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Cape Cod

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Cape Cod



 
 
Cape Cod, often referred to as simply the Cape, is a peninsula in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
, in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States

The Northeast is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
. It is also considered the second most eastern part of the United States, second only to Arcadia National Park in Maine. It is coextensive with Barnstable County
Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands. As of 2000, the population was 222,230....
. Several smaller islands off Cape Cod, including Monomoy Island
Monomoy Island

Monomoy Island is an 8 mile long spit of sand extending southwest from Chatham, Massachusetts, Cape Cod off the Massachusetts mainland....
, Monomoscoy Island, Popponesset Island, and Seconsett Island, are also in Barnstable County, being part of municipalities with land on the Cape.

The Cape's small-town character and large beachfront attract heavy tourism
Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from...
 during the summer months.






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Cape Cod, often referred to as simply the Cape, is a peninsula in the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a U.S. state located in the New England region of the Northeastern United States United States. It borders Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north....
, in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States

The Northeast is a region of the United States. According to the definition used by the United States Census Bureau, the Northeast region consists of nine states: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania....
. It is also considered the second most eastern part of the United States, second only to Arcadia National Park in Maine. It is coextensive with Barnstable County
Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands. As of 2000, the population was 222,230....
. Several smaller islands off Cape Cod, including Monomoy Island
Monomoy Island

Monomoy Island is an 8 mile long spit of sand extending southwest from Chatham, Massachusetts, Cape Cod off the Massachusetts mainland....
, Monomoscoy Island, Popponesset Island, and Seconsett Island, are also in Barnstable County, being part of municipalities with land on the Cape.

The Cape's small-town character and large beachfront attract heavy tourism
Tourism

Tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from...
 during the summer months. It was formed as the terminal moraine
Terminal moraine

A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a moraine that forms at the end of the glacier called the snout.Terminal moraines mark the maximum advance of the glacier....
 of a glacier, resulting in a peninsula
Peninsula

A peninsula is a piece of Landform that is nearly surrounded by water but connected to mainland via an isthmus. Word origin: Latin paeninsula : paene, almost + insula, island....
 in the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres . It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface....
.

In 1914, the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal

The Cape Cod Canal is a man-made waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south....
 was cut through the base or isthmus
Isthmus

File:The Spit Bruny Island.jpg File:IsthmusOfPanama.pngAn isthmus is a narrow strip of land connecting two larger land areas. Of note, the Isthmus of Panama connects the continents of North America and South America , and the Isthmus of Suez in Egypt connects Africa and Asia ....
 of the peninsula, artificially making the biggest part of the Cape an island. Although, as the canal was man made, many still consider it actually a peninsula. Road vehicles from the mainland
Mainland

Mainland is usually the continental part of a region, as opposed to the islands nearby. Sometimes the residents are called "the Mainlanders". As a result of the usually larger area of mainland, there are significantly more mainlanders than islanders, and mainlander culture and politics sometimes threaten to dominate those of the islands....
 cross over the Cape Cod Canal via the Sagamore Bridge
Sagamore Bridge

The Sagamore Bridge in Sagamore, Massachusetts carries U.S. Route 6 across the Cape Cod Canal, connecting Cape Cod with the rest of Massachusetts, United States....
 and the Bourne Bridge
Bourne Bridge

The Bourne Bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts carries Massachusetts Route 28 across the Cape Cod Canal, connecting Cape Cod with the rest of Massachusetts, United States....
. The Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge
Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge

The Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, a vertical lift bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts near Buzzards Bay , carries railroad traffic across the Cape Cod Canal, connecting Cape Cod with the rest of Massachusetts, United States....
 carries railway freight as well as passenger service.

Two bridges, the Bourne Bridge and the Sagamore Bridge, are what attach the mainland side of the Cape to the rest of Cape Cod. The two bridges are parallel, with the Bourne one being slightly more north.

Geographic and political divisions


Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod incorporates all of Barnstable County
Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands. As of 2000, the population was 222,230....
, which is comprised of 15 towns: Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Dennis, Brewster, Harwich, Orleans, Eastham, Chatham, Welfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. Two of the county's fifteen towns (Bourne and Sandwich) include land on the mainland side of the Cape Cod Canal. The towns of Plymouth and Wareham
Wareham, Massachusetts

Wareham is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 20,335.For geographic and demographic information about specific parts of the town of Wareham, please see the articles about Onset, Massachusetts, Wareham Center, Massachusetts, West Wareham, Massachusetts, and Weweantic,...
, in adjacent Plymouth County
Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Plymouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2000, the population was 472,822. Its county seats are Plymouth, Massachusetts and Brockton, Massachusetts....
, are sometimes considered to be part of Cape Cod but are not located on the peninsula. Some "Cape Codders" (residents of Cape Cod) incorrectly refer to all land on the mainland side of the canal as "off-Cape." The border of Cape Cod was established in the 17th century, and is evident on all maps and marine charts that were published before the Cape Cod Canal existed. The complete towns of Bourne and Sandwich incorporate the full perimeter of Cape Cod, although small parts of these towns are located on the mainland side.

Cape Cod consists of four portions:

  • The Upper Cape is the section of Cape Cod closest to the mainland and this portion of the Cape includes the towns of Bourne
    Bourne, Massachusetts

    Bourne is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Massachusetts, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, Monument Beach, Massachusetts, Pocass...
    , Sandwich
    Sandwich, Massachusetts

    Sandwich is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,136 at the 2000 census. The Town Hall is located right next to the historic land Mill, in the historic center of town....
    , Falmouth
    Falmouth, Massachusetts

    Falmouth is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod....
    , and Mashpee
    Mashpee, Massachusetts

    Mashpee is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,946 at the 2000 census....
    . While part of the town of Barnstable is located on the Upper Cape, it is more commonly considered to be in the Mid-Cape area. Falmouth is the home of the famous Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
    Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

    The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, nonprofit research and higher education facility dedicated to the study of all aspects of marine science and engineering and to the education of marine researchers....
     and several other research organizations, and is also the most-used ferry connection to Martha's Vineyard
    Martha's Vineyard

    Martha's Vineyard is an island off the United States east coast, to the south of Cape Cod, both forming a part of the Outer Lands region. It is often called just "the Vineyard"....
    . Falmouth is composed of several separate villages, including East Falmouth
    East Falmouth, Massachusetts

    East Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth , Massachusetts in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
    , Falmouth Village, Hatchville, North Falmouth
    North Falmouth, Massachusetts

    North Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth , Massachusetts in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
    , Teaticket
    Teaticket, Massachusetts

    Teaticket is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth , Massachusetts in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
    , Waquoit, West Falmouth
    West Falmouth, Massachusetts

    West Falmouth is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth , Massachusetts in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
    , and Woods Hole
    Woods Hole, Massachusetts

    Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth , Massachusetts in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
    , as well as several smaller hamlets that are incorporated into their larger neighbors (e.g., Davisville, Falmouth Heights, Quissett, Sippewissett, and others).


