By the end of the 19th century, the area was becoming a vacation land due to the nearby Thousand Islands.

A seasonal ferry connects the village to Point Alexandria on Wolfe Island in Ontario, Canada, 1 mile (1.6 km) from Cape Vincent across the southern channel of the St. Lawrence.

The racial makeup of the village was 98.68% White, 0.13% Black or African American, 0.13% Asian, and 1.05% from two or more races.

The privately owned Horne's Ferry, the only international ferry in the region, runs from May to October to Cape Vincent from "Horne's Point" (Point Alexandria) on Wolfe Island, Ontario, Canada, in the Thousand Islands.

Another ferry on the opposite side of Wolfe Island runs year-round free of charge and completed the crossing between Marysville and Kingston.

The Watertown-Cape Vincent branch was a vital link from the southern part of the state to the ferry terminal to Canada.

However, its importance was reduced with the company's acquisition of the Utica & Black River Railroad (with its depot in Clayton) in 1886.

From the early part of the 20th century onward, traffic decreased until the New York Central ended its passenger service to the village in March 1936, after which, Clayton, to the east, became the main launch point for rail to ferry connections.

The second and final station building, having served its original purpose for over 40 years, still stands on the waterfront; it now functions as the offices of Anchor Marina.