Barnstable County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

in the U.S. state of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Barnstable. The county consists of

Cape Cod 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 ...

and associated islands (some adjacent islands are in Dukes County and Nantucket County). Barnstable County was formed as part of the

Plymouth Colony Plymouth Colony (sometimes spelled Plimouth) was the first permanent English colony in New England from 1620 and the third permanent English colony in America, after Newfoundland and the Jamestown Colony. It was settled by the passengers on t ...

on June 2, 1685, including the towns of Falmouth,

Sandwich A sandwich is a Dish (food), dish typically consisting variously of meat, cheese, sauces, and vegetables used as a filling between slices of bread, or placed atop a slice of bread; or, more generally, any dish in which bread serves as a ''co ...

, and others to the east and north on Cape Cod. Plymouth Colony was merged into the

Province of Massachusetts Bay The Province of Massachusetts Bay was a colony in New England which became one of the thirteen original states of the United States. It was chartered on October 7, 1691, by William III and Mary II, the joint monarchs of the kingdoms of Eng ...

in 1691.

History

Giovanni da Verrazzano

Cape Cod is described in a letter from the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano to

Francis I of France Francis I (; ; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis&nbs ...

, relating the details of a voyage to the New World made on behalf of the French crown in the ship Dauphine, the only surviving of a fleet of four. Sailing from

Madeira Madeira ( ; ), officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira (), is an autonomous Regions of Portugal, autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under north of ...

in 1524, the Dauphine made land in North Carolina in March. It sailed north to Newfoundland, mapping the coast and interviewing the natives, whom he found friendly south of the cape, but unfriendly north of it. To the north of an island that reminded Verrazzano of

Rhodes Rhodes (; ) is the largest of the Dodecanese islands of Greece and is their historical capital; it is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, ninth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Administratively, the island forms a separ ...

, the Dauphine made its way with difficulty over

shoal In oceanography, geomorphology, and Earth science, geoscience, a shoal is a natural submerged ridge, bank (geography), bank, or bar that consists of, or is covered by, sand or other unconsolidated material, and rises from the bed of a body ...

s "never less than three feet deep" extending "from the continent fifty leagues out to sea," which Brevoort, based on their extent, has identified as Nantucket Shoals. Verrazzano called them Armellini. On the other side was a promontory, Pallavisino, which is probably the cape, as they sailed along it for "fifty leagues." Details of the north end are not given, but subsequently they came to a "high country, full of very dense forests, composed of pines," which, according to Brevoort and others, resembles the coast of Maine.

Bartholomew Gosnold

After Verrazzano, what is now the eastern United States acquired the map label of

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

, but France had no way to develop it. Scattered colonies in the wilderness of a few dozen men could not be supported until the foundation of

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

in 1608. Meanwhile, the paper claim did not deter entrepreneurs. In March 1602, Bartholomew Gosnold set sail from

Falmouth, Cornwall Falmouth ( ; ) is a town, civil parish and port on the River Fal on the south coast of Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. Falmouth was founded in 1613 by the Killigrew family on a site near the existing Pendennis Castle. It developed as a po ...

, in the ship, Concord, transporting a crew of eight, an exploration party of 12, and 20 colonists, with the intent of establishing a trading post in the New World. Intersecting the coast of Maine, they turned to the south, encountered what appeared to be an island, and dropped anchor in

Provincetown Harbor Provincetown Harbor is a large harbor#Natural harbors, natural harbor located in the town of Provincetown, Massachusetts, Provincetown, Massachusetts. The harbor is mostly deep and stretches roughly from northwest to southeast and from northea ...

. Gosnold at first called the land Shoal Hope, but after discovering it was a cape, and acquiring a hold full of cod from the abundant schools in

Cape Cod Bay Cape Cod Bay is a large bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Measuring below a line drawn from Brant Rock in Marshfield to Race Point in Provincetown, Massachusetts, it is enclosed by Cape Cod to the south ...

