Nantucket: Strategies: When to Go

During the summer, the population of Nantucket swells from around 10,000 to 50,000 people, and traffic can be a nightmare (bringing a car in July and August is strongly discouraged). A better time to go is the late spring and fall, particularly June, September and October. It’s wise to avoid Memorial Day weekend, when the annual Figawi sailboat race turns the island into a rowdy college party.