Tisbury is a town located on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States.

The town has long thrived on the sea, and is now the home of the main ferry docks for the island.

The island's first and primary ferry line is the Steamship Authority, which runs to and from Woods Hole, New Bedford, and Nantucket (in the summer months from the Oak Bluffs terminal), all in Massachusetts.

There are several other private ferry lines that serve Martha's Vineyard as well, with terminals in the towns of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown.

To get an idea of the embarkation in summer of passengers, tourists primarily, and goods, see the early scene in the movie Jaws which shows the debarkation on "Amity Island" of a typical boatload in summer at the Vineyard Haven Steamship Authority facility from the steamship Naushon.

At the time of the filming of Jaws in 1975 this was the largest of the ferries, running only in the summer months for its high passenger capacity.

Residents of Tisbury have included Art Buchwald, William Styron, Mike Wallace, Lillian Hellman, Carly Simon, Thornton Wilder, Dashiell Hammett, Katharine Cornell, and Diane Sawyer.

Localities of the town include Vineyard Haven, Makonikey, Pilot Hill, West Chop, and Lambert's Cove.

Most of central Tisbury is low-lying and near sea level, with elevations rising to 150 feet (46 m) in places.

A large percentage of the white population is of Portuguese descent, and a great number of "Native Islanders" (born on the island) within the community are of mixed ethnicity such as Portuguese, Native American (Wampanoag Indian), and African American families who have been there for generations, primarily tied to maritime ventures of fishing, whaling, and the fitting out of whaleships.

On the national level, Tisbury is a part of Massachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented by Bill Keating.

[10] All of Dukes County is patrolled by the Fifth (Oak Bluffs) Barracks of Troop D of the Massachusetts State Police.

The town has its own police and fire departments, both located within Vineyard Haven, just blocks from the steamship authority piers.

For a number of years, to encourage dining there, the town and its eating establishments practiced a policy of "BYOB."

Tisbury is also the home of the Vineyard Montessori School, which serves students from pre-kindergarten through third grade.