, he changed the name to Cape Cod. Gosnold explored the cape, establishing good relations with the natives there, approximately 1500 members of the

Nauset The Nauset people, sometimes referred to as the Cape Cod Indians, were a Native American tribe who lived in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They lived east of Bass River and lands occupied by their closely related neighbors, the Wampanoag. Although th ...

Tribe, closely related in language and custom to the

Wampanoag people The Wampanoag, also rendered Wôpanâak, are a Native American people of the Northeastern Woodlands currently based in southeastern Massachusetts and formerly parts of eastern Rhode Island.Salwen, "Indians of Southern New England and Long Isl ...

of the mainland, and under their sovereignty. John Brereton, chaplain of the expedition, reported that they were dark-skinned, customarily nude except for deerskins over the shoulders and sealskins around the waist, and wore their long, black hair up in a knot. They painted their bodies. Some knew a few English words, which is something of a historical problem, as Gosnold and his companions are believed to have been the first English to land in America. Gosnold made a point of describing how healthy the people appeared. Subsequently, Gosnold sailed around the cape to discover an island, "full of wood, vines, gooseberry bushes, whortleberries, raspberries, eglantines, etc.," as well as large numbers of shore birds. He named it

Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the U.S. state of Massachusetts, lying just south of Cape Cod. It is known for being a popular, affluent summer colony, and includes the smaller peninsula Chappaquiddick Isla ...

after his daughter. Another island nearby, Cuttyhunk Island, he named Elizabeth Island, in honor of

Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

, from which the

Elizabeth Islands The Elizabeth Islands are a chain of over 20 small islands extending southwest from the southern coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the United States. They are located at the outer edge of Buzzards Bay, north of Martha's Vineyard, from whic ...

take their name. He intended to place a trading post there, but when the time came for the return voyage, the colonists decided not to remain. Gosnold ventured a second time to the New World in 1608 as

Captain John Smith John Smith ( – 21 June 1631) was an English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, admiral of New England, and author. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, and his friend Mózes Székely. Followin ...

's second in command of the Jamestown expedition. After three months there, he died of

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

Martin Pring

In 1603, another mercantile expedition set sail from

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

, England, in two ships, the ''Speedwell'' and the ''Discoverer'', commanded by a 23-year-old captain, Martin Pring. Elizabeth I had died two weeks earlier, but Pring had secured permission from Sir

Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...

, who held from the queen exploration rights to all of North America.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (70%) is water. It is the second largest county in Massachusetts by total area. It has about of shoreline. Barnstable County is not co-extensive with

. The latter is a geophysical place defined by its insular or peninsular landmass. According to Freeman, it is a "long, irregular peninsula" between , measured along the north or the south shores respectively, and between wide. Originally, only the tip was considered the cape, but as it was settled the name extended from its tip to the shortest line across the isthmus. Barnstable County, on the other hand, is a geopolitical and legal entity. It is the area contained within the borders of all cities and towns defined to be in the county by the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. Th ...

. These borders were decided in episodes of disputed legislation during the centuries since the founding of

. The main difference between Cape Cod and Barnstable County is the band of water up to several miles wide extending from the shoreline to the outermost county border. The offshore area contains significant maritime life, is a recreational and transport medium, and contains historical material lost in shipwrecks. The highest elevation in the county is , at the summit of Pine Hill, on Joint Base Cape Cod, in Bourne. The lowest point is sea level.

Adjacent counties

Barnstable County borders Plymouth County to the northwest; off Barnstable County's southern shore are Dukes County and

Nantucket Nantucket () is an island in the state of Massachusetts in the United States, about south of the Cape Cod peninsula. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck Island, Tuckernuck and Muskeget Island, Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and Co ...

County.

