You can drive to Nantucket, but only if you use the Steamship Authority car ferry for the final leg of your journey. Sailing from Hyannis, Massachusetts, the ferry takes you to Nantucket Port, where you and your car can disembark onto the island. The location of Nantucket in the Nantucket Sound, some 30 miles away from the mainland, means that a bridge or tunnel to the island is unfeasible. There are currently no direct road connections from the mainland or any of the other surrounding islands.
Nantucket is an island off the east coast of the U.S. It’s situated in the Nantucket Sound, around 30 miles south of the Cape Cod peninsula. It’s also around 30 miles east of Martha’s Vineyard, an island we’ve covered in a separate blog post. The island is 87 miles from Boston and 208 miles from New York City.
Nantucket measures 14 miles in length and 3.5 miles in width, totaling 48 square miles. The island is located in the state of Massachusetts. Together with the surrounding islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, they comprise Nantucket County.
While Nantucket is close to Boston and New York, there’s no direct road connection to the island, meaning you’ll need to use at least one other transport. The options on how to get to the island are as follows:
Car – You can drive to the island by car, provided you take the Steamship Authority car ferry for the final part of your journey. The port of Hyannis, the embarkment point of the car ferry, is a 5-hour drive from New York or a 1.5-hour drive from Boston. The car ferry takes 2.5 hours to reach Nantucket.
Boat – Several high-speed ferry connections are available alongside the car ferry from Hyannis on Cape Cod. Operated by the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises, the crossing only takes an hour. There are also departures from Harwich Port, slightly further down the Cape Cod peninsula. From New York and New Jersey, you can take a Seastreak ferry, which also calls at Martha’s Vineyard. The trip from New Jersey to Nantucket takes 7.5 hours, while the New York to Nantucket leg comes in at 6 hours. The same operator also offers a departure out of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Air – Despite its small size, Nantucket does have a small airport, and it’s the second busiest airport in the entire state. It’s particularly busy during the summer when it’s serviced by eight airlines, including American, Delta, and United. While you can fly as far afield as Chicago, the vast majority of flights serve the large cities in close proximity, such as New York, Boston, and Philadelphia.
You can drive on the island if you choose to. You’ll need to hire one of the limited vehicles on the island or bring your vehicle on the car ferry from Hyannis. It’s expensive to bring your vehicle across on the ferry, and car rental isn’t cheap either. Whether you want to drive on the island is another question. The island is only 14 miles long, and the population can swell from 6,000 to 50,000 during the summer months. This can make getting around and finding parking very difficult.
Getting around the island is generally best done by using the local shuttle or by hiring a bike or a moped. If you need a car to take you somewhere, there’s a local Uber service which is pretty reliable.
Nantucket is a summer destination with long, warm summer days. The island comes alive over this period with swathes of visitors, busy restaurants, and beach parties. The fine weather and summertime vibes make it a popular destination, meaning hotel prices can rocket during the peak summer months of June, July, and August. We’d recommend visiting in the shoulder months on either side of the summer when the weather is still good, but prices are more reasonable. A visit during April and May or September and October strikes the right balance. Winters in Nantucket are cold, with regular snowfall and few visitors. Many businesses close for the winter months, giving the island a somewhat desolate feeling.
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