Cape Cod

Cape Cod is a special place that stretches out into the Atlantic Ocean from southeastern Massachusetts in the United States. It is famous for its history, beautiful beaches, and its importance to sea-related activities, making it a popular spot for visitors, especially in the summer. The name Cape Cod was first used in 1602 by Bartholomew Gosnold, one of the oldest English place-names in the U.S.

The area of Cape Cod is the same as Barnstable County, Massachusetts. It stretches from Provincetown in the northeast to Woods Hole in the southwest and is next to Plymouth to the northwest. The Cape is made up of fifteen towns, and some of these towns have smaller villages within them. Cape Cod also forms the southern edge of the Gulf of Maine, which reaches up towards Nova Scotia.

Since 1914, most of Cape Cod has been separated from the mainland by the Cape Cod Canal. This canal cuts across the base of the peninsula, making travel easier. Two big highway bridges, the Sagamore Bridge and the Bourne Bridge, cross the canal. There is also a railroad bridge that carries freight trains and some passenger services onto the Cape.

Region of Cape Cod and the Islands

Like Cape Cod, the islands nearby have changed from places where people once hunted whales and traded goods to popular vacation spots. Rich families, famous people, and many tourists visit islands such as Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. People often travel to these islands by ferry from different places on Cape Cod. We commonly call the whole area “Cape Cod and the Islands” or “the Cape and Islands.” This name includes Barnstable County, Dukes County (which has Martha's Vineyard and the small Elizabeth Islands), and Nantucket County.

There are also smaller islands close to Cape Cod, like Monomoy Island, Monomoscoy Island, Popponesset Island, and Seconsett Island, all part of Barnstable County. Some of these islands, such as Naushon Island, are privately owned. One island that people can visit year-round is Cuttyhunk Island, home to a small number of people. Many well-known families have built homes on the larger islands, making them some of the most popular and expensive places to visit in the northeastern U.S. Even so, these islands still keep parts of their old history of trading and whaling.

Cape Cod is also a favorite place for people to live when they retire. Many people living there are older, and it has the highest average age of any place in New England. The area mostly votes for the Democrat party, though not as strongly as the rest of Massachusetts. Most of the land here was shaped long ago by glaciers and is similar to places like Long Island in New York and Block Island in Rhode Island.

Geography and political divisions

Physical geography and boundaries

The name "Cape Cod" started in 1602 and at first only meant the very tip of the land. Over time, it came to mean all the land east of the Manomet and Scusset rivers, along the line that is now the Cape Cod Canal. The canal separates most of the land from the mainland. Many groups, like the Cape Cod Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, think of Cape Cod as an island for planning. People on Cape Cod often call the mainland side of the canal "off-Cape," but legally, Cape Cod includes parts of Bourne and Sandwich north of the canal.

Cape Cod Bay is between Cape Cod and the mainland, with a line between Provincetown and Marshfield. North of Cape Cod Bay is Massachusetts Bay, which has the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, 5 miles north of Provincetown. Cape Cod Bay and Massachusetts Bay are part of the Gulf of Maine. The Atlantic Ocean is east of Cape Cod, and Buzzards Bay is to the southwest. The Cape Cod Canal, finished in 1916, connects Buzzards Bay to Cape Cod Bay, making the trip between New York and Boston shorter by 62 miles.

Cape Cod stretches 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. It is between 1 and 20 miles wide and has more than 400 miles of shoreline. The highest point is 306 feet at the top of Pine Hill in Bourne, part of Joint Base Cape Cod.

Towns and villages

Cape Cod includes all of Barnstable County, made up of 15 towns: Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Barnstable, Yarmouth, Harwich, Dennis, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. Each town has several villages. Barnstable, the most populated town, has a city-style government with a 13-member council, but it is still called the "Town of Barnstable." The other towns elect a 5-member Board of Selectmen and use Town Meetings to make decisions.

Cape Cod and the Islands

To the south of Cape Cod are Nantucket Sound; Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, both large islands; and the mostly private Elizabeth Islands.

Sections

For many years, Cape Cod was thought of as having three sections:

• The Upper Cape is closest to the mainland and includes the towns of Bourne, Sandwich, Falmouth, and Mashpee. Falmouth has research centers and several villages. Bourne has a maritime academy and a historic trading post. Sandwich, founded in 1637, has old mills and museums. Mashpee is the home of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe.
• The Mid-Cape area includes Barnstable, Yarmouth, and Dennis. This part of Cape Cod has many beaches and is the commercial center of the region. Barnstable has seven villages, Yarmouth has three, and Dennis has five.
• The Lower Cape & Outer Cape includes the towns of Harwich, Brewster, Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. The outermost towns – Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham – are known as the Outer Cape. This area includes the Cape Cod National Seashore, a national park along the east coast from Orleans to Provincetown. Popular beaches here include Nauset Light Beach and Coast Guard Beach in Eastham, Race Point Beach in Provincetown, Ballston Beach in Truro, and Skaket Beach in Orleans. Provincetown is known for its fishing history and is a popular spot for whale watching.

