Nantucket Island
The name is derived from the Indian Word "Natockete" which means the faraway land. The Wampanoags also referred to the island as Canopache, or place of peace.
Nantucket is located 30 miles out to sea off of the coast of Massachusetts. The island is roughly 14 miles long by 3 1/2 miles wide. There are 100 square miles of moors, plains, cranberry bogs, fresh water ponds and white sandy beaches. The beaches and the conservation land on Nantucket are, for the most part, open to the public to use with respect.
The Town of Nantucket is home to more than 800 pre-Civil War homes. Each house has a story, and the architecture ranges from Quaker simplicity to strikingly ornate. This remarkable concentration of homes sets the tone for the special character of the downtown area.
There are a number of outlying villages and hamlets, from Madaket on the western end of the island, to Siasconset at the easternmost end. Each is unique and offers residents and visitors a variety of different experiences.