  • The Mid-Cape includes the towns of Barnstable
    Barnstable, Massachusetts

    Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County, Massachusetts....
    , Yarmouth
    Yarmouth, Massachusetts

    Yarmouth is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod....
     and Dennis
    Dennis, Massachusetts

    Dennis is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 15,973 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Dennis, please see the articles on Dennis , Massachusetts, Dennis Port, Massachusetts, East Dennis, Massachusetts, South Denn...
    . The Mid-Cape area features many beautiful beaches, including warm-water beaches along Nantucket Sound
    Nantucket Sound

    Nantucket Sound is a roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is long and wide, and is enclosed by Cape Cod on the north, Nantucket on the south, and Martha's Vineyard on the west....
    , e.g. Kalmus Beach in Hyannis, which gets its name from one of the inventors of Technicolor
    Technicolor

    Technicolor is the trademark for a series of Color film processes pioneered by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation , now a division of Thomson SA....
    , Herbert Kalmus. This popular windsurfing
    Windsurfing

    Windsurfing, or sailboarding, is a Surface Water Sports using a windsurf board, also commonly called a sailboard, usually two to five meters long and powered by the wind pushing on a sail....
     destination was bequeathed to the town of Barnstable by Dr. Kalmus on condition that it not be developed, possibly one of the first instances of open-space preservation in the US. The Mid-Cape is also the commercial and industrial center of the region. There are seven villages in Barnstable, including Barnstable Village
    Barnstable (village), Massachusetts

    Barnstable is the name of one of the seven villages within the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts. 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, Massachusetts, a small business district, a working harbor, and several small beaches....
    , Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis
    Hyannis, Massachusetts

    Hyannis is the largest of seven villages in the city of Barnstable, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. Also it is the commercial and transportation hub of Cape Cod and was designated an urban area as a result of the 1990 census....
    , Marstons Mills
    Marstons Mills, Massachusetts

    Marstons Mills is a village in the city of Barnstable, Massachusetts. It was founded by the Marston Family in 1648. They built grist mills along the Marstons Mills River, hence the name of the village....
    , Osterville
    Osterville, Massachusetts

    Osterville is one of the seven villages within the Town of Barnstable, Massachusetts. The village of Osterville is located on the south side of Barnstable on Nantucket Sound....
    , and West Barnstable
    West Barnstable, Massachusetts

    West Barnstable is a village or section in the northwest part of the mid-Cape Cod city of Barnstable, Massachusetts. Once devoted to agricultural pursuits, West Barnstable now is largely residential....
    , as well as several smaller hamlets that are incorporated into their larger neighbors (e.g., Craigville, Cummaquid, Hyannisport, Santuit, Wianno, and others). There are three villages in Yarmouth: South Yarmouth, West Yarmouth and Yarmouthport.
Lighthouse Chatham
  • The Lower Cape is the narrower portion of the cape, where it bends sharply to the north. This section includes the towns of Harwich
    Harwich, Massachusetts

    Harwich is a New England town on Cape Cod, in Barnstable County, Massachusetts in the state of Massachusetts in the United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod....
    , Brewster
    Brewster, Massachusetts

    Brewster is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod....
    , Chatham
    Chatham, Massachusetts

    Chatham is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod....
    , and Orleans
    Orleans, Massachusetts

    Orleans is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod....
    .


  • The Outer Cape is the outermost part, containing the towns of Eastham
    Eastham, Massachusetts

    Eastham is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod....
    , Wellfleet
    Wellfleet, Massachusetts

    Wellfleet is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Located halfway between the "tip" and "elbow" of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the town had a population of 2,749 at the United States Census, 2000, which swells nearly sixfold during the summer....
    , Truro
    Truro, Massachusetts

    Truro is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Located two hours outside Boston, it is a summer vacation community just shy of the tip of Cape Cod....
    , and Provincetown
    Provincetown, Massachusetts

    Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census....
    . This area includes the Cape Cod National Seashore
    Cape Cod National Seashore

    The Cape Cod National Seashore , created on August 7, 1961 by President of the United States John F. Kennedy, encompasses 43,500 acres of ponds, woods and beachfront on Cape Cod, Massachusetts....
    , a national park comprising much of the outer Cape, including the entire east-facing coast, and is home to some of the most popular beaches in America, such as Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach in Eastham. Stephen Leatherman
    Stephen Leatherman

    Stephen Leatherman, nicknamed "Dr. Beach," is the director of the Florida International University coastal research lab. Each Memorial Day weekend since 1991, Leatherman has released a list of the top beaches in the United States, determined by weighing 50 factors....
     aka "Dr. Beach" recently named Coast Guard Beach the 5th best beach in America for 2007.


The large area of water spanning from Plymouth to Provincetown, bordered to the north by Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay

Massachusetts Bay is one of the large headlands and bays of the Atlantic Ocean that form the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts....
 and enclosed by Cape Cod, is Cape Cod Bay
Cape Cod Bay

Cape Cod Bay is a large headlands and bays of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is enclosed by Cape Cod to the south and east, and Plymouth County, Massachusetts, to the west; to the north of Cape Cod Bay lie Massachusetts Bay and the Atlantic Ocean....
; west of Cape Cod is Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay (bay)

Buzzards Bay is a headlands and bays of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 45 kilometers long by twelve kilometers wide....
. To the south lie Nantucket Sound
Nantucket Sound

Nantucket Sound is a roughly triangular area of the Atlantic Ocean offshore from the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is long and wide, and is enclosed by Cape Cod on the north, Nantucket on the south, and Martha's Vineyard on the west....
; Nantucket
Nantucket, Massachusetts

Nantucket is an island 30 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the United States. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island and Muskeget, it constitutes the New England town of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the coterminous Nantucket County, which are consolidated....
 and Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island off the United States east coast, to the south of Cape Cod, both forming a part of the Outer Lands region. It is often called just "the Vineyard"....
 (both large islands); and the mostly privately owned Elizabeth Islands
Elizabeth Islands

The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States....
 in the town of Gosnold
Gosnold, Massachusetts

Gosnold is a New England town that encompasses the Elizabeth Islands in Dukes County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 86, making it the least populous town in Massachusetts....
, of which the most populated is Cuttyhunk
Cuttyhunk

Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts, located between Buzzards Bay to the north and Vineyard Sound to the south....
.

