Towns
Aquinnah
Chilmark
Edgartown
Oak Bluffs
Vineyard Haven
West Tisbury
Here's what you need to know:
The Island of Martha’s Vineyard is just 7 miles off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. On less than 100 square miles, you’ll find 6 adorable small towns, each with their own highlights and distinctive personality.
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Locals commonly refer to “up-Island” and “down-Island”. Technically it’s a longitude/latitude thing, but basically when you hear “up-Island” it means the western, more rural towns of West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah.
“Down-Island” refers to the busy port towns of Tisbury (Vineyard Haven), Oak Bluffs and Edgartown.
If you look at a map, down-Island looks like it should be up-Island, but now we’re back to that longitude/latitude thing.
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There are villages within the towns. Sometimes this is confusing. Like when you take a ferry to the village of Vineyard Haven, but your GPS or map tries to tell you you’re in Tisbury. And they’re both right.
![aquinnah-sign aquinnah-sign](https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/777/2022/08/aquinnah-sign-717edef7-8a29-4b02-83e3-202cc9e0e1e6.png)
Aquinnah, (pronounced ah-KWIN-ah and means “land under the hill”) located on the far western side of the Island, was known as Gay Head until 1997, when the Wampanoag (pronounced wam-pa-NO-og) Tribe of Aquinnah petitioned to have the name officially changed. You’ll often hear references to the Gay Head Cliffs and lighthouse, which are both in the town of Aquinnah.
![webp-net-resizeimage-2_2 webp-net-resizeimage-2_2](https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/777/2022/08/webp-net-resizeimage-2_2-659fb080-5a4d-440b-bdab-a3891668a9aa.png)
Chilmark has a quaint, authentic fishing village called Menemsha (pronounced men-EM-sha). A must see for all Jaws fans!
![welcome-to-edgartown-sign-p-simon welcome-to-edgartown-sign-p-simon](https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/777/2022/08/welcome-to-edgartown-sign-p-simon-ff09eae0-3d33-44a2-b477-58e4b8c81022.jpg)
Edgartown includes Katama (pronounced ka-TAY-ma) and Chappaquiddick. There’s one ferry service that travels from Falmouth on Cape Cod to to Edgartown from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
![ob2_1 ob2_1](https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/777/2022/08/ob2_1-a24dbc30-5287-4ca6-b74c-7c4b42d2ca8a.jpg)
Oak Bluffs was originally known as Cottage City. Ferries arrive mid-May through mid-October from Woods Hole, Falmouth, Hyannis and New Bedford in Massachusetts, Quonset Point in Rhode Island and New York City and Northern New Jersey.
![welcome-to-tisbury_1 welcome-to-tisbury_1](https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/777/2022/08/welcome-to-tisbury_1-30d7e087-cf54-408c-864d-adf819ba7e73.jpg)
Tisbury has a beautiful harbor village called Vineyard Haven. Every day of the year ferries come and go from Wood Hole on Cape Cod to Vineyard Haven.
![West Tisbury West Tisbury](https://growthzonecmsprodeastus.azureedge.net/sites/777/2022/08/West-Tisbury-5cb3845a-9bf7-4a19-83e5-f69a61fc41d8.png)
West Tisbury is the agricultural heartland of the Vineyard. It is home to both the Agricultural & Grange Halls, the historic Alley's General Store and the enchanting sculptures of the Field Gallery.