National protected areas

* Cape Cod National Seashore * Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge * Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge

Demographics

Barnstable County is one of the oldest in the country, ranking in the top ten for highest median age (among those with at least 100,000 residents). The median age is 55 years old as of 2020 (whereas the median in the U.S. is 39 years old). It is the only county in the Northeast on the list. Barnstable_County_municipality_population_trends

Barnstable_County_municipality_population_trends

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 222,230 people, 94,822 households, and 61,065 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 147,083 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 94.23%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.79%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.56% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.11% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. 1.35% of the population were

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race. 24.0% were of Irish, 15.6% English, 9.4%

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 5.9% German and 5.0% "American" ancestry, 93.6% spoke English, 1.7% Portuguese, 1.4% Spanish and 1.0% French as their first language. There were 94,822 households, out of which 24.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.20% were married couples living together, 9.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.60% were non-families. 29.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.82. In the county, the population was spread out, with 20.40% under the age of 18, 5.20% from 18 to 24, 25.00% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 23.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $45,933, and the median income for a family was $54,728. Males had a median income of $41,033 versus $30,079 for females. The per capita income for the county was $25,318. About 4.60% of families and 6.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.60% of those under age 18 and 5.00% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 215,888 people, 95,755 households, and 58,724 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 160,281 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 92.7% white, 1.9% black or African American, 1.1% Asian, 0.6% American Indian, 1.5% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.2% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 27.0% were Irish, 19.2% were English, 11.4% were Italian, 11.4% were American, and 9.1% were German. Of the 95,755 households, 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.7% were non-families, and 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age was 49.9 years. The median income for a household in the county was $60,317 and the median income for a family was $75,056. Males had a median income of $53,480 versus $41,990 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,246. About 5.0% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over. Barnstable County population density

Demographic breakdown by town

Income

The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list are reflective if the census designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Deyo-map

Politics

Until the 1990s, Barnstable County was a stronghold of the Republican Party. The county voted for Republican presidential candidates in every election from 1876 to 1992, with the exception of 1912 (when the Progressive candidate won the county) and 1964. It has since come to favor the Democratic Party, supporting Democratic candidates in all presidential elections since 1992.

Voter registration

Government

Barnstable County is one of the last functioning counties in Massachusetts. County government consists of a legislative branch (Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates) and an executive branch (Barnstable County Commissioners).

Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates

The Assembly of Delegates is the legislative branch of Barnstable County. There are 15 towns in Barnstable County, each town represented on the Assembly. In 1989, by an Act of the

and confirmed by most Barnstable County voters, the Barnstable County Home Rule Charter went into effect and the first session of the Assembly of Delegates convened. All legislative powers of the county are vested in the Assembly, which acts by ordinance and adopts resolutions. The Assembly of Delegates consists of 15 delegates, one representing each of the towns in Barnstable County. A delegate's vote is weighted on the basis of the population of his or her town. The town of Barnstable, for example, has the largest share of the vote, at 20.92%, and Truro has the smallest, at 0.93%.

Barnstable County Commissioners

There are three Barnstable County Commissioners, who together act as the Executive Branch of county government. Each commissioner is elected at large and serves a four-year staggered term. The commissioners direct county agencies, prepare budgets to submit to the Assembly, oversee the care of county property and finances, propose ordinances to the Assembly, and appoint the County Administrator. Ronald Bergstrom ( D-Chatham), Chair *Term: 2023–2027 Sheila Lyons ( D-Wellfleet), Vice-chair *Term: 2021–2025 Mark Forest ( D-Yarmouth), Commissioner *Term: 2021–2025

Cape Cod Commission

The planning agency of Barnstable County is the Cape Cod Commission.

Communities

Cities and towns have been legally incorporated as such under the laws of the State of Massachusetts. They include the entire territory of the state. A city may continue to name itself a town even though legally a city. Villages are subordinate to cities or towns. In addition to and not necessarily based on these legal municipalities are the arbitrary divisions of the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

. Villages are census divisions which may be used as special purpose municipalities or may have a greater sense of civic identity than their constituent town(s), but are not fully functioning municipal corporations. For example, the City of Barnstable has five fire districts that cover the seven villages - each village has its own fire department except that Centerville, Osterville and Marstons Mills have combined their efforts into the COMM Fire Department.

