Ferries / Washington State Ferries
Pt. Defiance / Tahlequah ferry schedule
The Pt. Defiance / Tahlequah route runs 38 sailings today between Point Defiance and Tahlequah. The crossing takes a duration WSF does not publish in the schedule feed. Tell us how you reach the dock and this works out which of the next sailings you can still make, and when to leave to make it.
Next sailing from Point Defiance Schedule
1:40 PM
Published Washington State Ferries timetable for 2026-08-24.
38 sailings run on this route today between Point Defiance and Tahlequah.
Tell us your drive below and we will work out when to leave to catch a sailing.
Boarding buffer 20 min, WSF advice.
Which sailing can you make?
This works forward from the time now to the next sailing you can still reach, then backward to when you should leave home.
Example. To catch the 1:40 PM sailing from Point Defiance to Tahlequah with a 25 minute drive to the dock, leave home about 12:55 PM. That reaches the tollbooth 20 minutes ahead, which is what WSF advises for a drive-up vehicle. Change the drive or direction below for your own trip.
Leave home by
Getting to the boat
Sailing at --.
Next sailings from Point Defiance
Status is worked out from the time now, your drive and the 20 minute boarding buffer. Car space, where WSF publishes it, is a snapshot from the last rebuild, not a moment-by-moment counter.
- 5:05 AM —
- 5:55 AM —
- 6:45 AM —
- 7:35 AM —
- 8:25 AM —
- 9:15 AM —
- 10:05 AM —
- 10:55 AM —
- 11:45 AM —
- 1:40 PM —
- 2:40 PM —
- 3:40 PM —
- 4:35 PM —
- 5:30 PM —
Vessels on this route
As of 12:24 PM Pacific time. Positions come from the Washington State Ferries vessel feed and are baked at the last rebuild, not a moment-by-moment tracker.
-
Chetzemoka
at the dock in Tahlequah.
Car space on the boat
Checked 12:24 PM Pacific time. Where WSF publishes per-sailing vehicle space, each departure in the list above shows the drive-up car spaces left. Reservations, where the route offers them, are separate and made through WSF.
Space — drive-up cars can still board that sailing.
Limited — nearly full; arrive early to be sure of a spot.
Vehicle-full — walk-on passengers only for that sailing.
Today's full timetable
Every scheduled sailing on 2026-08-24, both directions, from the Washington State Ferries schedule feed.
Point Defiance to Tahlequah (19 sailings)
| Departs | Vessel | Car space |
|---|---|---|
| 5:05 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 5:55 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 6:45 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 7:35 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 8:25 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 9:15 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 10:05 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 10:55 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 11:45 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 1:40 PM | Chetzemoka | 50 car spaces |
| 2:40 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 3:40 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 4:35 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 5:30 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 6:30 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 7:25 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 8:25 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 9:30 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
| 10:30 PM | Chetzemoka | 62 car spaces |
Tahlequah to Point Defiance (19 sailings)
| Departs | Vessel | Car space |
|---|---|---|
| 5:30 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 6:20 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 7:10 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 8:00 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 8:50 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 9:40 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 10:30 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 11:20 AM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 12:10 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 2:10 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 3:10 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 4:05 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 5:00 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 6:00 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 7:00 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 8:00 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 9:00 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 10:00 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
| 10:55 PM | Chetzemoka | not published |
Route facts
| Operator | Washington State Ferries (WSDOT) |
|---|---|
| Route | Pt. Defiance / Tahlequah |
| Terminals | Point Defiance, Tahlequah |
| Crossing | not published in the schedule feed |
| Sailings today | 38 |
| Boarding buffer | 20 min before the sailing (WSF advice) |
Other WSF routes
-
Anacortes / San Juan Islands 125sailings
Anacortes and Friday Harbor and Lopez Island and Orcas Island and Shaw Island
-
Edmonds / Kingston 46sailings
Edmonds and Kingston
-
Fauntleroy (West Seattle) / Southworth 52sailings
Fauntleroy and Southworth
-
Fauntleroy (West Seattle) / Vashon 62sailings
Fauntleroy and Vashon Island
-
Mukilteo / Clinton 74sailings
Clinton and Mukilteo
-
Port Townsend / Coupeville 26sailings
Coupeville and Port Townsend
Questions people ask
How early should I arrive for the Pt. Defiance / Tahlequah ferry?
Washington State Ferries advises drive-up vehicles reach the tollbooth about 20 minutes before the scheduled sailing, and more on summer weekends and holidays. The tool above adds that 20 minute buffer to your drive time and tells you when to leave home for a specific sailing.
What time is the first and last Pt. Defiance / Tahlequah sailing today?
From Point Defiance today, the first sailing is 5:05 AM and the last is 10:30 PM. The full timetable in both directions is on this page. Sailing times are the published WSF schedule for Pt. Defiance / Tahlequah; check WSF for holiday and alert changes.
Is there space for my car on the next boat?
Where WSF publishes per-sailing vehicle space, this page shows the drive-up car spaces left on each departure, checked at the last rebuild. It is a snapshot, not a moment-by-moment counter, so treat it as guidance and arrive early on a busy sailing. Reservations, where the route offers them, are made through WSF.
How long does the Pt. Defiance / Tahlequah crossing take?
WSF does not publish the crossing duration for this route in its schedule feed, so we do not state one rather than guess. The leave-by time above is unaffected either way, since it depends on when you must be at the dock, not on the sail time.
Schedule, vessel positions and terminal vehicle space: Washington State Ferries (WSDOT) API, fetched 12:24 PM Pacific time on the last rebuild. Sailing times are the published timetable for 2026-08-24; vessel and space readings are baked at build time, not a moment-by-moment counter, so this page never claims second-by-second liveness. The boarding buffer is a modelled assumption from WSF's own advice. How these numbers are made. Page rebuilt 24 August 2026.