The highest elevation on Cape Cod is , at the top of Pine Hill, in the Bourne portion of the Massachusetts Military Reservation
Massachusetts Military Reservation

The Massachusetts Military Reservation, is a military reservation created by the State Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United States War Department in 1935....
. The lowest point is sea level.

Geology

"East of America, there stands in the open Atlantic the last fragment of an ancient and vanished land. Worn by the breakers and the rains, and disintegrated by the wind, it still stands bold." - Henry Beston
Henry Beston

Henry Beston was an United States writer and naturalist, best known as the author of The Outermost House, written in 1925....
, from his book The Outermost House
The Outermost House

The Outermost House is a book by natural history writer Henry Beston. It was published in 1928 by Doubleday and Doran and is now published by Henry Holt and Company in New York....
Ccnatsea
Cape Cod forms a continuous archipelagic region
Archipelago

An archipelago is a chain or cluster of islands that are formed tectonically. The word archipelago literally means "chief sea", from Italian language arcipelago , derived ultimately from Greek language arkhon and pelagos ....
 with a thin line of islands stretching toward New York, historically known by naturalists as the Outer Lands
Outer Lands

The Outer Lands is a term denoting the prominent terminal moraine Archipelago off the southern coast of New England in the United States. This region of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New York, comprises the peninsula of Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island and Long Island, as well as surrounding islets....
. This continuity is due to the fact that the islands and Cape are all terminal glacial moraine
Moraine

A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past ice age....
s laid down some 16,000 to 20,000 years ago.

Most of Cape Cod's geological history involves the advance and retreat of the Laurentide ice sheet
Laurentide ice sheet

The Laurentide Ice Sheet was a massive ice sheet that covered hundreds of thousands of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the northern United States, between c....
 in the late Pleistocene
Pleistocene

The Pleistocene is the epoch from 1.8 million to 10,000 years Before Present covering the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
 geological era and the subsequent changes in sea level. Using radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating

Radiocarbon dating, or carbon dating, is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 60,000 years....
 techniques, researchers have determined that around 23,000 years ago, the ice sheet reached its maximum southward advance over North America, and then started to retreat. Many "kettle ponds" — clear, cold lakes — were formed and remain on Cape Cod as a result of the receding glacier. By about 18,000 years ago, the ice sheet had retreated past Cape Cod. By roughly 15,000 years ago, it had retreated past southern New England. When so much of Earth's water was locked up in massive ice sheets, the sea level was lower. Truro's bayside beaches use to be a petrified forest, before it became a beach.

As the ice began to melt, the sea began to rise. Initially, sea level rose quickly, about 15 meters (50 ft) per 1,000 years, but then the rate declined. On Cape Cod, sea level rose roughly 3 meters (11 ft) per millennium between 6,000 and 2,000 years ago. After that, it continued to rise at about 1 meter (3 ft) per millennium. By 6,000 years ago, the sea level was high enough to start eroding the glacial deposits that the vanished continental ice sheet had left on Cape Cod. The water transported the eroded deposits north and south along the outer Cape's shoreline. Those reworked sediments that moved north went to the tip of Cape Cod.

Provincetown Spit, at the northern end of the Cape, consists largely of marine deposits, transported from farther up the shore. Sediments that moved south created the islands and shoals of Monomoy. So while other parts of the Cape have dwindled from the action of the waves, these parts of the Cape have grown.

This process continues today. Due to their position jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, the Cape and islands are subject to massive coastal erosion
Coastal erosion

Coastal erosion is the wearing away of land or the removal of beach or dune sediments by wave action, Tide, wave currents, or drainage . Waves, generated by storms, wind, or fast moving motor craft, cause coastal erosion, which may take the form of long-term losses of sediment and Rock , or merely the temporary redistribution of coastal sed...
. Geologists say that, due to erosion, the Cape will be completely submerged by the sea in thousands of years. This erosion causes the washout of beaches and the destruction of the barrier islands; for example, the ocean broke through the barrier island at Chatham during Hurricane Bob
Hurricane Bob

Hurricane Bob was the second named storm, first hurricane and first major hurricane of the 1991 Atlantic hurricane season. The only hurricane to make U.S....
 in 1991, allowing waves and storm surges to hit the coast with no obstruction. Consequently, the sediment and sand from the beaches is being washed away and deposited elsewhere. While this destroys land in some places, it creates land elsewhere, most noticeably in marshes where sediment is deposited by waters running through them.

Climate

Cape Cod has a temperate marine climate. Although Cape Cod's weather is typically more moderate than inland locations, there have been occasions where Cape Cod has dealt with the brunt of extreme weather situations (such as the Blizzard of 2005 and Hurricane Bob
Hurricane Bob

Hurricane Bob was the second named storm, first hurricane and first major hurricane of the 1991 Atlantic hurricane season. The only hurricane to make U.S....
). Because of the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, temperatures are typically a few degrees cooler in the summer and a few degrees warmer in the winter. A common misconception is the climate is influenced largely by the warm Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Current, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic Ocean ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, exits through the Straits of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland and Labrador before crossing the At...
 current, however that current turns eastward off the coast of Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
 and the waters off the Cape are more influenced by the cold Canadian Labrador Current
Labrador Current

The Labrador Current is a cold current in the north Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around Newfoundland , continuing south along the east coast of Nova Scotia....
. As a result, the ocean temperature rarely gets above 65 °F (18 °C), except along the shallow west coast of the Upper Cape.

The Cape's climate is also notorious for a delayed spring season, being surrounded by an ocean which is still cold from the winter; however, it is also known for an exceptionally mild fall season (Indian summer
Indian summer

Indian summer is a name given to a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn, not long before winter. Usually occurring after the first frost, Indian summer can be in September, October, or early November in the northern hemisphere, and March, April, or early May in the Southern hemisphere....
), thanks to the ocean remaining warm from the summer. The highest temperature ever recorded on Cape Cod was 104 °F (40 °C) in Provincetown, and the lowest temperature ever was -12 °F (-24 °C) in Barnstable.

