ferry. On Staten Island, St. George is the Staten Island Railway connection. Those names keep the subway trip tied to Whitehall Terminal rather than a different ferry boarding point.

What to Avoid Near Whitehall

Avoid assuming every waterfront ferry near Whitehall is the Staten Island Ferry. Whitehall Terminal is the one for Staten Island, while other nearby boats leave from different places in Lower Manhattan.

Governors Island service does not use Whitehall Terminal. Instead, that ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Building, so a walk toward the waterfront can lead to the wrong pier if the destination is not checked first.

Nearby Ferries to Separate

Liberty Island and Ellis Island ferries are another common mix-up. Those ferries use other nearby departure points rather than Whitehall Terminal, as noted above. Battery Park also sits west of South Ferry and has docking areas for those islands rather than for Staten Island, so the view of a busy waterfront can be misleading.

Staten Island Ferry service begins at Whitehall Terminal in the South Ferry section of Lower Manhattan, at the corner of South Street and Whitehall Street. Another ferry terminal in the same general area can look close enough to confuse first-time riders, but the route for Staten Island runs only between Whitehall Terminal and St. George Terminal.

Location Clues That Help

Terminal signs and street names matter here. Nearby bus stops offer another location clue, with service at the terminal and on surrounding streets as well. Even so, a bus or sidewalk landing near the terminal does not mean every ferry in sight serves Staten Island.

Confirm the destination before boarding any boat along the harbor edge. The Staten Island Ferry provides views of Governors Island to the east and Ellis Island and Lady Liberty to the west, so the scenery can resemble other harbor trips, but the route itself remains the free Whitehall Terminal to St. George Terminal crossing.

Whitehall Terminal and Staten Island Ferry Context

Whitehall Terminal is the Manhattan end of the Staten Island Ferry, and it sits at the corner of South Street and Whitehall Street in Lower Manhattan’s South Ferry area. That location places the terminal at Manhattan’s southern tip, which helps explain why the ferry area can feel close to several other harbor landmarks while still serving a single route to St. George Terminal.

Municipal ferry service between South Ferry in Manhattan and St. George on Staten Island began in 1816, while another account gives the start year as 1817. Those dates describe the same historic cross-harbor connection, and both point to a long-running transit link that has centered on the South Ferry waterfront for generations.

Whitehall Terminal is one of two Staten Island Ferry terminals, with the other in St. George on Staten Island. The route runs through New York Harbor between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island, so the terminal’s role is not that of a general harbor dock but of the dedicated Manhattan end of this specific ferry service.

Recognizing the Area Around South Ferry

Travelers near the terminal should not assume that every nearby waterfront ferry point serves Staten Island, since the Battery Maritime Building handles the Governors Island ferry and Battery Park has docking areas for Liberty Island and Ellis Island ferries. Because those departures are close by, the South Ferry waterfront can be easy to misread unless the terminal name is checked carefully.

Views from the ferry add to that confusion, because the Staten Island Ferry can show Governors Island to the east and Ellis Island and Lady Liberty to the west, along with the Manhattan skyline. Even so, the ride still begins and ends at Whitehall Terminal and St. George Terminal, and the terminal’s South Street and Whitehall Street address remains the clearest marker for reaching the right boat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Subway Trains Go to the Staten Island Ferry?

Take the 1 train to South Ferry, the 4 or 5 train to Bowling Green, or the R train to Whitehall St for the Staten Island Ferry’s Whitehall Terminal. These routes reach the ferry. South Ferry is served by the South Ferry-Whitehall Street station complex, and Bowling Green is part of the same area.

Where Is Whitehall Terminal Located in Manhattan?

Whitehall Terminal is at the corner of South Street and Whitehall Street in the South Ferry section of Lower Manhattan. The terminal is also described as being in Manhattan’s southern tip. It is one of the two terminals on the Staten Island Ferry route.

How Long Does the Staten Island Ferry Take?

A Staten Island Ferry trip takes about 25 minutes. The ferry route runs between Whitehall Terminal in Manhattan and St. George Terminal on Staten Island. It crosses New York Harbor between Lower Manhattan and Staten Island.

Is the Staten Island Ferry Free?

The Staten Island Ferry is free as of September 2026. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During peak hours, boats leave every 15 to 20 minutes, and at other times they leave every 30 minutes.

What Other Ferries Leave Near Whitehall Terminal?

Travelers should not confuse the Staten Island Ferry with the Governors Island ferry or the ferries for Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The Governors Island ferry departs from the Battery Maritime Building, while Liberty Island and Ellis Island ferries depart from The Battery in Manhattan or Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Whitehall Terminal is for the Staten Island Ferry only.

These options provide ferry access. Whitehall Terminal sits in Lower Manhattan at South Street and Whitehall Street, and the ferry runs to St. George Terminal on Staten Island in about 25 minutes. The ferry is free as of September 2026 and runs all day and all night, so it remains one of the most direct ways to cross New York Harbor from Manhattan.

References

Directions – Statue Of Liberty National Monument (U.S. National Park Service), National Park Service, nps.gov
Staten Island Ferry, Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org
Staten Island Ferry · NYC311, NYC311
Staten Island Ferry Whitehall Terminal, Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org
South Ferry (Manhattan), Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org
Staten Island Ferry | Attractions in Financial District, New York, timeout.com

Sources read in September 2026.