City

* Barnstable (county seat)

Towns

* Bourne * Brewster * Chatham *

Dennis Dennis or Denis is a first or last name from the Greco-Roman name Dionysius, via one of the Christian saints named Dionysius. The name came from Dionysus, the Greek god of ecstatic states, particularly those produced by wine, which is some ...

* Eastham * Falmouth * Harwich * Mashpee * Orleans * Provincetown *

Truro Truro (; ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and civil parish in Cornwall, England; it is the southernmost city in the United Kingdom, just under west-south-west of Charing Cross in London. It is Cornwall's county town, s ...

* Wellfleet * Yarmouth

Villages

* Barnstable * Centerville * Cotuit * Craigville * Hyannis * Hyannis Port * Marstons Mills * North Harwich * North Truro *

Osterville Osterville is one of seven villages within the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. The village of Osterville is located on the south side of Barnstable on Nantucket Sound. Osterville is a residential community that includes marshes, ...

* Pleasant Lake * South Harwich * West Barnstable * West Harwich * Monument Beach * Pocasset * Sagamore * Sagamore Beach * Cataumet *

Buzzards Bay Buzzards Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean adjacent to the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It is approximately 28 miles (45 kilometers) long by 8 miles (12 kilometers) wide. It is a popular destination for fishing, boating, and tourism. Buzzards ...

Census-designated places

* Bourne * Brewster *

* Chatham *

* Dennis Port * East Dennis * East Falmouth * East Harwich * East Sandwich * Falmouth * Forestdale * Harwich Center * Harwich Port * Mashpee Neck * Monomoscoy Island * Monument Beach * New Seabury * North Eastham * North Falmouth * Northwest Harwich * Orleans * Pocasset * Popponesset * Popponesset Island * Provincetown * Sagamore *

* Seabrook * Seconsett Island * South Dennis * South Yarmouth * Teaticket * West Chatham * West Dennis * West Falmouth * West Yarmouth * Woods Hole * Yarmouth Port

Unincorporated communities

* Bellingsgate * Captains Hill * Captains Village * Ferris Fields * Hatchville * Long Point * Monomoy Island * South Brewster * South Chatham * South Sandwich * Waquoit * Wood End

Education

School districts include:
Text list
/ref> Officially K-12: * Barnstable School District * Bourne School District * Dennis-Yarmouth School District * Falmouth School District * Mashpee School District * Monomoy Regional School District * Provincetown School District - While it is designated as a K-12 district, Provincetown High School ended operations after 2013. * Sandwich School District Secondary: * Nauset School District Elementary: * Brewster School District * Eastham School District * Orleans School District * Truro School District * Wellfleet School District Truro residents are eligible to go to

Nauset Regional High School Nauset Regional High School is an NEASC accredited secondary education in the United States, high school located in Eastham, Massachusetts, United States and a part of Nauset Public Schools. Nauset is inside the Cape Cod National Seashore, makin ...

, and formerly to Provincetown High. Cape Cod Community College is in the county.

Economy

The county is known for

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. Nelu ...

. It ranks first in the state for revenue from aquaculture products.

Citations

General bibliography

* * * *

External links

*
Barnstable County Registry of Deeds

Cape Cod Commission official site

USGenWeb Genealogical Site for Barnstable County

OASIS Online Archival Search Information System; Barnstable County

US Census Bureau map
of cities, towns, Native American reservations, and census-designated places {{coord, 41.72, -70.25, type:adm2nd_region:US-MA_source:UScensus1990, display=title 1685 establishments in Plymouth Colony Counties of Plymouth Colony Massachusetts counties Populated places established in 1685