The Canby Ferry - M.J. Lee II

Your good-natured commute since 1914

Canby Ferry is a car and walk-on ferry that transports people across the Willamette River between Canby and Wilsonville. Every day, the choice is yours: grind out the same old bumper-to-bumper commute, or sit back and relax as you float across the Willamette for a few minutes of peaceful nature.

From Wilsonville, the north side, you can get on the ferry from Southwest Mountain Road.
From Canby, the south side, you'll get on the ferry by taking North Holly Street.
The ride takes about five minutes to get across.
The ferry does not have a set schedule; ferry conductors travel on an as-needed basis.

Save with a Canby Ferry Punch Pass

Ferry Hours and Status

We're extending the hours between June 21 - September 12 to use the Canby Ferry as a way to reduce the traffic headaches on I-5 in the Canby area from the closure at Knights Bridge and lane closures to pave Arndt and Airport roads. Thank you for your patience as we work to complete these projects as quickly as possible!

Enjoy extended weekday hours from June 21 - Sept. 12:

6:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

open

The ferry is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on holidays*, when the river level is at 70 feet or higher or to accomodate special events.

*Holidays include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Call the Canby Ferry Information Line for status updates at 503-650-3030.

Fares

	Effective July 1, 2025
Motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians	$3
Punch Pass 20 crossings - Motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians	$55
1 space vehicle (car/pickup/trailer - up to 22 feet in length)	$5
2 space vehicle (car/pickup/trailer - more than 22 and less than 44 feet in length)	$10
3 space vehicle (large oversize - more than 44 feet in length	$15
6 space vehicle (large oversize - using whole ferry)	$30
Punch Pass 20 crossings (1 space vehicle)	$80

All fares are one-way. No debit or credit cards are accepted at the ferry; only cash or checks. Punch cards may be purchased online using a debit or credit card.

Subscribe to get Canby Ferry updates

Ferry History, Technical Specifications and Feasibility Study

37851

Historical Notes

July 1914	Ferry purchased in Newberg by Canby Mayor W.H. Bair and by Harry B. Evans, representing the Canby Business Men's Club. It is propelled by a splashboard driven by the river current and held on course by a cable. The first ferryman is Clem Dollar who receives $10 a month from the City of Canby.
May 1916	Canby City Council authorizes $250 for a new, gas-driven ferry.
1917	Second ferry is built by Frank E. Dodge, a Canby builder. The final cost is under budget at $238. The ferry was 44 feet long and 12 feet wide.
1917–1918	Edward Kilgallen, who lost an arm in childhood, succeeds Dollar as ferryman and the wages are reduced to $7.50 per month. He is found dead in the boathouse at the ferry slip in 1932. He had figured his trips across the river at 1,261, carrying 1,942 passengers.
1919–1920	W.B. Nolen is also paid $7.50 per month as ferryman.
1921	The third Canby Ferry goes into service, with the six-horsepower engine from the second ferry and a new propeller. It is 45 feet long and 15 feet wide.
1933	Theodore Neep serves as ferryman until 1942. He and his family live in a house on the south landing furnished by the County.
Jan. 1946	Heavy rains and a flooded river sweep the ferry from its moorings and pieces go over the Willamette Falls.
1946–1953	Inactive. Community members encourage the county to reinstate the ferry.
June 1952	Canby Chamber and Lions Club presents the Clackamas County Court with 8,000 signatures seeking restoration of ferry service.
Sept. 1952	County Commissioners approve construction of a steel-hulled ferryboat by L.S. Baier of Milwaukie.
Nov. 1952	The fourth Canby Ferry, the M.J. Lee, launches at Baier's plant and is christened by Ora Lee Cattley, daughter of Canby's first mayor, Heman A. Lee, and granddaughter of Philander and Anna Green Lee who settled in the Canby area in 1847. The ferry is named for Millard Jerome Lee, first child born (1872) in the 1870-platted town of Canby.
July 3, 1953	Ferry service restored with William H. Criteser and Bill Bruck as ferrymen. Chester Weaver named third operator.
1956–1986	Miller (Ace) Mays serves as ferry operator.
1959–1979	Victor Hodel serves as ferry operator.
1960–1978	Richard W. Hill serves as ferry operator.
1961	The ferry is featured on the cover of Sunset magazine.
1986	Free service ends and one-way toll of $1 is established.
1989	Ferry renovated and repainted. Coast Guard declares that vessel will not be recertified.
Dec. 1995	Ferry fails Coast Guard safety inspection and County contracts with Art Anderson Associates to replace it.
Feb. 1996	Ferry closed due to severe flooding on Willamette and remains closed during rebuilding of ferry docks.
June 20, 1997	Service is restored with new six-vehicle ferry built at Diversified Marine in Portland. The ferry crew includes Joe Dietrich, John Lettenmaier, Carl Ellison, Jack Siefert, Mike Pyszka and Bret Proffitt.
July 4, 1997	Clackamas County Commissioners and the Canby community celebrate the reopening. The M.J. Lee II is christened by Doris Cattley Martin, descendent of M.J. Lee. Fares increased to help cover operating costs.
Jan.-July 2013	Fares increased to help cover operating costs. Ferry taken through Willamette Falls Locks to be refitted with a new propulsion system in Portland and returned. The previously-closed Locks are re-opened under special arrangement to allow the ferry to pass through in January and July.
Sept. 17, 2014	State, regional and local officials, and the community, celebrate the Canby Ferry's 100th anniversary with speeches, ferry rides, fun facts, music and the unveiling of a commemorative plaque. Descendants of M.J. Lee attend the ceremony.

From information provided by Myra Weston, Canby historian.

37851

Technical specifications

The M/V MJ Lee II is a steel-hulled, double-ended, passenger/car ferry. The principal characteristics of the vessel are as follows:

Length overall: 84 feet (including ramps)
Length at waterline: 53 feet, 2 inches
Beam overall: 36 feet
Depth of hull (molded): 4 feet, 9 inches
Draft: 3.11 feet (design waterline, shell bottom, approx.)
Displacement: 90.5 long tons (design waterline)
Gross tonnage: 54 GRT
Propulsion: Two 75 HP electric gear set Harbormaster Z-drives
Service speed: 6.4 mph
Passenger capacity: 43 (including crew)
Vehicle capacity: 6 autos or 25 tons
Transportation Wt: 160,000 lbs (80 short tons)
The first M.J. Lee carried passengers and vehicles for 43 years, from 1953 to 1996.
The M.J. Lee II went into service in 1997.

37851

Canby Ferry Alternatives Feasibility Study

The Board of County Commissioners received the final report of the Canby Ferry Alternatives Feasibility Study on March 12, 2019. The Board also asked staff to continue to work on reducing ferry costs and increasing revenue and report back in six months.

37851

The Canby Ferry - M.J. Lee II

Your good-natured commute since 1914

Ferry Hours and Status

Fares

Subscribe to get Canby Ferry updates

Ferry History, Technical Specifications and Feasibility Study

Historical Notes

Technical specifications

Canby Ferry Alternatives Feasibility Study

Related News

SHORTCUTS

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Can’t find what you're looking for?

Related News
Transportation and Development, Transportation Engineering, Transportation Maintenance, Parks, Building Codes, Dog Services, Code Enforcement, Library, Planning and Zoning, Septic and Onsite Wastewater Systems, County Surveyor's Office, Development Services, Development Engineering Jun 03 Department of Transportation & Development Announces Changes to Fees and Fines
Transportation Maintenance Jun 03 River Mill Elementary Career Fair