The water surrounding Cape Cod moderates winter temperatures enough to extend the USDA hardiness zone
Hardiness zone

A hardiness zone is shown on the scale to our right; or usually shown on a map . These zones show a geographically-defined area in which a specific category of plant life is capable of growing, as defined by climatic conditions, including it's ability to withstand the minimum temperatures of the zone....
 7a to its northernmost limit in eastern North America. Even though zone 7a (annual low = zero to 5 degrees Fahrenheit) signifies no sub-zero temperatures annually, there have been several instances of temperatures reaching a few degrees below zero across the Cape (although it is rare, usually 1-5 times a year, typically depending on locale, sometimes not at all). Consequently, many plant species typically found in more southerly latitudes grow there, including Camellias, Ilex opaca, and Albizia julibrissin
Albizia julibrissin

Albizia julibrissin is a species of legume in the genus Albizia, native to southern and eastern Asia, from Iran east to China and Korea....
.

Precipitation on Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island off the United States east coast, to the south of Cape Cod, both forming a part of the Outer Lands region. It is often called just "the Vineyard"....
 and Nantucket is the lowest in the New England region, averaging slightly less than a year (most parts of New England average 42-46 inches). This is due to storm systems which move across western areas, building up in mountainous regions, and dissipating before reaching the coast where the land has leveled out. The region does not experience a greater number of sunny days however, as the number of cloudy days is the same as inland locales, in addition to increased fog.

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Avg high °F
(°C)
35.7
(2.1)
36.5
(2.5)
43.2
(6.2)
53.1
(11.7)
62.5
(16.9)
74.3
(23.5)
79.5
(26.3)
80.0
(26.7)
77.1
(25.2)
65.1
(18.4)
54.6
(12.6)
41.8
(5.4)
58.5
(14.7)
Avg low °F
(°C)
22.4
(-5.3)
23.0
(-5.0)
29.6
(-1.3)
36.9
(2.7)
47.7
(8.7)
58.3
(14.6)
66.6
(19.2)
68.5
(20.3)
60.0
(15.5)
49.9
(9.9)
39.1
(3.9)
28.0
(-2.2)
44.1
(6.7)
Rainfall in inches
(millimeters)
3.86
(98.0)
2.97
(75.4)
3.74
(95.8)
3.62
(90.4)
3.29
(80.3)
3.02
(74.2)
2.45
(62.2)
2.56
(67.6)
2.94
(75.9)
3.34
(81.3)
3.57
(90.7)
3.65
(92.7)
39.01
(990.85)


Native population

Cape Cod has been the home of the Wampanoag
Wampanoag

The Wampanoag are a Native Americans in the United States nation which currently consists of five tribes.In 1600 the Wampanoag lived in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as within a territory that encompassed current day Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands....
 tribe
Tribe

A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups ....
 of Native American
Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States United States, including parts of Alaska and the island state of Hawaii....
 people for many centuries. They survived off the sea and were accomplished farmers. They understood the principles of sustainable forest management
Sustainable forest management

Sustainable forest management is the management of forests according to the principles of sustainable development. Sustainable forest management uses very broad social, economic and environmental goals....
, and were known to light controlled fires
Controlled burn

Controlled or prescribed burning, also known as hazard reduction burning is a technique sometimes used in forest management, farming, prairie restoration or Greenhouse gas abatement....
 to keep the underbrush in check. They helped the Pilgrims
Pilgrims

Pilgrims, or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts....
 who arrived in Fall 1620, to survive at their new Plymouth Colony
Plymouth Colony

Plymouth Colony was an English colonial venture in North America from 1620 until 1691. The first settlement was at New Plymouth, a location previously surveyed and named by John Smith of Jamestown....
.

The Natives eventually lost their lands through purchase and expropriation by the British colonists
Wampanoag

The Wampanoag are a Native Americans in the United States nation which currently consists of five tribes.In 1600 the Wampanoag lived in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island, as well as within a territory that encompassed current day Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and the Elizabeth Islands....
. Currently, there are no Indian reservation
Indian reservation

An Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native Americans of the United States tribe under the United States Department of the Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs....
s on Cape Cod. The documentary Natives of the Narrowland (1993, narrated by actress Julie Harris
Julie Harris

Julie Harris is a American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards and three Emmy Awards, and was nominated for an Academy Awards....
) shows the history of the Wampanoag peoples through the lens of Cape Cod archaeological sites. In 1974, the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal Council Inc. was formed to articulate the concerns of those with Native American ancestry. The federal government was petitioned in 1975 and again in 1990 for official recognition of the Mashpee Wampanoag as a "tribe". In May 2007, the Wampanoag tribe was finally federally recognized as a tribe.

History

Cape Cod was a landmark for early explorers, possibly the "Promontory of Vinland
Vinland

Vinland was the name given to an area of North America by the Norsemen Leif Eriksson, about the year A.D. 1001.In 1960 archaeology evidence of the only known Norse colonization of the Americas in North America was found at L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of the island of Newfoundland , in what is now the Canada province of Newfoundl...
" mentioned by the Norse voyagers (985-1025). Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 approached it from the south, and Esteban Gómez
Esteban Gómez

Esteban G?mez, also known as Estevan G?mez and Est?v?o Gomes , was a Spain cartography and exploration, of Portugal origin....
 the next year called it Cape St. James. Bartholomew Gosnold
Bartholomew Gosnold

Bartholomew Gosnold was an England lawyer, explorer, and privateer, instrumental in founding the Virginia Company of London, and Jamestown, Virginia, Virginia....
 in 1602 gave it the name that survives, the ninth oldest surviving English place-name in the U.S. Samuel de Champlain
Samuel de Champlain

Samuel de Champlain, , , "The Father of New France", was a French navigator, geographer, cartographer, draughtsman, soldier, explorer, ethnologist, diplomat, chronicler, and the founder of Quebec City on July 3, 1608, of which he was the administrator for the rest of his life....
 charted its sand-silted harbors in 1606 and Henry Hudson
Henry Hudson

Henry Hudson was an England sea explorer and navigator in the early 17th century. After several voyages on behalf of English merchants to explore a prospective Northeast Passage to China, Hudson explored the region around modern New York City while looking for a western route to the Orient under the auspices of the Dutch East India Company....
 landed there in 1609. Captain John Smith
John Smith of Jamestown

File:Captain John Smith.JPGCaptain John Smith Admiral of New England was an England soldier, sailor, and author. He is remembered for his role in establishing the first permanent English settlement in North America at Jamestown, Virginia, and his brief association with the Native Americans in the United States girl Pocahontas during an alte...
 noted it on his map of 1614 and at last the Pilgrims
Pilgrims

Pilgrims, or Pilgrim Fathers , is a name commonly applied to the early settlers of the Plymouth Colony in present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts....
 entered the "Cape Harbor" and--contrary to the popular myth of Plymouth Rock
Plymouth Rock

Plymouth Rock is the traditional site of disembarkation of William Bradford and the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded Plymouth Colony in 1620, in what would become the United States....
--made their first landing near present-day Provincetown
Provincetown, Massachusetts

Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census....
 on November 11, 1620. Nearby, in what is now Eastham
Eastham, Massachusetts

Eastham is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod....
, they had their first encounter with Native Americans.

