Provincetown is a town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census. "P-town", as it is sometimes called, is known for its beaches, artists, and tourist industry, and is a significant gay resort.

The United States Census Bureau provides additional demographic detail for the more densely populated central village area within the town. Those details are included in the aggregate population and area values reported here. See: Provincetown (CDP), Massachusetts.

History

Provincetown was incorporated in 1727 after harboring ships for more than a century. Bartholomew Gosnold named Cape Cod in Provincetown Harbor in 1602. In 1620, the Pilgrims signed the Mayflower Compact in the harbor and came ashore in the West End, agreeing to settle and build a self-governing community. Though the Pilgrims chose to settle across the bay in Plymouth, Provincetown was eventually settled as a fishing village in 1700.

The population of Provincetown remained small through most of the 18th century. Following the American Revolution, however, Provincetown grew rapidly as a fishing and whaling center of Cape Cod. The population was bolstered by a number of Portuguese sailors who, hired to work on US ships, came to live in Provincetown. By the