Harwich is a town on Cape Cod, in Barnstable County in the state of Massachusetts in the United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The town is a popular vacation spot, located near the Cape Cod National Seashore. Harwich's beaches are on "the Sound side" of Cape Cod; the shores that face Nantucket Sound. Harwich has 3 active harbors. Saquatucket, Wychmere and Allen Harbors are all in Harwich Port.

The town is known for its many cranberry salt bogs, which produce cranberries that are commercially farmed. Harwich also contains the largest lake on the Cape, called Long Pond, which serves as a private airport for planes with the ability to land on water.

In the summer, the town is host to the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. The team plays at Whitehouse Field.

For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Harwich, please see the articles on East Harwich, Harwich Center, Harwich Port, North Harwich and West Harwich.

History

Harwich was first settled in 1670 as the eastern parish of the town of Yarmouth. The town was officially incorporated in 1694, and originally included the lands of the current town of Brewster. Early industry involved fishing and farming. The town is considered by some to be the birthplace of the cranberry industry, with the first commercial operation opened in 1846. There are still many bogs in the town, although the economy is now more centered on tourism and as a residential/retirement community. The town is also the site of the start/finish line of the "Sail Around the Cape," which rounds the Cape counter-clockwise, returning via the Cape Cod Canal.

Geography and Transportation

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 85.9 km² (33.2 mi²). 54.5 km² (21.0 mi²) of it is land and 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²) of it (36.53%) is water. The villages of Harwich are: North Harwich, East Harwich, South Harwich, Harwich Center, Harwich Port and West Harwich..

Harwich is on the southern side of Cape Cod, just west of the southeastern corner. It is bordered by Brewster to the north, Orleans and Chatham to the east, Nantucket Sound to the south, and Dennis to the west. Harwich is approximately twelve miles east of