White’s Ferry, a historic Potomac River crossing between Montgomery County, Maryland, and Loudoun County, Virginia, has remained closed since December 28, 2020, due to an unresolved dispute over landing rights on the Virginia side of the river.
The closure followed a Loudoun County Circuit Court ruling that no public landing exists at the Virginia shoreline, preventing the ferry from legally docking there. Since then, multiple efforts by ferry owners, local governments, and the State of Maryland to resolve the dispute and restore service have failed to produce a binding agreement.
In April 2025, Montgomery County, the Town of Poolesville, and state officials described what they called a final effort to reopen the ferry, offering a $3 million financial incentive to the ferry operator, Potomac Crossing LLC, and Virginia landowner Rockland Farm LLC. The proposal required a signed agreement by July 1, 2026, along with a firm reopening date and a plan for how the funds would be used for property rights, equipment, or capital improvements. The incentive package included $1.5 million from the State of Maryland’s FY26 budget and $1.5 million from Montgomery County, with participation from Poolesville.
White’s Ferry, established in 1786, carried an estimated 600 to 800 vehicles per day before closing and served as a key regional link between Maryland and Virginia. In February 2021, Chuck and Stacy Kuhn, owners of JK Moving Services, purchased the ferry with the goal of restoring operations. Their efforts included offers to purchase the Virginia landing site, which increased to $1.25 million in 2023, as well as alternative proposals such as selling or donating the ferry operation to Montgomery County or the State of Maryland. Rockland Farm has maintained that a per-vehicle usage fee would be the most appropriate compensation for use of its land.
In 2024, the Kuhns formally offered to donate the ferry operation and Maryland landing to Montgomery County, contingent on securing access to the Virginia shoreline. While stakeholders have at times expressed optimism, no agreement has been finalized. A Montgomery County Department of Transportation study estimates that reopening the ferry could generate more than $9 million annually in savings from reduced travel time, congestion, emissions, and safety impacts. Despite the economic and historical significance of the crossing, White’s Ferry remains closed as negotiations continue without resolution.