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Orleans, MA Road Trips

Plan drives from Orleans, MA with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

Downtown Orleans, MA, MA

Photo: Mathias Reding

Trip Routes

1

Longest Drive

124.6 mi

Haverhill, MA

Quickest Drive

2h 44m

Haverhill, MA

Plan Around Orleans, MA

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if Orleans, MA is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

Orleans, MA at a Glance

Founded

1693

Elevation

59 ft

Area

23 mi²

Notable People from Orleans, MA

A sampling of people born in Orleans, MA.

A. B. Rogers

A. B. Rogers

1829–1889

American engineer (1829–1889)

Landmarks & Historic Sites

Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Orleans, MA.

CG 36500

CG 36500

Coast Guard motor lifeboat

National Register of Historic Places listed place
French Cable Station

French Cable Station

historic telegraph station in Orleans, Massachusetts, United States

National Register of Historic Places listed place

City data from Wikidata (Q997147), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Orleans, MA

Orleans is in Massachusetts on Cape Cod, and includes the villages of East Orleans and South Orleans. With the Rock Harbor sunsets and the Nauset surf, Orleans has the best of both Cape Cod waters.

1 Nauset Beach, 250 Beach Rd, ☏ +1 508 240-3775. A public beach with good surf. The children can play in the sand and ocean, as the adults relax under the sun. There is a fee to get on to the beach. This beach is equipped with changing rooms and bathrooms. (updated Jun 2018) Pilgrim Lake, Herring Brook Road. 43 acre lake owned by the Commonwealth. Offers a swimming beach, restroom facilities, and parking for ~20 cars. Town sticker required during the season. (updated Jun 2018) 2 Skaket Beach, 200 Skaket Beach Rd. Amenities include a 175 car parking lot (fee charged in season), restrooms, outside showers, lifeguards, handicapped accessibility, ramp, and snack bar. While other beaches are emptying out, crowds gather here to watch the sunset. (updated Jun 2018) Addison Art Gallery, 43 South Orleans Rd, ☏ +1 508 255-6200. (updated Jun 2018) Left Bank Gallery, 8 Cove Rd, ☏ +1 508 247-9172. 10AM-5PM daily. There is another branch in Wellfleet. (updated Jun 2018) Tree's Place, Route 6A at Route 28, ☏ +1 508 255-1330. 10AM-5:30PM Tu-Sa. (updated Jun 2018) 3 The French Cable Station Museum, 41 S Orleans Rd, ☏ +1 508-255-0343. Early communications and the telegraph. (updated Jun 2018) 4 Meeting House Museum (Universalist Society Meetinghouse), 3 River Rd, ☏ +1 508 240-1329. Owned and operated by the Orleans Historical Society. (updated Jun 2018)

Orleans Bowling Center, 191 Route 6A, ☏ +1 508 255-0636. Old school candlepin bowling, BBQ briskets and microbrews from around the Cape. (updated Jun 2018) Academy of Performing Arts (The Academy Playhouse), 120 Main St, ☏ +1 508-255-3075 (General Info), +1 508-255-1963 (Box Office). (updated Jun 2018) Blue Claw Boat Tours, 235 Main St, ☏ +1 508 240-5783. Here the family can enjoy one of New England’s favorite attractions: seal Tours. Great for children, the informative seal cruise will take you from Orleans, all the way through Pleasant Bay to view seals as they swim and play in their natural habitat. Tours last about an hour and a half. (updated Jun 2018)

Hot Chocolate Sparrow, 5 Old Colony Way, ☏ +1 508 240-2230. Espresso bar, pastries, desserts. (updated Jun 2018) Homeport Restaurant, 55 Main St, ☏ +1 508 255-4069. For breakfast, you can enjoy items such as their omelettes, eggs and egg dishes, pancakes or french toast. The restaurant also serves a wide selection of lunch dishes. (updated Jun 2018) Cooke's Seafood, 1 S Orleans Rd, ☏ +1 508 255-5518. Casual restaurant. Great (and surprisingly light) fried clams and onion rings. Some of the best clam chowder on the Cape! (updated Jun 2018) Land Ho!, 38 Main St, ☏ +1 508 255-5165. The Land Ho is a tavern-type restaurant that is open every day, serving appetizers, burgers and soups until midnight. Frequented by locals, the pub is known for its decorative Cape Cod flair. Try the sea clam pie. Live music some evenings. (updated Jun 2018) Barley Neck Inn, 5 Beach Rd, ☏ +1 508 255-0212. Near Nauset Beach, also offers a few rooms for rent. (updated Jun 2018) The Yardarm, 48 S Orleans Rd, ☏ +1 508 255-4840. A Cape tradition since 1972. (updated Jun 2018) The Beacon Room, 23 West Rd, ☏ +1 508 255-2211. Lunch 11:30AM-3PM Dinner daily 5PM-9:30PM. Some imaginative dishes here. Patio dining available when warm enough. $15-22. (updated Jun 2018) Mahoney's Atlantic Bar and Grill, 28 Main St, ☏ +1 508 255-5505. Something a little special from the chef here. (updated Jun 2018)

The Orleans Waterfront Inn, 3 Old County Rd (off Route 6A), ☏ +1 508 255-2222, fax: +1 508-255-6722. 11 rooms. (updated Jun 2018) Skaket Beach Motel, 203 Cranberry Highway, ☏ +1 508-255-1020, toll-free: +1-800-835-0298. (updated Jun 2018) A little Inn on Pleasant Bay, 654 S. Orleans Rd (South Orleans), ☏ +1 508-255-0780, toll-free: +1-888-332-3351. 9 units. (updated Jun 2018) The Cove, 13 S. Orleans Rd, ☏ +1 508 255-1203, fax: +1 508-255-7736. 47 units, some kitchenttes and balconys overlooking the cove. (updated Jun 2018) Nauset Beach Inn, 237 Beach Rd, ☏ +1 508 255-2364. 12 units. Overlooks Nauset beach. Walk to beach. (updated Jun 2018)

Highway access is by Route 6 from the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne which is about 55 minutes away. From Boston take I-93 south to Route 3 south to the Sagamore Bridge (Becomes Rt. 6). Exit onto Route 6A at Orlean's landmark rotary (or roundabout) on Route 6, approximately 55 minutes from the Sagamore Bridge and 1.75 hours from Boston. From Providence or points south take I-95 north to I-195 to Route 25 south to the Bourne Bridge (I-495 also becomes Route 25). At the rotary (traffic circle) on the Cape side, go almost all the way around and travel along the Canal to Route 6 east. Plymouth & Brockton Street Railway, 17 Elm Av., Hyannis, +1 508-771-6191, [1].

Travel tips adapted from Orleans (Massachusetts) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

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