Jaws was supposed to take place in the fictional beach town of Amity Island, New York , off the coast of Long Island. The movie itself was filmed in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

Quick breakdown

  • Story setting: Amity Island, New York.
  • Filming location: Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

So the short answer is: it takes place on Amity Island, but the real-world filming was done in Martha’s Vineyard.