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Getting To And From Cape Cod

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One of the most important factors to consider when deciding where to buy a home on Cape Cod is travel time to and from the Cape. Once you buy a Cape Cod home, you'll want to stay there forever. But for those occasions when you have to leave the Cape, a home's location will have a direct impact on how long the trip takes.

 

Cape Cod Regions

Here’s where it's helpful to know where the four regions of the Cape are located relative to the mainland. The four regions are the Upper Cape, the Mid-Cape, the Lower Cape, and the Outer Cape.

The region closest to the mainland is the Upper Cape. It includes the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Mashpee, and Sandwich. Bourne is the first town on the other side of the Cape Cod Canal and about 80 minutes from Boston.

The Mid-Cape is the second-closet region to the mainland. This region includes Barnstable, Yarmouth, and Dennis. Barnstable is closest to the mainland and about 90 minutes from downtown Boston. The Town of Barnstable includes seven villages: Hyannis, Centerville, Osterville, Cotuit, Marstons Mills, West Barnstable, and Barnstable Village.

Local Tip: The Town of Barnstable is the county seat of Barnstable County, which covers all of Cape Cod.

Just east of the Mid-Cape is the Lower Cape, which includes Harwich, Brewster, Chatham, and Orleans. When you think of Cape Cod as an arm bent at the elbow, the Lower Cape forms that elbow.

Farthest from the mainlaind, at least by land, is the Outer Cape. The Outer Cape is made up of the towns of Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro, and Provincetown. Located at the very tip of the Cape, Provincetown is about an hour and a half drive from Boston.

This chart shows drive times between Cape Cod towns and Boston. All times are in normal traffic conditions. Towns are listed from the distance from the Cape Cod Canal. As you look for homes, check drive times between the home's location and any off-Cape places you may need to reach.

 
UPPER CAPEDRIVE TIME FROM BOSTON VIA ROUTE 3DISTANCE FROM BOSTON
Bourne1 hr 10 min to 1 hr 50 min58 miles
Sandwich1 hr 10 min to 1 h 50 min57 miles
Mashpee1 hr 20 min to 2 hr65 miles
Falmouth1 hr 30 min to 2 hr 10 min76 miles
MID-CAPEDRIVE TIME FROM BOSTON VIA ROUTE 3DISTANCE FROM BOSTON
Barnstable1 hr 20 min to 2 hr70 miles
Yarmouth1 hr 25 min to 2 hr75 miles
Dennis1 hr 30 min to 2 hr 10 min78 miles
LOWER CAPEDRIVE TIME FROM BOSTON VIA ROUTE 3DISTANCE FROM BOSTON
Brewster1 hr 40 min to 2 hr 20 min84 miles
Harwich1 hr 40 min to 2 hr 20 min84 miles
Chatham2 hr 10 min88 miles
Orleans2 hr 10 min89 miles
OUTER CAPEDRIVE TIME FROM BOSTON VIA ROUTE 3DISTANCE FROM BOSTON
Eastham2 hr 10 min105 miles
Wellfleet2 hr 30 min102 miles
Truro2 hr to 2 hr 50 min106 miles
Provincetown2 hr 10 min to 3 hours115 miles

Boston-Cape Cod Ferry Service

The Boston-Cape Cod ferries provide a direct route between Boston and Provincetown. Two companies operate on this route: Baystate Cruise Company and Boston Harbor Cruises. For residents of the Outer Cape towns of Provincetown, Truro, Wellfleet, and Eastham, the Boston-Provincetown ferry is a good option. Total cruise time is about 90 minutes one way.

Keep in mind, however, that neither ferry company transports vehicles. Both ferry lines are passenger only. Also keep in mind that the ferries between Boston and Cape Cod only operate from May to October.

Boston-Cape Cod Bus Service

Peter Pan Bus Lines provides daily express service between Logan Airport in Boston to Hyannis and Woods Hole. The route includes service to Barnstable Municipal Airport and the Barnstable and Sagamore Park and Ride lots, which offer free commuter parking.

Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway runs a daily bus service between Hyannis and Boston.

 

Local Tip: Cape Cod roads are busiest on Saturday mornings and afternoons as guests check out and check in and residents run errands. To avoid traffic, travel early or late in the day.

Cape Cod Air Travel

Cape Air offers scheduled passenger service between Barnstable Municipal Airport in Hyannis and Logan Airport in Boston. The airline also provides flights between Hyannis and New York City. Flights are available year-round.