Cape Cod was among the first places settled by Europeans in North America. Aside from Barnstable
Barnstable, Massachusetts

Barnstable is a city, referred to as the Town of Barnstable, in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the county seat of Barnstable County, Massachusetts....
 (1639), Sandwich
Sandwich, Massachusetts

Sandwich is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,136 at the 2000 census. The Town Hall is located right next to the historic land Mill, in the historic center of town....
 (1637) and Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Massachusetts

Yarmouth is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States, Barnstable County being coextensive with Cape Cod....
 (1639) the Cape's fifteen towns developed slowly. The final town to be established on the Cape was Bourne
Bourne, Massachusetts

Bourne is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Massachusetts, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, Monument Beach, Massachusetts, Pocass...
 in 1884. Provincetown was a group of huts until the 18th century. A channel from Massachusetts Bay
Massachusetts Bay

Massachusetts Bay is one of the large headlands and bays of the Atlantic Ocean that form the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts....
 to Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay (bay)

Buzzards Bay is a headlands and bays of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 45 kilometers long by twelve kilometers wide....
 is shown on Southack's map of 1717, but the present Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal

The Cape Cod Canal is a man-made waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south....
 had a troubled development from 1870 to 1914. The Federal government purchased it in 1928.

Thanks to its early settlement and intensive land use, by the time Henry Thoreau saw Cape Cod during his four visits over 1849 to 1857, its vegetation was depauperate and trees were scarce. As all heating was by wood, and it took 10 to 20 cords (40 to 80 m³) of wood to heat a home, most of Cape Cod was cleared early on. Other areas were planted to crops familiar to the English but unsuited to Cape Cod's thin, glacially derived soils. For instance, much of Eastham was planted to wheat. Burning of woodlands was common to release nutrients into the soil. Improper and intensive farming led to erosion and the loss of topsoil. Farmers grazed their cattle on the grassy dunes of coastal Massachusetts, only to watch "in horror as the denuded sands `walked' over richer lands, burying cultivated fields and fences." Dunes on the outer Cape became more common and many harbors filled in with eroded soils. By 1800, most of Cape Cod's firewood came by boat from Maine
Maine

The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
. The paucity of vegetation was worsened by the Merino
Merino

The Merino is the most economically influential breed of Domestic sheep in the world, prized for its wool. Super fine Merinos are regarded as having the finest and softest wool of any sheep....
 sheep and wool "mania" that reached its peak in New England around 1840. The early industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, production, and transportation had a profound effect on the socioeconomics and cultural conditions in United Kingdom....
, which occurred through much of Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Rhode Island

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a U.S. state in the New England region of the United States....
, bypassed Cape Cod (notable exceptions being the West Barnstable Brick Company
West Barnstable, Massachusetts

West Barnstable is a village or section in the northwest part of the mid-Cape Cod city of Barnstable, Massachusetts. Once devoted to agricultural pursuits, West Barnstable now is largely residential....
 and the Sandwich Glass Company
Sandwich, Massachusetts

Sandwich is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 20,136 at the 2000 census. The Town Hall is located right next to the historic land Mill, in the historic center of town....
, both defunct) due to a lack of significant water power in the area. As a result, and also because of its geographic position, the Cape developed as a large fishing and whaling center. After 1860 and the opening of the American West, agricultural abandonment began on the Cape so that by 1950 it had more forests than at any time since the 18th century.

Cape Cod became a summer haven for harried urbanites beginning at the end of the nineteenth century as improved rail transportation made the towns of the Upper Cape, like Bourne
Bourne, Massachusetts

Bourne is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Massachusetts, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, Monument Beach, Massachusetts, Pocass...
 and Falmouth
Falmouth, Massachusetts

Falmouth is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod....
, accessible to Bostonians. At the beginning of the twentieth century many large, shingled "cottages" were built along Buzzards Bay
Buzzards Bay

Buzzards Bay can refer to:*Buzzards Bay, a bay along the southern edge of Massachusetts.*Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, a village in Bourne, Massachusetts....
 for the Northeastern mercantile elite. The relaxed summer environment offered by Cape Cod was brought to the attention of the whole nation by writers including Joseph C. Lincoln
Joseph C. Lincoln

Joseph Crosby Lincoln was born February 13, 1870 in Brewster, Massachusetts and died March 10, 1944 in Winter Park, Florida. He was an American author of novels, poems, and short stories, many set in a fictionalized Cape Cod....
, who published novels and countless short stories about Cape Cod folks in popular magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post and the Delineator.
Sum04 115
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi

Marchese Guglielmo Marconi was an Italy inventor, best known for his development of a radiotelegraph system, which served as the foundation for the establishment of numerous affiliated companies worldwide....
 made the first transatlantic wireless transmission originating in the United States from Cape Cod, at Wellfleet. The beach he made the first wireless transmission from is now known as Marconi Beach. He then built upon this success in 1914 by opening the maritime wireless station WCC
WCC (radio station)

WCC was the busiest ship to shore radio station for most of the 20th century....
 in Chatham, which had a hand in the communications of Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart

Amelia Mary Earhart ; was a noted United States aviation pioneer, and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross , awarded for becoming the first aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean....
, Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes

Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American aviator, industrialist, film producer and director, philanthropist, and one of the wealthiest people in the world....
, Admiral Byrd, and the Hindenburg
Hindenburg

Hindenburg may refer to:...
. He chose this site due to Chatham's vantage point on the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded on three sides by water. Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite

Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. is a retired United States Broadcast journalism, best known as anchorman for the The CBS Evening News for 19 years ....
 narrated a 17 minute documentary in 2005 about the history of the Chatham Station.

