Cape Cod Area:
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Cape Cod is a peninsula located in the extreme southeast part of Massachusetts. The peninsula is about 65 miles long and about 400 square miles in area. Cape Cod is comprised of a single county, which encompasses 15 towns.
Cape Cod was formed by climate change, sea-level rise and coastal erosion, and those same forces continue to shape the peninsula today. Cape Cod is exposed to coastal storms because it extends so far off the coast of mainland New England. In addition, Cape Cod’s sandy soils and shallow aquifers make drinking water particularly vulnerable to surface activities.
The population of Cape Cod has been growing rapidly for many years, and the rate of growth has recently accelerated. The population triples in the summer due to the area’s popularity as a summer tourist destination. Cape Cod’s economy is driven by this tourism, and its primary industries are services and retail sales. Unfortunately, this rapid development threatens environmental quality.
