Orleans (/ɔːrˈliːnz/or-LEENZ) is atown inBarnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, situated alongCape Cod. The population was 6,307 at the 2020 census.^[1]

Orleans, Massachusetts
Town
Orleans Town Hall
Flag Seal
Location inBarnstable County and the state ofMassachusetts.
Coordinates:41°47′23″N69°59′25″W / 41.78972°N 69.99028°W /41.78972; -69.99028
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Barnstable
Settled	1693
Incorporated	1797
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	22.7 sq mi (58.7 km2)
• Land	14.1 sq mi (36.6 km2)
• Water	8.5 sq mi (22.0 km2)
Elevation	60 ft (18 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,307
• Density	446/sq mi (172.3/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes	02643 (East Orleans) 02653 (Orleans)
Area code	508
FIPS code	25-51440
GNIS feature ID	0618257
Website	www.town.orleans.ma.us

For geographic and demographic information on thecensus-designated place Orleans, please see the articleOrleans CDP.

Orleans was settled in 1693 byPilgrims from thePlymouth Colony who were dissatisfied with the poor soil and small tracts of land granted to them. The town was officially separated fromEastham and incorporated in 1797. It was named in honor ofLouis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans in recognition of France's support for theThirteen Colonies during theAmerican Revolution and because the town did not want an English name, as they had been captured twice by the British during the war.

The town's early history revolved around fishing, whaling, and agriculture. As the fishing industry grew, salt works sprang up to help preserve the catches. However, the town's growth depleted it of lumber, a situation that did not begin to be remedied until the railroad came and brought lumber from the mainland in the 19th century. The railroad also brought tourism to the town. In 1898, the French Cable Company built a 3,200-mile-long (5,100 km)transatlantic telegraph cable to Orleans, which operated from theFrench Cable Station.^[2]

Orleans was shelled by a German submarine in July 1918, duringWorld War I. The town's tourism industry was helped in 1961 with the creation of theCape Cod National Seashore by PresidentJohn F. Kennedy.^[3]

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  The Orleans Inn, between Town Cove and Route 28
•  
  The Jonathan Young Windmill, a restored, working eighteenth-century windmill next to Town Cove

According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.7 square miles (58.7 km²), of which 14.1 square miles (36.6 km²) is land and 8.5 square miles (22.0 km²), or 37.59%, is water.^[4] Orleans is bordered byEastham to the north, theAtlantic Ocean to the east, Pleasant Bay and the town ofChatham to the south,Harwich to the southwest,Brewster to the west, andCape Cod Bay to the northwest.

Orleans is 27 miles (43 km) south ofProvincetown, 22 miles (35 km) east ofBarnstable, 36 miles (58 km) east of theSagamore Bridge, and 90 miles (140 km) southeast ofBoston. Orleans is located on the inner "elbow" section of Cape Cod. Bogs and ponds dot the western part of town, while there are many inlets, islands and harbors along the eastern coast of the town, including Town Cove, Nauset Harbor,Pleasant Bay, and Little Pleasant Bay. Rock Harbor, bounded by and shared with the town of Eastham, is located in the "crease" of the inner elbow and provides boating access to Cape Cod Bay.Cape Cod National Seashore lies along the coast as well.

The town line between Eastham and Orleans is the site of the termini of Massachusetts Routes6A and28. The two routes join in the Orleans town center and end at a rotary with Route 6 at the Eastham town line.Massachusetts Route 39, which traces a portion of the Brewster town line, ends in the southern part of Orleans at Route 28. Other than two small non-outleted lanes, only Route 6 and Bridge Road pass northward into Eastham. Orleans has no rail or air service in town. Regional air service can be reached in nearby Hyannis, and the nearest national and international airport isLogan International Airport in Boston. TheCape Cod Regional Transit Authority operates buses on The Cape including one line with multiple stops in Orleans, connecting Orleans toHyannis.

The town of Orleans has a mild summerHumid continental climate (Dfb). Theplant hardiness zone is 7a, with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 4.0 °F (−15.6 °C).^[5] The average seasonal (Nov.–Apr.) snowfall total is around 30 in (76 cm). The average snowiest month is February, which corresponds to the annual peak innor'easter activity.

As of thecensus^[19] of 2000, there were 6,341 people, 3,087 households, and 1,771 families residing in the town. The population density was 447.3 inhabitants per square mile (172.7/km²). There were 5,073 housing units at an average density of 357.9 per square mile (138.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.57%White, 0.58%Black orAfrican American, 0.17%Native American, 0.54%Asian, 0.14% fromother races, and 0.99% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.77% of the population.

There were 3,087 households, out of which 14.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.4% weremarried couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.6% were non-families. Of all households, 37.2% were made up of individuals, and 21.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.55.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.8% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 17.3% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 36.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,594, and the median income for a family was $62,909. Males had a median income of $44,246 versus $30,017 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $29,553. About 2.7% of families and 6.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

Orleans is represented in theMassachusetts House of Representatives as a part of the Fourth Barnstable district, which includes (with the exception of Brewster) all the towns east and north of Harwich on the Cape. The town is represented in theMassachusetts Senate as a part of the Cape and Islands District, which includes all of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket except the towns of Bourne, Falmouth, Sandwich and Mashpee.^[20] The town is patrolled by the Second (Yarmouth) Barracks of Troop D of theMassachusetts State Police.^[21]

On the national level, Orleans is a part ofMassachusetts's 9th congressional district, and is currently represented byWilliam R. Keating. The state's senior (Class I) member of theUnited States Senate, elected in 2012, isElizabeth Warren. The junior (Class II) member, elected in 2013, isEd Markey.

Orleans is governed by theopen town meeting form of government, and is led by a town manager and aboard of selectmen. The town has its own police and fire departments, both headquartered south of the Route 6A – Route 28 intersection. There are three post offices, in East Orleans, Orleans Center and South Orleans. The Snow Library, named for the original benefactor of the library, is located in Orleans Center, and is supported by theCape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS) library network. The town also operates several beaches, boat landings, and small parks, and has a historical society and museum called the Centers for Culture and History in Orleans^[22] which meets in the town's original meeting house (across the street from the current Town Hall). Orleans is the site of a county courthouse, which serves much of the lower Cape.

Orleans, along with Brewster, Eastham andWellfleet, belongs to theNauset Regional School District. Each town provides schooling for their own elementary students, and collectively send their middle and high school students to regional schools. Orleans operates the Orleans Elementary School for students from kindergarten through fifth grade. The town is home to Nauset Regional Middle School, which serves students from sixth through eighth grade for the district. High school students attendNauset Regional High School inNorth Eastham, but also have the option of attendingCape Cod Regional Technical High School inHarwich free of charge.

Orleans is home to theOrleans Firebirds, an amateurcollegiate summer baseball team in theCape Cod Baseball League. The team plays atEldredge Park, and has featured dozens of players who went on to careers inMajor League Baseball such asFrank Thomas,Nomar Garciaparra, andMarcus Stroman.

Orleans is on an exposed portion of the coast and has been a target in wartime. In 1814, its residents repelled an invasion of British marines fromHMSNewcastle during theWar of 1812. Nauset Beach was the only United States site hit by foreign munitions duringWorld War I; the shells were apparently aimed at barges close off shore. This was the first time that a foreign nation had fired artillery on United States soil since theSiege of Fort Texas in 1848.

• Nauset Beach

• Town of Orleans official website