Much of the East-facing Atlantic seacoast of Cape Cod consists of wide, sandy beaches. In 1961, a significant portion of this coastline—already slated for housing subdivisions—was made a part of the Cape Cod National Seashore
Cape Cod National Seashore

The Cape Cod National Seashore , created on August 7, 1961 by President of the United States John F. Kennedy, encompasses 43,500 acres of ponds, woods and beachfront on Cape Cod, Massachusetts....
 by President John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy

John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States, serving from 1961 until John F....
, and thus is protected from development. Large portions are open to the public, including the Marconi Site in Wellfleet
Wellfleet, Massachusetts

Wellfleet is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. Located halfway between the "tip" and "elbow" of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the town had a population of 2,749 at the United States Census, 2000, which swells nearly sixfold during the summer....
, a park built around the site of the first two-way transoceanic radio transmission from the United States (by Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt , also known as T.R., and to the public as Teddy, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
 using Guglielmo Marconi's equipment).

The Kennedy Compound in Hyannisport was President Kennedy's summer White House during his presidency, and the Kennedy family continues to maintain residences on the compound. Other famous residents of Cape Cod have included actress Julie Harris
Julie Harris

Julie Harris is a American stage, screen, and television actress. She has won five Tony Awards and three Emmy Awards, and was nominated for an Academy Awards....
, politician Barney Frank
Barney Frank

Barnett "Barney" Frank is an American politician in the United States House of Representatives representing since 1981. In 1982 he won his first full term and has been re-elected ever since by wide margins....
, figure skater Todd Eldredge
Todd Eldredge

Todd James Eldredge is an United States figure skater. He is the World Figure Skating Championships and a six-time national champion ....
, and television chef Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray

Rachael Domenica Ray is a celebrity and author. She hosts the Television syndication talk/lifestyle program Rachael Ray and two Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals and Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels....
.

Lighthouses of Cape Cod

"Lighthouses, from ancient times, have fascinated members of the human race. There is something about a lighted beacon that suggests hope and trust and appeals to the better instincts of mankind." - Edward Rowe Snow
Edward Rowe Snow

Edward Rowe Snow was an United States author and historian from Winthrop, Massachusetts.He is widely known for his stories of pirates and other nautical subjects; he wrote over forty books and many shorter publications....


Due to its constantly moving and dangerous shoals, since very early in its history Cape Cod's shores have featured beacons which warn ships of the danger. There are numerous working lighthouse
Lighthouse

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or framework designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens or, in older times, from a fire and used as an aid to navigation and to Maritime pilot at sea....
s on Cape Cod and the Islands, including Highland Light, Nauset Light
Nauset Light

Nauset Light, also known as Nauset Beach Light, is a lighthouse located in Eastham, Massachusetts, Massachusetts. Standing high, it is made of a combination of brick and cast iron....
, Chatham Light
Chatham Light

Chatham Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Chatham, Massachusetts, near the "elbow" of Cape Cod. In 1808 the first set of twin lights were constructed on the bluff named James' Head to act as a set of range lights for the shifting shoals of the Chatham Harbor entrance....
, Race Point Light
Race Point Light

Race Point Light is a historic lighthouse on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.It was built in 1876 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987....
, and Nobska Light
Nobska Light

Nobska Light, or Nobsque Light, also known as Nobska Point Light is a lighthouse located at the division between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound in Woods Hole, Massachusetts on the southwestern tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts....
, operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, which are frequently photographed symbols of Cape Cod. Others include:

Upper Cape: Wings Neck

Mid Cape: Sandy Neck, South Hyannis, Lewis Bay, Bishop and Clerks, Monomoy, Bass River, Stage Harbor

Outer Cape: Wood End, Long Point, Pamet, Mayo Beach, Billingsgate, Three Sisters, Nauset, Highland

Transportation

Cape Cod is connected to the mainland by a pair of canal-spanning highway bridges from Bourne
Bourne, Massachusetts

Bourne is a New England town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,721 at the 2000 census.For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Bourne, please see the articles on Bourne , Massachusetts, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, Monument Beach, Massachusetts, Pocass...
 and Sagamore
Sagamore, Massachusetts

Sagamore is a census-designated place in the town of Bourne, Massachusetts in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,544 at the United States Census, 2000....
 that were constructed in the 1930s, and a vertical-lift railroad bridge. The limited number of access points to the peninsula can result in large traffic backups during the tourist season.

The entire Cape is roughly bisected lengthwise by U.S. Route 6, locally known as the Mid-Cape Highway and officially as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway.

Commercial air service to Cape Cod operates out of Barnstable Municipal Airport
Barnstable Municipal Airport

Barnstable Municipal Airport , also known as Boardman/Polando Field, is a public airport located on Cape Cod, one mile north of the central business district of Hyannis, Massachusetts, in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
 and Provincetown Municipal Airport
Provincetown Municipal Airport

Provincetown Municipal Airport is a public airport located at the end of Cape Cod, two miles northwest of the central business district of Provincetown, Massachusetts, a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
. Several bus lines service the Cape. There are ferry connections from Boston
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston is the State capital and largest city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the economic and cultural center of the region, and is sometimes regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England." Boston city proper had a 2007 est...
 to Provincetown, as well as from Hyannis to the islands.

Cape Cod has a public transportation network comprising buses operated by three different companies, a rail line, taxis and paratransit
Paratransit

Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically vans or mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
 services.

Bus

Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority
Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority

Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority operates a bus transit system of fixed and flexible routes as well as a paratransit service in the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts....
 () operates a public bus system called the Breeze, which covers almost the entire Cape. They have three year-round long-distance routes:

  • The Sealine, which covers the western half of Cape Cod between Hyannis and Falmouth
  • The H20, which runs between Hyannis and Orleans
  • The Flex, which covers the Outer Cape, from Harwich to Provincetown. The Flex permits off-route drop-offs and pickups of up to 3/4 miles for an increased fare.


There are also two Barnstable/Hyannis local routes that run year round. In the summer, additional local routes run in Falmouth/Woods Hole (WOOSH), Provincetown, and Yarmouth, as well as a free beach shuttle in Hyannis. CCRTA also operates the B-Bus paratransit service.

