Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard (Wampanoag: ; often simply called The Vineyard) is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts that is known for being an affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the smaller Chappaquiddick Island, which is usually connected to the Vineyard, though storms and hurricanes have separated them, as in 2007. It is the 58th largest island in the United States, with a land area of , and the third-largest on the East Coast of the United States, after Long Island and Mount Desert Island. Martha's Vineyard constitutes the bulk of Dukes County, Massachusetts, which also includes
Martha's Vineyard the Elizabeth Islands and the island of Nomans Land. The Vineyard was home to one of the earliest known deaf communities in the United States; consequently, a special sign language, Martha's Vineyard Sign Language, was developed on the island. The 2010 census reported a year-round population of 16,535 residents, although the summer population can swell to more than 100,000 people. About 56 percent of the Vineyard's 14,621 homes are seasonally occupied. Martha's Vineyard is primarily known as a summer colony, and it is only accessible by boat and air. However, its year-round population has considerably increased since the 1960s. The