How to Ride the Port City Trolley

Take a leisurely ride through Downtown Wilmington on the Port City Trolley! With service to all five downtown districts every 40 minutes, you can park once and take the Port City Trolley to explore restaurants, museums, breweries, shops, and historical places of interest.

Watch a video about places of interest on the Port City Trolley route!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the Port City Trolley go?

The Port City Trolley is an easy and convenient way to get around all 5 downtown Wilmington districts. The PCT travels to the Central Business, North Waterfront, Brooklyn Arts, Castle Street and South Front, districts, each with their own vibe and unique offerings.  Click HERE for map  of the Port City Trolley’s route.

How do I get on?

Please board the Port City Trolley at one of the 25 designated trolley stops.

How much does it cost?

There is no charge to ride the Port City Trolley, and operators are prohibited from accepting gratuities.

How do I get off the Port City Trolley?

Simply let the driver know where you’d like to get off the Port City Trolley. Disembarking at intersections is recommended.

When does Port City Trolley service run?

The Port City Trolley runs seven days a week, with the exception of the following holidays: New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Easter; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Thanksgiving; & Christmas. Service runs Monday – Friday from 7:20 am to 8:00 pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:40 am to 6:00 pm.  The frequency of the trolley is approximately every forty minutes. Trolley stop signs indicate arrival times of the PCT to that stop. Click HERE for a schedule.

What are the rules and regulations for riding the Port City Trolley?

The same regulations apply for the Port City Trolley as they do for the buses and shuttles; these include but are not limited to the following: no eating or drinking (sorry, no ice cream allowed on board the vehicle), no open containers of alcohol, no smoking or vaping, no weapons, no pets, and we limit customers to two consecutive loops of the route.

History of the Port City Trolley

In June 2018, Wave Transit concluded their five-year Short Range Transit Plan. As part of the year long study, a comprehensive analysis of the Downtown Trolley Program was conducted. The plan included an extensive public engagement component in which feedback from the community regarding the Downtown Trolley Program was secured. During this process, the Downtown Trolley Focus Group, which consists of officials and representatives from the City of Wilmington, Wilmington Downtown Inc., Downtown Business Alliance, the Arts Council, and downtown business and economic groups, was convened to oversee this component of the study.

The Short Range Transit Plan concluded with recommendations for a revised Downtown Trolley Program. In 2018, two route alignments for the Downtown Trolley were piloted to the community. Both alignments reflected coverage beyond the Central Business District to surrounding districts. Increased coverage and connectivity between the five (5) downtown districts, Central Business District, North Waterfront, Brooklyn Arts, Castle Street and South Front, was a priority as expressed by the public and the Downtown Trolley Focus Group through our planning effort. The pilot route received most favorably was launched on October 15, 2018 as the permanent Trolley route.

The Trolley had a new route, and now it needed a new name. The Wilmington community chose the name, Port City Trolley, through a community naming contest that received over 300 suggestions. Fresh branding and a logo were developed by UNCW Graphic Design students, making the Port City Trolley a truly local effort.

Click HERE for a Port City Trolley schedule.