In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · United States
Anacortes
Anacortes, Washington
Give Anacortes 1–2 nights as the San Juan Islands ferry base; skip it as a sightseeing town unless you hike Mount Erie or Deception Pass.
Anacortes sits on Fidalgo Island in northwest Washington and is the mainland terminal for Washington State Ferries to the San Juan Islands. The town itself is small: a walkable Old Town on Commercial Avenue, a working harbour, two free museums and a network of forest trails. Most travellers use it for one night before an early ferry, or as a base for Deception Pass and Mount Erie.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Anacortes, Washington
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (wet, grey, many seasonal businesses closed)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $150–240 excl. bed · High $260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $3–6 |
| Breakfast or lunch in a café | $12–22 |
| Sit-down dinner, main course | $18–35 |
| Draught beer at a brewery | $7–9 |
| W.T. Preston sternwheel steamboat entry | $5 |
| Museum entry (Anacortes Museum, Maritime Heritage Center) | Free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OTS · Anacortes Airport
- Small propeller flights to the San Juan Islands and general aviation; between town and the ferry terminal.
- BLI · Bellingham International
- Nearest airport with out-of-state flights; about 1 h by car.
- SEA · Seattle–Tacoma International
- Nearest major international gateway; about 1 h 45 min–2 h by car, or a shuttle to the ferry terminal.
Typical fares
- Ferry, walk-on Anacortes → Friday Harbor
- about $15 one way (check)
- Ferry, car and driver, return
- about $100 (check)
- Skagit Transit route 410, ferry terminal → March's Point
- local fare, exact change (check)
Get around
Downtown is walkable, but the ferry terminal is 3 mi west and the trailheads are further out, so a car is the practical choice. Skagit Transit route 409 loops through town, and route 410 links the ferry terminal with March's Point Park & Ride, where you transfer for Mount Vernon, Burlington and Bellingham. Buses do not run at night.
See and do
Known for
- San Juan Islands ferry terminal
- Deception Pass State Park
- Mount Erie and the Community Forest Lands
- Cap Sante Marina and working harbour
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Deception Pass State Park | WA-20 north over the Deception Pass Bridge, about 20 min by car | About 30 min |
| San Juan Islands (Friday Harbor) | Washington State Ferries from the Anacortes terminal | 1.5–2 h |
| La Conner | WA-20 east and the Rainbow Bridge, about 25 min by car | About 40 min |
| Whidbey Island (Oak Harbor, Coupeville) | WA-20 north over Deception Pass, or Island Transit route 411W to March's Point | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Old Town / Commercial Avenue
- Walkable main street north of 12th Street with cafés, shops and the historic inns; best for one or two nights without a car.
- Ferry terminal area (Ferry Terminal Rd)
- Practical for early sailings; 3 mi west of downtown, little within walking distance.
- Swinomish / Highway 20 corridor
- Casino lodge and motels with parking; car needed for everything.
Language
English everywhere, with strong regional accents; Spanish is the second language in the Southwest, Texas, Florida, California and New York. Some words differ from British English: restroom (toilet), check (bill), gas (petrol), trunk (boot), first floor (ground floor).
- Measurements are imperial: miles, Fahrenheit, gallons, pounds. 100 km ≈ 62 miles; 30 °C ≈ 86 °F.
- Small talk with strangers is normal and friendly; it is not a sales tactic.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Ferry vehicle space sells out on summer weekends: reserve ahead or arrive as a walk-on.
- The Sidney (BC) route is suspended and not expected back before 2030.
- Boaters arriving from Canada must clear customs at a designated dock before any other stop; fines for skipping it run high.
- Cell coverage and fuel are thin on the outer islands; fill up and download maps before you sail.
Anacortes is a low-crime small city; the real hazards are cold water, fast tides and winter storms on the water, plus deer on the roads at dusk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Anacortes yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- San Juan Islands ferry terminal
- Deception Pass State Park
- Mount Erie and the Community Forest Lands
- Cap Sante Marina and working harbour
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- City of Anacortes: cityofanacortes.org
- Washington State Ferries: wsdot.wa.gov/travel/washington-state-ferries
- Port of Anacortes — airport: www.portofanacortes.com/airport/
- Skagit Transit: www.skagittransit.org/
- Wikivoyage: Anacortes, revision 5297691 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5297691
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
AnacortesAnacortes, Washington
2100 Ferry Terminal Rd, Anacortes, WA
To the ferry terminal, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No consulates in Anacortes; nearest are in Seattle.
Walk-on passengers should be at the terminal at least 30 min before sailing; vehicles with reservations about 60 min.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/anacortes). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.