The Grafton ferry began 7-day-a-week, year-round service on April 10, 2026, with new hours. The city of Grafton purchased the ferry with a $1.4 million grant from the Illinois Department of Transportation. It will continue to be operated by the Calhoun Ferry Company.
Mark and Lori Howard, of Iowa, take a selfie Friday, April 10, 2026, while crossing the Mississippi River on the Grafton Ferry. The couple had stayed in Grafton on a road trip and caught the ferry as they continued their trip toward Hannibal.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
Eagle II pilot Scot Baalman pilots the Grafton Ferry across the Mississippi River on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
Eagle II pilot Scot Baalman pulls away from St. Charles County to carry two pickup trucks across the Mississippi River to Grafton on the Grafton Ferry, on Friday, April 10, 2026.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
Deck hand Paul Klunk collects a cash fee from motorist Kelly Potthoff of St. Charles to cross the Mississippi River on Friday, April 10, 2026, on the Grafton Ferry.Â
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
Deck hand Paul Klunk opens the gates for a motorist to exit the Grafton Ferry on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River on Friday, April 10, 2026.Â
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
“They should let you fish on the way,†said Reginald Bailey, of St. Charles, who waited outside his vehicle on Friday, April 10, 2026, to take in the view of the Mississippi River from the Grafton Ferry as he traveled towards Grafton to hang out there.Â
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
Peggy O’Neil, left, city manager of operations for the city of Grafton, ducks out of the scene on Friday, April 10, 2026, as Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow begins a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly reopened Grafton Ferry.Â
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow, center in green shirt with cap, leads a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, April 10, 2026, on the deck of the Grafton Ferry, to celebrate its new ownership, hours, and extended service.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
A GPS mapping system display in the pilot house of the Eagle II Grafton Ferry gives operators a real-time location of all other nearby vessels in the Mississippi River on Friday, April 10, 2026.Â
