Boats in Boston Harbor: the water taxi and the MBTA ferries to Hingham and Hull
Boston's on-demand water taxi and the MBTA's Hingham and Hull ferries to Rowes Wharf and Long Wharf: journey times as the operators state them or as their own timetables show, and when we last checked.
Photo: Chris Wood (User:chris_j_wood), CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped (Wikimedia Commons)
Boston Harbor has two everyday kinds of boat: an on-demand water taxi between stops around the harbour, including the airport, and the MBTA's commuter ferries from the South Shore towns of Hingham and Hull into downtown. Each card says where the time comes from and when we last checked. The route data was first gathered by our ferry research and re-checked against the operators' pages on 25 October 2026.
How it works
The water taxi does not run to a timetable: you book a time or call for a pick-up, and its hours change with the season (8am to 8pm from May to October, 8am to 5pm from November to April, its FAQ says).
The MBTA ferries are public transport with weekday and weekend timetables; there are no inbound Hingham trips on some days, so check the date you travel.
Rowes Wharf and Long Wharf are neighbouring downtown piers, a few minutes' walk apart, close to the Financial District and the North End.
The MBTA journey times below are worked out from its own timetable for Monday 26 October 2026; a different day or season can differ.
Ferries
Stops around Boston Harbor, including Rowes Wharf and Logan Airport → Any other stop on the route
Operators: Boston Water Taxi
Journey time: Its FAQ says that once you have boarded the ride is between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on your destination, and recommends allowing up to 45 minutes for airport trips including the shuttle.
When it runs: On demand rather than scheduled: book online or call for a pick-up (20 to 30 minutes' notice requested); 8am to 8pm from 1 May to 31 October, 8am to 5pm from 1 November to 30 April.
Journey time: The MBTA's inbound timetable for Monday 26 October 2026 shows 30 to 40 minutes: for example 6:00 AM from Hingham arriving at Rowes Wharf at 6:30 AM, and 6:50 AM arriving at 7:30 AM.
When it runs: Weekday schedule; the MBTA publishes separate weekday and weekend PDFs.
Hingham (Hewitts Cove), via Hull (Pemberton Point) → Long Wharf (North), Gate 5A
Operators: MBTA (Hingham/Hull Ferry)
Journey time: The same timetable shows about 20 minutes from Hingham to Hull and about 45 minutes from Hingham to Long Wharf: for example 5:40 AM from Hingham, 6:00 AM at Hull, 6:25 AM at Long Wharf.
When it runs: Some trips on this route also call at the Logan Airport ferry terminal; check the trip you choose.
Timetables and journey times change by season and operator, and a ticket is not a guaranteed seat. Every card says when we last checked and links the page we read; confirm on the operator's own page before you plan around a departure. We list operators' own pages and do not earn commission on these links.
