South Coast | |
|---|---|
 The South Coast Region of Massachusetts | |
 Interactive map of South Coast | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Cities and towns | Acushnet,Berkley,Dartmouth,Fairhaven,Fall River,Freetown,Lakeville,Little Compton,Marion,Mattapoisett,New Bedford,Rochester,Somerset,Swansea,Tiverton,Wareham andWestport |
| Population | |
• Total | 306,588 |
| Largest city (population) | New Bedford, (100,941) |
| Largest city (land area) | Dartmouth, 97.5 sq mi (252.6 km2) |
TheSouth Coast ofMassachusetts (sometimes stylizedSouthCoast) is the region ofsoutheastern Massachusetts consisting of the southern part ofBristol andPlymouth counties, borderingBuzzards Bay, and includes the cities ofFall River,New Bedford, the southeastern tip ofEast Taunton and nearby towns. TheRhode Island towns ofTiverton andLittle Compton, located inNewport County, are often included within the South Coast designation due to regional similarities with adjacent communities.
The term is recent, dating to the 1990s, and sometimes confused with theSouth Shore (a region southeast ofBoston that includes easternNorfolk and Plymouth counties, and does not overlap with the South Coast).
The "South Coast" label was born as apublic relations effort to counteract the perceived stigma of former terms like "Greater Fall River," "Greater New Bedford," or "New Bedford-Fall River," which conjured images, in manyMassachusetts residents' minds, of depressed mill towns with run-down buildings and high unemployment. Local boosters, includingThe Standard-Times newspaper, began using the term in the mid-1990s in an effort to attract business to an area with "theCape's climate," "better infrastructure" and "relatively low land prices," according toStandard-Times publisher William Kennedy.[1]
There are 15 Massachusetts municipalities that are almost always included in the South Coast (total population: 306,588). Two Rhode Island towns may also be included.[2]
TheMassachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management also includes the towns ofDighton,Seekonk andRehoboth within its South Coast regional service area; however, these communities are more often associated with theProvidence Metro Area orGreater Taunton Area than the South Coast.[3] The entirety of the South Coast resides within theSoutheastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District.
By its most literal definition, the South Coast only includes cities and towns in southern Massachusetts that may not be considered parts of theProvidence Metropolitan Area, theSouth Shore orCape Cod; it encompasses the geographic area of Massachusetts that bordersBuzzards Bay (excluding theElizabeth Islands,Bourne andFalmouth),Mount Hope Bay and theSakonnet River.Little Compton andTivertonRhode Island are often considered parts of the South Coast due to proximity and shared regional heritage; it has been argued that Little Compton and Tiverton share more in common with the regional identities ofWestport andDartmouth (and to an extentFall River) than the rest ofNewport County.[4][5]East Taunton is sometimes considered the northernmost extent of the South Coast region; however, it does not include the entire city ofTaunton.
The South Coast region is typically associated with its distinct industrial heritage pertaining to textile, whaling, and fishing industries; the South Coast also has the largestPortuguese American population in the United States.[6][7]
In recent years, an unofficial sub-region of the South Coast known as theFarm Coast has been used to describe the cluster of rural towns that are situated on the northern coast of Buzzards Bay; these towns are considered to be the last coastal farming communities left inSouthern New England and share a common regional identity and aesthetic. The Farm Coast consists of the towns ofTiverton,Little Compton,Westport andDartmouth.[8][9][10]
Institutions of higher learning located in South Coast communities include:
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The major highways through the area areInterstate 195 (from Providence toWareham, Massachusetts) andU.S. Route 6, which is the older route connecting Providence toCape Cod. Highway access to Boston is provided byRoute 24 andRoute 79, both of which end in Fall River, andRoute 140 which connects New Bedford to Route 24 inTaunton. On February 27, 2023,MassDOT initiated a project to demolish the southern end of Route 79 in order to facilitate the restoration of Fall River's waterfront.[11] Public bus service is provided by theSoutheastern Regional Transit Authority, theGreater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority and theRhode Island Public Transit Authority.
Passenger rail service toBoston's South Station is provided by theMBTA Commuter Rail'sFall River/New Bedford Line with stations includingFall River Depot,New Bedford,Church Street,Freetown, andEast Taunton. Other stations on the line includeMiddleborough,Bridgewater,Montello,Brockton,Campello,Holbrook/Randolph,Braintree,Quincy Center, andJFK/UMass.[12]
The city of New Bedford offers passenger ferry services toMartha's Vineyard andCuttyhunk Island.[13]
The term "South Coast" reportedly began with weather forecasts byTodd Gross onWHDH-TV in Boston. New Bedford's localdaily newspaper,The Standard-Times, picked it up in the late 1990s, and other media have followed suit, albeit not without some protest by longtime area residents who protested the manufactured name.[1]
Other newspapers serving the area includeThe Herald News of Fall River; "The Standard Times" with an online entertainment subsidiary "southcoasttoday.com" of New Bedford; theSakonnet Times; theTaunton Daily Gazette;The Providence Journal; and, for regional coverage,The Boston Globe andBoston Herald. Much of the broadcast media in the area is local to metropolitanProvidence andBoston.
Radio stations include ethnicWHTB/1400-Fall River, news/talk/sportsWBSM/1420-New Bedford, news/talk/sportsWSAR/1480-Fall River, religious ethnicWFHL/88.1-New Bedford,K-LoveWTKL/91.1-North Dartmouth, Portuguese-languageWJFD-FM/97.3-New Bedford, countryWCTK/98.1-New Bedford, top 40/danceWFHN/107.1-Fairhaven, and public radio newsWNPN/89.3-Newport, RI.
Television stations include ABC affiliateWLNE-TV/49 (PSIP 6)-New Bedford and CW affiliateWLWC/22 (PSIP 28)-New Bedford.
