Nantucket

Nantucket, Massachusetts
Town and County of Nantucket
Flag of Nantucket, Massachusetts
Official seal of Nantucket, Massachusetts
Location of Nantucket in Massachusetts
Location of Nantucket in Massachusetts
Nantucket is located in Massachusetts
Nantucket
Nantucket
Location in the United States
Nantucket is located in the United States
Nantucket
Nantucket
Nantucket (the United States)
Coordinates: 41°16′58″N 70°5′58″W / 41.28278°N 70.09944°W / 41.28278; -70.09944
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
Settled1641
Incorporated1671
Government
 • TypeOpen town meeting and consolidated town and county
Area
 • Total105.3 sq mi (272.6 km2)
 • Land47.8 sq mi (123.8 km2)
 • Water57.5 sq mi (148.8 km2)
Elevation
30 ft (9 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total14,255
 • Density308.6/sq mi (115.1/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
02554, 02564, 02584
Area code508
FIPS code25-43790
GNIS feature ID0619376
Websitewww.nantucket-ma.gov

Nantucket (/ˌnænˈtʌkɪt/) is an island about 30 miles (48 km) south from Cape Cod.[1] Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government in the state of Massachusetts. Nantucket is the southeasternmost town in both Massachusetts and the New England region.

The name "Nantucket" is adapted from similar Algonquian names for the island,[1] but is very similar to the endonym of the native Nehantucket tribe that occupied the region at the time of European settlement.[citation needed]

Nantucket is a tourist destination and summer colony. Due to tourists and seasonal residents, the population of the island increases to around 80,000 during the summer months.[2] The average sale price for a single-family home was $2.3 million in the first quarter of 2018.[3]

The National Park Service cites Nantucket, designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1966, as being the "finest surviving architectural and environmental example of a late 18th- and early 19th-century New England seaport town."[4]

Nantucket is accessible by boat, ferry, or airplane.

  1. ^ a b "Nantucket | island, Massachusetts, United States". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved September 5, 2023.
  2. ^ "How many people live on Nantucket?". nantucket-ma.gov. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  3. ^ Howley, Kathleen. "Real Estate Sales Smash Records on Nantucket as Wealthy Americans Buy Beach Houses". Forbes.
  4. ^ Staff. "Nantucket Historic District". Maritime History of Massachusetts. National Park Service. Retrieved April 8, 2013.