Long distance bus service is operated by Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway, with regular service to Boston and Logan Airport, as well as less frequent service to Provincetown. Peter Pan Bus Lines
Peter Pan Bus Lines

Peter Pan Bus Lines is a long-distance bus carrier that operates in the Northeastern United States of the United States. Over four million passengers travel on Peter Pan's bus routes every year....
 also runs long distance service to Providence
Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the Capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, and one of the first cities established in the United States....
 T.F. Green Airport and New York City.

Rail

Regular passenger rail service through Cape Cod ended in 1959. In 1978, the tracks east of South Dennis were abandoned and replaced with the very popular bicycle trail, known as the Cape Cod Rail Trail
Cape Cod Rail Trail

The Cape Cod Rail Trail is a paved rail trail located on Cape Cod in Massachusetts.Operated by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, it occupies an abandoned Old Colony Railroad corridor and extends from Massachusetts Route 134 in South Dennis, Massachusetts to LeCount Hollow Road in Wellfleet, Massachusetts....
. Another bike trail, the Shining Sea Bikeway
Shining Sea Bikeway

The Shining Sea Bikeway is a rail trail in Falmouth, MA, in the north-east United States. The path runs for over ten miles , including nearly a mile along Surf Drive Beach on Vineyard Sound....
, was built over tracks between Woods Hole and Falmouth in 1975; construction to extend this path to North Falmouth over of inactive rail bed began in April 2008. Active freight service remains in the Upper Cape area in Sandwich in Bourne, largely due to a trash transfer station located at Massachusetts Military Reservation. In 1986, Amtrak
Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide Inter-city rail train#Passenger trains service in the United States....
 ran a seasonal service in the summer from New York City to Hyannis called the Cape Codder. From 1988, Amtrak and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation increased service to a daily frequency. Since its demise in 1996, there have been periodic discussions about reinstating passenger rail service from Boston to reduce car traffic to and from the Cape, with officials in Bourne seeking to extend MBTA Commuter Rail
MBTA Commuter Rail

The Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company Co. serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States....
 service from Middleboro to Buzzards Bay.

Cape Cod Central Railroad
Cape Cod Central Railroad

The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a heritage railway located in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Its marks are CCCX.Originally founded in 1999, it operates a variety of excursion trains from downtown Hyannis, MA to the Cape Cod Canal during spring, summer, and fall....
 operates passenger train service on Cape Cod. The service is primarily tourist oriented and includes a dinner train. The scenic route between Downtown Hyannis and the Cape Cod Canal
Cape Cod Canal

The Cape Cod Canal is a man-made waterway traversing the narrow neck of land that joins Cape Cod to mainland Massachusetts.Part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, the canal is roughly 17.4 miles long and connects Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south....
 is about 2½ hours round trip.

Taxi

Taxicabs are plentiful, with several different companies operating out of different parts of the Cape. Fares for a trip between Downtown Hyannis and Barnstable Village can be as high as $20-$25. In Provincetown, the taxi companies charge per person rather than by distance.

Tourism

Although Cape Cod has a year-round population of about 230,000, it experiences a tourist season each summer between Memorial Day
Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States Federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S....
 and Labor Day
Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September . The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union sought to create "a day off for the working citizens"....
, as the New England cold gives way to a brief but comfortable summer. Many businesses are specifically targeted to summer visitors, and close during the 8 to 9 months of the "off season" (although the "on season" has been expanding somewhat in recent years due to Indian Summer
Indian summer

Indian summer is a name given to a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn, not long before winter. Usually occurring after the first frost, Indian summer can be in September, October, or early November in the northern hemisphere, and March, April, or early May in the Southern hemisphere....
, reduced lodging rates, and the number of people visiting the Cape after Labor Day
Labor Day

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September . The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union sought to create "a day off for the working citizens"....
 who either have no school-age children, and the elderly, reducing the true "off season" to 6 or 7 months). In the late 20th century, tourists and owners of second homes began visiting the Cape more and more in the spring and fall, softening the definition of the high season and expanding it somewhat (see above). Some particularly well-known Cape products and industries include cranberries
Cranberry

Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the genus Vaccinium subgenus Oxycoccos, or in some treatments, in the distinct genus Oxycoccos....
, shellfish
Shellfish

Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton bearing aquatic invertebrate used as food, including various species of Molluscas, crustaceans, and echinoderms....
 (particularly oysters and clams) and lobstering
Lobster fishing

Lobster fishing is the commercial or recreational harvesting of marine lobsters, spiny lobsters or crayfish.Lobster tools and technology...
.

Provincetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, also berths several whale watching fleets who patrol the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Most fleets guarantee a whale
Whale

Whales are marine mammals of order Cetacea which are neither dolphinsmembers, in other words, of the families Oceanic dolphin or River dolphinnor porpoises....
 sighting (mostly humpback whale
Humpback Whale

The humpback whale is a Baleen whale whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from 12–16 metres and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms ....
, fin whale
Fin Whale

The Fin Whale , also called the Finback Whale, Razorback, or Common Rorqual, is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales....
, minke whale
Minke Whale

Minke Whale or Lesser Rorqual is a name given to two species of marine mammal belonging to a clade within the suborder of baleen whales. The Minke Whale was given its official designation by Lacep?de in 1804, who described a dwarf form of Bal?noptera acuto-rostrata....
, sei whale
Sei Whale

The Sei Whale , Balaenoptera borealis, is a baleen whale, the third largest rorqual after the Blue Whale and the Fin Whale. It can be found worldwide in all oceans and adjoining seas, and prefers deep off-shore waters....
, and critically endengered, the North Atlantic Right Whale
North Atlantic Right Whale

The North Atlantic Right Whale is a baleen whale, one of three right whale species belonging to the genus Eubalaena, which was formerly classified as a single species....
), and one is the only federally certified operation qualified to rescue whales. Provincetown has also long been known as an art colony, attracting writers and artists. Many hotels and resorts are friendly to or cater to gay and lesbian tourists and it is known as a gay mecca in the summer.

Cape Cod is a popular destination for beachgoers from all over. With of coastline, beaches, both public and private, are easily accessible. The Cape has upwards of sixty public beaches, many of which offer parking for non-residents for a daily fee (in summer). The Cape Cod National Seashore has of sandy beach and many walking paths.

Cape Cod is also popular for its outdoor activities like beach walking, biking, boating, fishing, go-karts, golfing, kayaking, miniature golf, and unique shopping. There are 27 public, daily-fee golf courses and 15 private courses on Cape Cod. Bed and breakfasts or vacation houses are often used for lodging.