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, The Outermost House

Cape Cod is made up of land formed by glaciers, called glacial landforms. It was created by terminal moraine and outwash plains. It is the southernmost point of glacial coverage in southeast New England, similar to formations on Long Island in New York and Block Island in Rhode Island. These areas are known as the Outer Lands.

Cape Cod formed about 16,000 to 20,000 years ago during the late Pleistocene era, when huge sheets of ice, called the Laurentide Ice Sheet, moved over the land and then melted away. As the ice melted, it left behind many clear, cold lakes called kettle ponds that are still there today.

As the ice melted, sea levels rose. The water eroded the land and carried sediments along the shore through a process called longshore drift. These sediments built up to form places like Provincetown at the tip of Cape Cod, and also created islands and sandbanks farther south. This process of erosion and building up of land continues today.

Cape Cod’s water comes from six separate underground water sources called lenses. Keeping this water clean is important.

Climate

The Cape Cod area has an oceanic climate. The weather is influenced by the nearby Atlantic Ocean. This makes the temperature more moderate. Summers are usually a bit cooler, and winters can be a bit warmer. The area is sometimes hit by strong storms, including hurricanes and nor’easters.

Cape Cod has had wildfires in the past, especially because of its pitch pine forests. Controlled burns are sometimes used today to help manage the land.

History

Wampanoag peoples

Cape Cod has been home to the Wampanoag people for many years before Europeans arrived. They lived by the sea and were good farmers. The Wampanoag helped the Pilgrims when they first arrived in 1620 at Plymouth Colony.

Over time, the Wampanoag lost much of their land. In recent years, their tribe was officially recognized.

European exploration

Early explorers noticed Cape Cod. Some think Norse explorers visited long ago, but this is not proven. In 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold named it Cape Cod. Many famous sailors, including Samuel de Champlain and Henry Hudson, visited the area.

European settlement

Cape Cod was one of the first places Puritan colonists settled in America. Towns grew slowly, with Barnstable and Sandwich among the earliest. Forests were cut for fuel, and farming was hard because of the soil. By the 1800s, many farms closed, but forests began to grow back.

Modern era

In the late 1800s, Cape Cod became a popular summer spot for people from cities. Famous writers wrote about life there. In 1961, part of the coastline became the Cape Cod National Seashore, protecting it for everyone to enjoy. Many well-known people, including presidents, have spent summers on Cape Cod.

Lighthouses

The lighthouses of Cape Cod have helped ships since 1797. Highland Light is the oldest and tallest, and many lighthouses still work today. Some, like Nauset Light, are cared for by groups that keep them safe.

In 1996, Highland Light and Nauset Light were moved farther from the shore to protect them.

The lighthouses of Cape Cod include:

• Upper Cape: Nobska Light, Wing's Neck Light, Cleveland Ledge Light
• Mid Cape: Sandy Neck Light, Hyannis Harbor Light, Bishop and Clerks Light, West Dennis Light
• Lower Cape: Chatham Light, Monomoy Point Light, Stage Harbor Light
• Outer Cape: Long Point Light, Wood End Light, Race Point Light, Highland Light, Nauset Light, Three Sisters of Nauset, Mayo Beach Light, Billingsgate Island Light

Transportation

Road

You can get to Cape Cod using Route 3 to the Sagamore Bridge from Boston. Route 6 goes the whole length of Cape Cod. You can also use I-95 through Providence and then take I-195 to the Bourne Bridge. These bridges are very important for getting to Cape Cod. Traffic is busy in summer and quieter at other times.

Air

The biggest airport on Cape Cod is Cape Cod Gateway Airport. Cape Air flies there all year, and airlines like American Airlines and JetBlue fly there in summer. Provincetown Municipal Airport also has summer flights with Cape Air.

There is one military airport at Otis Air National Guard Base.

The nearest big airports are Logan International Airport and Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport.

Ferry service

Boston Harbor City Cruises and Bay State Cruise Company run fast ferries from Boston to Provincetown in summer.

Bus

The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority runs buses all year on Cape Cod.

Long-distance buses are provided by Plymouth & Brockton and Peter Pan Bus, linking Cape Cod to South Station and Logan International Airport.

Rail service

There is a special bridge for trains over the Cape Cod Canal. After the bridge, the tracks go towards Hyannis or North Falmouth. The Hyannis track is used for both cargo and people, while the Falmouth track mostly carries cargo.

