Published November 5, 2026
NEWPORT BEACH | GO DO STUFF | NOVEMBER 5, 2026
Balboa Island is a short ferry ride from the Fun Zone, but the crossing feels like a tiny vacation with almost no planning required. You roll up, wait your turn, and watch Newport Harbor slide past for a few minutes. No bridge route, no navigation app yelling at you to make a U-turn in someone’s driveway.
The Balboa Island Ferry has been running between the island and the peninsula since 1919. It carries people on foot, bicycles, and vehicles, linking the south end of Balboa Island with the landing beside the Fun Zone. The operator’s posted schedule is 6:30 a.m. to midnight, every day of the year.
For a simple outing, leave the car on one side, walk aboard, and spend the day on the other. The Fun Zone, the Pavilion, bayfront paths, and Marine Avenue are all close enough to make a low-key loop. If you’re bringing a bike, the crossing works for cyclists too. Just follow the crew’s instructions; they have loaded more vehicles onto that small deck than most of us have loaded groceries into a trunk.
The ferry is also a handy way to get to a Boat Parade viewing spot. It runs back and forth across the harbor, and the shoreline around the landing offers a close-up look at the boats. Expect a wait when parade crowds arrive, and check the operator’s current fares and boarding setup before you go.
Whether you’re heading to the island for a frozen banana or crossing back to the peninsula for the Ferris wheel, this is one of Newport’s easiest local rides. The harbor has a lot of ways to get around. This one has been doing the same short trip for more than a century.
Sources: Balboa Island Ferry official site · Visit Newport Beach ferry guide · Balboa Fun Zone history
Featured photo: David Eppstein / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5.
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