Now under city ownership, Grafton Ferry will stay open year-round 33%
By Will Bauer0%
4/10/2026, 1:37:48 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 19 faulty reasoning types, including Anecdotal, Self-Serving Bias, and Halo Effect, with Optimism Bias as the most egregious example at 24.7% saturation with 138 hits. Analysis detected 741 faulty-reasoning hits from 559 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 41.2% and a BS Rank of 33% (14,864 of 21,887 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 67.90% of the article peer group.
The Grafton Ferry, which transports cars between the city and St.
Charles County across the confluence of the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, reopened for the season on Friday — but city officials said it won’t shut down later this fall like it normally does.
The ferry will remain open year-round under new ownership by the city, Mayor Mike Morrow said Friday.
“This means growth for Grafton,” Morrow said.
The first day of the expanded ferry operations marks the completion of a longstanding goal of Grafton under Morrow’s leadership, who’s held office since 2021.
“The idea has been here, floating, ever since they had the ferry coming in, and people wanted it to run full time, but the economics were just not there,” he said.
Grafton purchased the ferry from the Calhoun County Ferry Co. for $878,000 earlier this year using a $1.45 million grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation.
The remaining money will cover the first two years of operation, Morrow said.
Under the deal, the ferry company will continue to operate it for 20 years.
Fares and state funding will cover future costs.
The year-round service is also coming to fruition just in time for the 100th anniversary of Route 66 when the region is expected to attract more tourists.
“Bringing people across and being able to take the scenic route, or for people that want to get over there for doctor’s appointments, it’s going to be a boon for that,” Morrow said.
Previously, the ferry had operated from mid-April to mid-November on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Now, it will also be open seven days a week with the following hours:
Monday-Thursday: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Heavy ice on the rivers or strong winds could keep the ferry from running some days, but those weather conditions don’t happen often, Morrow said.
The basic fares for passenger cars and small trucks one-way will increase from $9 to $10.
But the fares for the first 15 passengers Friday morning were waived by the city.
The initial one, Alex Polvo of Jerseyville, was a first-time ferry passenger.
With the expanded season and hours, Polvo thought he should try it out on his way to St.
Louis on a work trip.
“This is exciting for me and for the community because we’ve got more opportunities to have more business from other people,” he said.
Polvo is a kitchen manager at Grafton Oyster Bar, which sits right on the river.
He’s anticipating the year-round ferry will save him time going to and from a Sysco food warehouse.
The second rider said she was happy to learn about the year-round service.
“Oh my gosh — just the time you save,” Rebecca Livingstone said.
“It’s amazing.
You save 30 minutes at least.”
Livingstone, who lives in Grafton, described herself as a regular ferry commuter, using the service for both pleasure and for getting to and from doctor’s appointments in the St.
Charles area.
“This is great,” she said.
“Been waiting for it.”
Under the previous hours, a good weekend tallied around 400 riders, but those figures are now expected to grow, Morrow said.
“This is going to be a boon for the entire region — not just for Grafton,” he said.
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