Sports

The Cape has nine amateur baseball franchises playing within Barnstable County
Barnstable County, Massachusetts

Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, consisting of Cape Cod and associated islands. As of 2000, the population was 222,230....
 in the Cape Cod Baseball League
Cape Cod Baseball League

The Cape Cod Baseball League is an amateur baseball league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, in which many college baseball stars play during the summer....
. The Wareham Gatemen also play in the Cape Cod Baseball League in nearby Wareham, Massachusetts
Wareham, Massachusetts

Wareham is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 20,335.For geographic and demographic information about specific parts of the town of Wareham, please see the articles about Onset, Massachusetts, Wareham Center, Massachusetts, West Wareham, Massachusetts, and Weweantic,...
 in Plymouth County. The league has been in existence since 1885. Teams in the league are the Bourne Braves
Bourne Braves

The Bourne Braves are an amateur baseball team based in Bourne, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division....
, Brewster Whitecaps
Brewster Whitecaps

The Brewster Whitecaps are an amateur baseball team based in Brewster, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Eastern Division....
, Chatham Athletics
Chatham Athletics

The Chatham Anglers, more commonly referred to as the Chatham A's and formerly the Chatham Athletics, are an amateur baseball team based in Chatham, MA....
, Cotuit Kettleers
Cotuit Kettleers

The Cotuit Kettleers are an amateur baseball team based in the village of Cotuit, MA, which is in the southwest corner of the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts....
, Falmouth Commodores
Falmouth Commodores

The Falmouth Commodores are an amateur baseball team based in Falmouth, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division....
, Harwich Mariners
Harwich Mariners

The Harwich Mariners are an amateur baseball team based in Harwich, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Eastern Division....
, Hyannis Mets
Hyannis Mets

The Hyannis Mets are an amateur baseball team based in Hyannis, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division....
, Orleans Cardinals
Orleans Cardinals

The Orleans Firebirds are an amateur baseball team based in Orleans, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Eastern Division....
, Wareham Gatemen
Wareham Gatemen

The Wareham Gatemen are an amateur baseball team based in Wareham, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Western Division....
 and the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox
Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, or Y-D Red Sox, is an amateur baseball team based in South Yarmouth, MA. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League and plays in the league's Eastern Division....
. Pro ball scouts frequent the games in the summer, looking for stars of the future.

The Cape also is home to the Cape Cod Frenzy
Cape Cod Frenzy

The Cape Cod Frenzy is an American Basketball Association team based in Cape Cod, Massachusetts that played from 2004 to 2006 as the Boston Frenzy....
, a team in the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association (21st century)

The American Basketball Association is a professional men's basketball league that was founded in 1999. The current ABA has no affiliation with the original American Basketball Association that ABA-NBA merger in 1976....
.

Soccer is alive on Cape Cod with the Cape Cod Crusaders
Cape Cod Crusaders

Cape Cod Crusaders was an American soccer team, founded in 1994. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league....
 playing in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League

The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States of America and Canada, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid....
 (PDL) soccer based in Hyannis. In addition, a summer Cape Cod Adult Soccer League (CCASL) is active in several towns on the Cape.

The end of each summer is marked with the running of the world famous Falmouth road race which is held on the 3rd Saturday in August. It draws ~10,000 runners to the Cape and showcases the finest runners in the world (mainly for the large purse that the race is able to offer). The race is long, which is a non standard distance. The reason for the unusual distance is that the man who thought the race up (Tommy Leonard) was a bartender who wanted a race along the coast from one bar (The Cap'n Kidd in Woods Hole) to another (The Brothers Four in Falmouth Heights). While the bar in Falmouth Heights is no longer there, the race still starts at the front door of the Cap'n Kidd in Woods Hole and now finishes at the beach in Falmouth Heights. Prior to the Falmouth race is an annual race through Brewster called the Brew Run, held early in August.

Islands off Cape Cod


Like Cape Cod itself, the islands south of the Cape have evolved from whaling and trading areas to resort destinations, attracting wealthy families, celebrities, and other tourists. The islands include Nantucket
Nantucket, Massachusetts

Nantucket is an island 30 miles south of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in the United States. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island and Muskeget, it constitutes the New England town of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the coterminous Nantucket County, which are consolidated....
 and Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard

Martha's Vineyard is an island off the United States east coast, to the south of Cape Cod, both forming a part of the Outer Lands region. It is often called just "the Vineyard"....
, as well as Forbes family
Forbes family

The Forbes family is a wealthy extended American family originating in Boston, Massachusetts. The family's fortune originates from trading between North America and China in the 19th century plus other investments in the same period....
-owned Naushon Island
Naushon Island

Naushon Island, part of the Elizabeth Islands, is seven miles long, just off Cape Cod, and four statute miles NW of Martha's Vineyard. The island is owned by the Forbes family and is included in the town of Gosnold, Massachusetts....
, which was purchased by John Murray Forbes
John Murray Forbes

John Murray Forbes was an American railroad magnate, merchant, philanthropist and Abolitionism. He was president of both the Michigan Central railroad and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in the 1850s....
 with profits from opium
Opium

Opium is a narcotic formed from the latex released by lacerating the immature seed pods of Opium poppy . It contains up to 12% morphine, an opiate alkaloid, which is most frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade....
 dealing in the China trade during the Opium War. Naushon is one of the Elizabeth Islands
Elizabeth Islands

The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States....
, many of which are privately owned. One of the publicly accessible Elizabeths is the southernmost island in the chain, Cuttyhunk
Cuttyhunk

Cuttyhunk Island is the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts, located between Buzzards Bay to the north and Vineyard Sound to the south....
, with a year-round population of 52 people. Several prominent families have established compounds or estates on the larger islands, making these islands some of the wealthiest resorts in the Northeast, yet they retain much of the early merchant trading and whaling culture.

Further reading

  • Massey, A.J., C.S. Carlson, and D.R. LeBlanc. (2006). Ground-water levels near the top of the water-table mound, western Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 2002-04 [Scientific Investigations Report 2006-5054]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
  • Masterson, J.P. and J.W. Portnoy. (2005). Potential changes in ground-water flow and their effects on the ecology and water resources of the Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts [General Information Product 13]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
  • Walter, D.A. and A.T. Whealan. (2005). Simulated water sources and effects of pumping on surface and ground water, Sagamore and Monomoy flow lenses, Cape Cod, Massachusetts [Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5181]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.


External links