Woodland Ferry
Free Cable Ferry Across The Nanticoke River At The Village Of Woodland West Of Seaford, Operated By The Delaware Department Of Transportation And Part Of The Nanticoke Heritage Byway · Seaford, Delaware
The Woodland Ferry is a small, free cable ferry that carries cars, cyclists and walkers across the Nanticoke River at the village of Woodland, a few miles west of Seaford in western Sussex County. A ferry has crossed the river at this spot since the eighteenth century - the Delaware Department of Transportation dates it to the 1740s - which makes it one of the oldest ferries in continuous operation in the United States. For generations it was run by the Cannon family and known as Cannon's Ferry. Today DelDOT runs it year round: a flat-decked boat guided by cables across a few hundred feet of dark, slow tidal river, taking about three minutes and only a few cars at a time. At the landing stand a handful of old houses, including a historic house at the landing tied to the ferry's long history. It is part of the Nanticoke Heritage Byway. The ferry runs on WEEKDAYS ONLY in daytime hours, closes for lunch and on Thursday mornings, and does NOT run on weekends. It is a tiny crossing, but there is nothing else quite like it in the state.
Woodland Ferry Road, Seaford, Delaware, 19973, United States
READ THIS BEFORE YOU DRIVE HERE. As of 2026 the ferry runs on WEEKDAYS ONLY, roughly from about 7 AM to about 4 PM, and it is CLOSED ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS. It also stops for a LUNCH BREAK, roughly from 11 AM to noon, and it is CLOSED ON THURSDAY MORNINGS for routine maintenance, reopening later in the day - confirm the current schedule with DelDOT before you go, because these hours have changed over the years and can change again. It may also be closed on state holidays. The crossing is FREE, with no ticket and no toll. Service is suspended without much warning for high water, flooding, strong wind, ice, fog, mechanical problems or low staffing, so check for notices on the day. The boat carries only a few cars at a time and has size and weight limits, so large trucks, RVs and long trailers may be refused - confirm. The road access and the view of the river from the landings are open at all hours even when the ferry is not running.