About

Centrally located in the heart of the Cape Cod peninsula, the Town of Barnstable is the region’s ‘Hub’ for commerce, transportation, healthcare and education.

Home to the Cape’s airport, the Regional Transportation Center for bus and rail travel, plus two ferry terminals, Barnstable truly is the gateway to all of Cape Cod and the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

Established in 1639, historic Barnstable is surrounded by the waters of Cape Cod Bay to the north and Nantucket Sound to the South, and is comprised of seven villages: Barnstable, Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Osterville, and West Barnstable, each with unique cultural and historical qualities.

Barnstable offers a plethora of rich natural resources: host to 15 beaches, working and scenic harbors, conservation lands, biking/hiking trails, two municipal golf course, fishing and shellfishing, fresh water ponds and streams, historic properties and landmarks. For locals and visitors alike, wherever you turn you are surrounded by a quality of life unmatched by any other.

Barnstable has both the Cape’s largest year-round (45,000) and a summer seasonal population (150,000).  It is also within close proximity to Boston, Massachusetts and Providence, Rhode Island (1 hour); Hartford, Connecticut (2 hours); New York (4 hours) and easy driving distance for the entire Northeast Corridor.  Vehicle traffic over the bridges in the summer averages over 125,000 cars per day.

The village of Hyannis is the center of commercial activity not only for the Town of Barnstable but for the entire Cape region. The Cape’s only major enclosed mall is located in Hyannis along with a large number of national chain stores and restaurants. Alternatively, downtown Hyannis offers an ambiance well suited to unique locally-owned specialty shops, artist galleries, restaurants and bistros. Cape Cod Hospital is also located in Hyannis and Cape Cod Health Care is the largest employer in the town and region.

This ambiance is also found in the other village centers of Barnstable as well. While smaller in scale than Hyannis, they feature a quaint, historic, seaside charm that is prevalent in this area.