The loading and the unloading is what takes so long. But you could spend the whole day visiting the island. The boat rides only like 15 minutes.
45mnts to 1hrs round trip depends on you how you want to stay in the Island. I don't know if this answer your question.
We spent 2 hours from the time the ferry left until we docked on Manhattan again. My group rushed and I'm glad I'd previously visited and spent between 4-5 hours. If you just want a few quick pics and then run to the next, 2 is good if you rush. Go with 4+ if you enjoy history.
Expect to spend 3 to 4 hrs round trip, but Ellis Island has lots to explore so more the time you spend better for you.
Solid 4 hrs.
It's almost 2 hours for both the islands
The ferry ride without getting off is an hour, but you can get off and spend the time you want at both Ellis and Liberty. We were out for 2 hours and did a lot on both islands.
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