Passenger

The CapeFlyer is a train that runs between Boston and Hyannis on summer weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

The Cape Cod Central Railroad is a special tourist train on Cape Cod. It offers a nice ride between Hyannis and the Cape Cod Canal, lasting about 2½ hours. Some trains stop at West Barnstable and Sandwich. There are also trains from Buzzards Bay and a few from North Falmouth.

Freight

Cargo trains still run on the Upper Cape, moving things from Bourne to Hyannis and to North Falmouth. One common job is taking trash to a plant in Rochester and moving things from Joint Base Cape Cod in Falmouth. Massachusetts Coastal Railroad runs all the cargo trains now.

Historic

Trains from Boston to Cape Cod stopped running in June 1959. Summer trains from New York City ended in 1964. In 1978, tracks east of South Dennis became the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Another bike path, the Shining Sea Bikeway, was made from old tracks between Woods Hole and Falmouth in 1975. In 2008, the tracks between Falmouth and North Falmouth were removed to make more of the Shining Sea Bikeway.

In 1986, Amtrak ran summer trains from New York City to Hyannis called the Cape Codder. From 1988, Amtrak and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation added more trains until they stopped in 1996. The current CapeFlyer started in 2013.

Bicycle

You can bike and walk on Cape Cod using the sidewalk on the south side of the Bourne Bridge. There are many bike paths around the Cape, such as:

• Cape Cod Rail Trail - South Dennis to Wellfleet
• Old Colony Rail Trail - Harwich and Chatham, connecting to the Cape Cod Rail Trail
• Trails in the Cape Cod National Seashore
• Trails in Nickerson State Park, connecting to the Cape Cod Rail Trail
• Shining Sea Bikeway - Woods Hole to North Falmouth
• Paths on both sides of the Cape Cod Canal
• Various unpaved trails in the middle of the Cape

For long-distance biking, the Claire Saltonstall Bikeway links Cape Cod to the Charles River Bike Path in Boston.

Tourism

Cape Cod has about 220,000 people living there all year, but it gets very busy with visitors in the warmer months, from Memorial Day to Columbus Day. Many places are made for summer visitors, but more people are coming in spring and fall too.

The area is famous for its beaches, with over 500 miles of coastline. There are many places to swim, and you can rent a spot to park near the beach in summer. Cape Cod is great for outdoor fun like walking, biking, boating, fishing, golfing, and shopping. You can stay in bed and breakfasts or vacation homes. Every summer, there is a music festival in East Falmouth with live music, food, and activities for families.

Sport fishing

Cape Cod is a top spot for fishing from spring through fall. People love to catch fish like striped bass, bluefish, and bluefin tuna. The Cape has many harbors and spots where fish gather, making it easy and fun to fish. The Cape Cod Canal is especially popular for fishing, with plenty of places to park and easy access to the water.

Sports

The Cape Cod Baseball League has nine baseball teams from Barnstable County, including the Bourne Braves, Brewster Whitecaps, Chatham Anglers, Cotuit Kettleers, Falmouth Commodores, Harwich Mariners, Hyannis Harbor Hawks, Orleans Firebirds, and Wareham Gatemen. The league started in 1923 and has college players. Many Major League Baseball scouts watch the games each summer.

High school sports are popular on Cape Cod. Teams from Barnstable, Harwich, Bourne, and Sandwich have won state championships in baseball, hockey, and football. The Bourne and Barnstable girls' volleyball teams are some of the best in the state. The Falmouth Road Race happens each August. About 10,000 runners join this 7.0-mile race from Woods Hole to Falmouth Heights. Before this race, the Brew Run, a 5-mile race, happens in Brewster.

Education

Every town on Cape Cod has elementary, middle, and high schools. Some schools serve more than one town. For example, Dennis-Yarmouth Regional High School serves Yarmouth and Dennis, while Monomoy Regional High School serves Harwich and Chatham. Barnstable High School is the largest school on the Cape.

There are special schools like Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis for students from the Cape and nearby areas, including Plymouth. The Cape has two technical high schools: Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Harwich and Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School in Bourne.

The Cape Cod Collaborative helps schools work together for programs for students with special needs. It runs a science program each summer for gifted students.

Private schools on the Cape include Trinity Christian Academy, Cape Cod Academy, and Falmouth Academy. There are three colleges: Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable, Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, and a satellite campus of Bridgewater State University in South Yarmouth.

In popular culture and art

Cape Cod has inspired many artists, writers, and musicians. Famous writer Henry David Thoreau wrote about his visits to Cape Cod. Another writer, Henry Beston, lived by the beach and wrote a book called The Outermost House.

Painter Edward Hopper had a summer home on Cape Cod and painted its landscape. The song "Old Cape Cod" by Patti Page celebrates the area. A movie called Summer Catch was filmed there. Musicians like the band Vampire Weekend have also written songs about Cape Cod.