Dukes County Government

Edgartown Harbor · Wikimedia

Aquinnah Cliffs · Wikimedia

Oak Bluffs Gingerbread Cottages · Wikimedia
DID YOU KNOW
Martha’s Vineyard was named by English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold in 1602 — the wild grapes growing on the island inspired the name.

🏚 Dukes County Government

Dukes County encompasses the six towns of Martha’s Vineyard — Tisbury, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah — plus the tiny Elizabeth Islands (part of the Town of Gosnold). It is one of the smallest counties in Massachusetts by population but one of the most distinctive in governance and character.

How Dukes County Works

Unlike Barnstable County (which has an elected Board of Regional Commissioners), Dukes County operates through a County Commission of three elected members. The commission manages county-owned buildings, the airport, and shared regional services.

Key county-level functions include:

  • Dukes County Registry of Deeds — land records for all island towns
  • Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) — regional planning and regulatory body created by the state legislature in 1974, reviews Developments of Regional Impact (DRIs)
  • Martha’s Vineyard Airport (MVY) — county-owned, managed by the Airport Commission
  • Dukes County Sheriff’s Office — law enforcement and corrections
  • Superior Court / District Court — Edgartown courthouse

Each of the six towns maintains its own Open Town Meeting government with elected Select Boards. The Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) — federally recognized since 1987 — has sovereign jurisdiction over tribal lands in Aquinnah.

🌎 Quick Facts

Population: ~20,600 (year-round); triples in summer
Towns: 6 (Tisbury, Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, West Tisbury, Chilmark, Aquinnah) + Gosnold
County seat: Edgartown
Area: ~103 sq mi (land)
Created: 1695 (from old Nantucket County)