Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The name Cape Cod, coined in 1602 by Bartholomew Gosnold, is the ninth oldest English place-name in the U.S.
Mashpee is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, on Cape Cod. The population was 15,060 as of 2020. The town is the site of the headquarters and most members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, one of two federally recognized Wampanoag groups.
Bourne is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,452 at the 2020 census.
Brewster is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod. The population of Brewster was 10,318 at the 2020 census.
Chatham is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Chatham is located at the southeastern tip of Cape Cod and has historically been a fishing community. First settled by the English in 1664, the township was originally called Monomoit based on the indigenous population's term for the region. Chatham was incorporated as a town on June 11, 1712, and has become a summer resort area. The population was 6,594 at the 2020 census and can swell to 25,000 during the summer months. There are four villages that comprise the town, those being Chatham (CDP), South Chatham, North Chatham, and West Chatham. Chatham is home to the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge and the decommissioned Monomoy Point Light, both located on Monomoy Island. A popular attraction is the Chatham Light, which is an operational lighthouse that is operated by the United States Coast Guard.
Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 32,517 at the 2020 census, making Falmouth the second-largest municipality on Cape Cod after Barnstable. The terminal for the Steamship Authority ferries to Martha's Vineyard is located in the village of Woods Hole in Falmouth. Woods Hole also contains several scientific organizations such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), the Woodwell Climate Research Center, NOAA's Woods Hole Science Aquarium, and the scientific institutions' various museums.
Sandwich is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States and is the oldest town on Cape Cod. The town motto is Post tot Naufracia Portus, "after so many shipwrecks, a haven". The population was 20,259 at the 2020 census.
Dennis is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, located near the center of Cape Cod. As of the 2020 census, the population was 14,674.
Hyannis is the largest of the seven villages in the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. It is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area at the 1990 census. Because of this, many refer to Hyannis as the "Capital of the Cape". It contains a majority of the Barnstable Town offices and two important shopping districts: the historic downtown Main Street and the Route 132 Commercial District, including Cape Cod Mall and Independence Park, headquarters of Cape Cod Potato Chips. Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis is the largest on Cape Cod.
Barnstable is the name of one of the seven villages within the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. The Village of Barnstable is located on the north side of the town, centered along "Old King's Highway", and houses the County Complex of Barnstable County, a small business district, a working harbor, and several small beaches. The village is home to many small attractions, including Sturgis Library, the Olde Colonial Courthouse, the Barnstable Comedy Club, and the Trayser Museum.
The Cape Cod Rail Trail (CCRT) is a 25.5-mile (41.0 km) paved rail trail located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The trail route passes through the towns of Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich, Brewster, Orleans, Eastham, and Wellfleet. It connects to the 6-plus mile (10 km) Old Colony Rail Trail leading to Chatham, the 2 mile Yarmouth multi-use trail, and 8 miles (13 km) of trails within Nickerson State Park. Short side trips on roads lead to national seashore beaches including Coast Guard Beach at the end of the Nauset Bike Trail in Cape Cod National Seashore. The trail is part of the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway.
West Barnstable station is a railway station in West Barnstable, Massachusetts. The train station currently serves as a weekend stop for several excursion trains operated by the Cape Cod Central Railroad. The station building, which is owned by the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, is the headquarters on the Cape Cod Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS).
Camp Edwards is a United States military training installation located in western Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It was named after Major General Clarence Edwards, commander of the 26th Division in World War I. The base is currently the home of portions of the 3rd Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment, of the Massachusetts Army National Guard.
The West Barnstable Village–Meetinghouse Way Historic District is a historic district on Meetinghouse Way from County Rd. to Meetinghouse Road in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The 175-acre (71 ha) district encompasses the historic heart of the village of West Barnstable. This is a roughly linear district, including all of the properties along Meetinghouse Way between County Road and the 1717 West Parish Meetinghouse, which is the district's most prominent building. Most of the houses in the district were built in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and are thus predominantly in Georgian, Federal, and Greek Revival styles. Later buildings include the First Selectmen's Office (1889), elementary school (1903), and railroad station (1910).
Barnstable is a town in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County. Barnstable is the largest community, both in land area and population, on Cape Cod, and is one of thirteen Massachusetts municipalities that have been granted city forms of government by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts but wish to retain "the town of" in their official names. At the 2020 census it had a population of 48,916. The town contains several villages within its boundaries. Its largest village, Hyannis, is the central business district of the county and home to Barnstable Municipal Airport, the airline hub of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Additionally, Barnstable is a 2007 winner of the All-America City Award.
Camp Perkins was a Massachusetts Army National Guard camp located in Barnstable, Massachusetts near the site of the present Cape Cod Airfield.
The CapeFlyer is a passenger rail service in Massachusetts between Boston and Cape Cod that began in 2013. It is operated by the Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority (CCRTA) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The service runs on the weekends, beginning Friday evenings and including holidays, between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend.
Scraggy Neck is a peninsula in Buzzards Bay south of the Cape Cod Canal, in Cataumet, Massachusetts, USA. It is south of Wings Neck and southeast of Bassetts Island.
Sandy Neck Beach is a barrier beach (sandstone) in the US state of Massachusetts, that stretches 6.5 miles (10.5 km) long and one half mile wide. along Cape Cod Bay, backed along its entire length by undulating dunes and a picturesque salt marsh. It is a destination for all leisure activities: summer swimming, year-round hiking, and saltwater fishing. The dunes, which reach 100 ft. hight, are a habitat for Red foxes, Deers,shorebirds and wildflowers. From four points along the coast, walking paths cross the dunes inland to a path that bypasses the salt marsh. The beach access road is halfway between Sandwich and Barnstable on MA 6A. Near the eastern end of the shoal, on the low and eastern point of Sandy Neck, at the entrance to Barnstable Harbor, stands the Sandy Neck Lighthouse(n), which is more than a 150 years old, and next to it is the six-room keeper's house. In the Nineteenth Century, Barnstable was an essential port for fishing, whaling, and coastal trade, and Sandy Neck was home to the laborers who tried to turn the port into oil drilling. On May 18, 1826, the congress authorized $3,500 for a lighthouse at the east end of Sandy Neck, at a point known as Beach Point. In a show of support, Barnstable sold a two-acre parcel of real estate for just one dollar to construct the lighthouse. On October 1, 1826, the Sandy Neck Lighthouse, which cost $2,911 then, went into service. In 1857, The current brick lighthouse 48 foot tall was built, just north of the original house. In 1887, two iron hoops and six vertical bars were placed around the central part of the "heavily cracked" tower to strengthen it and prevent further decay. These hoops and poles remained, giving the Sandy Neck Lighthouse its unique appearance. The history of the lighthouse is recorded until the 1950s. In 2003, the committee for the restoration of the Sandy Neck Lighthouse was established to restore the tower to its proper appearance, with the assistance of the Cape Cod branch of the American Lighthouse Foundation.
