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Scenic VTA bus ride from Vineyard Haven to Edgartown on Martha’s Vineyard. See the route, seasonal service info, and what to expect along the way.
Take a bus ride from Vineyard Haven to Edgartown, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. The Martha's Vineyard Transit Authority (VTA) runs public buses all year in the six towns of Martha's Vineyard: Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Tisbury and West Tisbury. Besides the fixed routes, it runs a paratransit service called the Lift. The fixed-route schedule changes with the seasons; the busy season usually runs from May to October, with fourteen routes across the island. This ride goes between two of the towns.
VTA public transit bus in Edgartown
A VTA bus at the Steamship terminal in Vineyard Haven, with a bike loaded on the rack folded down at the front.
The VTA (Vineyard Transit Authority) Route 13 connects Vineyard Haven and Edgartown, the two most popular towns for visitors arriving by ferry. Buses run about every 30 minutes.
The bus departs from the Steamship Authority terminal stop in Vineyard Haven, just a short walk from the Steamship ferry dock. Route 13 takes the long way round, by Beach Road: out of Vineyard Haven past the hospital, through Oak Bluffs by the ferry terminal, then along State Beach and into Edgartown. (If you want the inland road, that's Route 1 on the Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road.)
Route 13 signed for Oak Bluffs at a curbside stop, a low-floor bus with the door at the curb.
VTA buses are fare-free through June 30, 2027 under a state program. Buses have bike racks (first come, first served) and are wheelchair accessible. The first Route 13 bus leaves before 6 AM, and the latest trips run on Friday and Saturday nights only, so check the current VTA timetable for the last bus back. Winter service is reduced but still connects the main towns every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas. You don't need a reservation: wave the bus down at any marked stop, or flag the driver between stops (the VTA allows "flag stops" on most routes). It's an easy, free way to get around the island without a car.
Filmed May 2022The island moves on: shops, signs and prices may differ from what you see here. The text of this guide was checked October 2026.
The sign on board: VTA buses are free to ride, with no fares and no passes. The fare-free program runs through June 30, 2027.
Step 1 · WhenMonth PickerTwelve months compared on NOAA numbers, crowds, prices and what is open. 
Step 2 · DaysDay-by-Day Trip PlannerMorning, afternoon and evening sketched for every day, events dropped in, emailed to you. 
Step 3 · CostTrip Cost CalculatorFerry, beds with the rooms tax, meals, getting around and activities in one price range. 
Cell service on Martha's Vineyard town by town: towers down-island, no tower in Chilmark or Aquinnah and the named dead spots, what each carrier reports to the FCC, free Wi-Fi at all six libraries and on the ferry, the $10 xfinitywifi pass, prepaid plans and 911 when you have no bars.
The twelve things that catch first-timers on Martha's Vineyard, from car reservations and the two ferry terminals to resident-only beaches, the last bus from Aquinnah and cash for the Chappy Ferry, each with an easy fix, plus the fall and winter dates.
EV charging on Martha's Vineyard: about 34 public stations, nearly all Level 2, listed town by town with ports and prices (the Edgartown Park and Ride, town halls, libraries, the airport, the Aquinnah cliffs), two fast-charging ports at the VTA, the Chilmark plans, no Supercharger, the ferry's EV rules, and how to run an electric week on a 20-mile island.
Parking for the Woods Hole ferry: there is none at the terminal, so here are the three Steamship Authority lots (Palmer Avenue, Thomas B. Landers, Cataumet), the 2026 rates ($25 a day April to October, $20 otherwise), the free shuttle timed to every sailing, when to arrive, the annual and off-season permits, the drop-off rule and the cheaper Island Queen lot in Falmouth Harbor.
Every public restroom we know of on Martha's Vineyard, town by town: the two ferry terminals (open year-round), Kennebec Avenue in Oak Bluffs, Church Street in Edgartown, the Stop and Shop lot in Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury Town Hall, the Menemsha beach lot and the Aquinnah cliffs, which beaches have them (not State Beach), what is seasonal, and the fallbacks that work in winter.
Joshua Slocum, first to sail alone around the world, spent his last years farming in West Tisbury and vanished from Vineyard Haven harbor in November 1909. The voyage, the farm called Fag End, the last departure, and what a visitor can actually see: the harbor, a marker stone by a country road, the museum's Slocum papers, and the book itself.
Island tip of the day Timing No. 61 of 79 New tip at midnight, island time
Visit Edgartown on a Tuesday or Wednesday. Same beautiful town, maybe 30% of the weekend crowds. Most restaurants have availability without reservations.
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