Martha's Vineyard Island (Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts)

Martha's Vineyard Island is located south of Cape Cod (Massachusetts USA) and is a flourishing summer leisure travel and vacation destination. It also includes the smaller Chappaquiddick Island. Both are usually connected, though hurricanes often separate them. Martha's Vineyard Island has total area of approx 227 km2 (88 mi2) and permanent population around 16,000, increasing up to 100,00 during peak summer tourism season. Island's ferry port is Oak Bluffs.

Cruise ships to Martha's Vineyard Island dock (anchor) at Oak Bluffs - port town on the northeastern coast. Aka "The Vineyard island", Martha's Vineyard is ranked USA's 58th largest and East Coast USA's 3rd largest (after Long Island and Mount Desert Island). The island was home to one of USA's earliest deaf communities.

Over 1/2 of island's homes are seasonally occupied. Studies show that the cost of living on the island is 60% higher than USA's average, house prices are 96% higher, the weekly wage is 71% of state's average, median home price is 54% above state's and median rent exceeds state's by 17%".

The island is accessible only by air or sea (ships and charter boats). The Dukes County-owned Martha's Vineyard Airport serves regular domestic flights (to NYC, Washington, Boston, Nantucket, New Bedford) and seasonal flights (to Hyannis, White Plains, Teterboro). Ferries to Oak Bluffs are operated by the companies Seastreak (fast catamarans between Martha's Vineyard and New Bedford MA), "Freedom Cruise Line" (departures from Saquatucket Harbor, Harwich MA) and "Hy-Line Cruises" (high-speed catamarans / cruiseferries departing from Hyannis MA to Nantucket Island year-round and to Martha's Vineyard Island seasonally).