The design of the Super class was done in Seattle by W.C. Nickum and Sons, a naval architectural firm, and Washington State Ferries.

Once the design was complete, a low bid was accepted by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego, California, which constructed all four vessels over a period of two years.

The Super class was to designed to accommodate the rapidly expanding population growth in Puget Sound, especially in the Bremerton and Bainbridge Island areas.

Each vessel was rated with a 20-knot (37 km/h; 23 mph) top speed, which was relatively unheard of in large ferries at the time.

The Super class was displaced on the Seattle–Bainbridge route less than five years later by the even larger Jumbo-class ferries.