OCRACOKE, N.C. (WITN) – A popular summer passenger ferry route between Ocracoke and Cape Hatteras has been extended through September.

Due to popular demand, the N.C. Department of Transportation says that the Ocracoke Express passenger ferry will continue running on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through September.

The department said that the service was previously slated to end for the season on Labor Day.

According to NCDOT, the Ocracoke Express will continue to operate its current schedule from September 5-28 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, which are the busiest days for ridership. The schedule each day is:

• From Hatteras: 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
• From Ocracoke: 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

NCDOT said that The Ocracoke Express is now in its fifth season. The department says the ferry route whisks people on a 70-minute trip between Hatteras and Silver Lake Harbor in Ocracoke Village, where a free tram operated by Hyde County is available to carry them around the village to shops, restaurants, accommodations, and attractions.

According to NCDOT, the passenger-only ferry allows visitors to make reservations and avoid the lines typically found on vehicle ferry routes, giving people more time to enjoy Ocracoke.

The department says that more than 75,000 people have ridden the Ocracoke Express over its previous four seasons with surveys about the service having been overwhelmingly positive, with a vast majority of responses labeling the Ocracoke Express service as either ‘excellent’ or ‘good.’

Advance reservations for the Ocracoke Express are available online at www.ncferry.org or on the phone at 1-800-BY-FERRY.