When was Barnstable County founded?

Barnstable County was founded in 1685, and named after Barnstable, Massachusetts.

What is the county seat of Barnstable County?

The county seat of Barnstable County is Barnstable.

Is there an online parcel map for Barnstable County?

Yes. Cape Cod Commission publishes a parcel map of 162,104 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.

Has Barnstable County's boundary or name changed?

Barnstable County was created in 1685. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change, chiefly involving Plymouth County.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Barnstable County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 25001

Barnstable CountyMassachusetts

Barnstable County is a county in Massachusetts, with its seat in the town of Barnstable. The county was created in 1685 as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony.

Founded1685
County seatBarnstable
Named forBarnstable, Massachusetts
Land area394 sq mi + 911 sq mi water
Population228,996 2020 Census
Parcels mapped162,104 checked 15 October 2026

Open the free map Click any parcel in Barnstable County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Barnstable on the map of Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 14 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Massachusetts · Barnstable highlighted

History

Founded in 1685

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Barnstable County was created on June 2, 1685, as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony. In 1691, Barnstable continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter when Massachusetts Bay absorbed New Plymouth Colony. In 1707, the county lost the town of Rochester to Plymouth County.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1685
Barnstable County created Barnstable created as one of three original counties in New Plymouth Colony. 2 June 1685 · Ply. Laws, ch. 6/p. 19
1691
Changed Barnstable continued under the new Massachusetts Bay provincial charter issued by King William Iii and Queen Mary Ii; Massachusetts Bay absorbed New Plymouth Colony (no change).
IiiIi
7 October 1691 · Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 1, ch. 27 [1692-1693], sec. 1/p. 63; Swindler, 5:80
1707
Lost territory Barnstable lost town of Rochester to Plymouth.
to Plymouth
19 November 1707 · Mass. Col. Acts, vol. 21, ch. 60 [1707]/p. 755
1897
Boundary clarified Boundary between Barnstable and Plymouth was clarified in part when line between towns of Wareham and Bourne was clarified (no change).
with Plymouthno change
14 April 1897 · Mass. Acts 1897, ch. 281, sec. 1/p. 258

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Barnstable

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Good enough

Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 162,104 parcels from Cape Cod Commission. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026
Address points Official

One point per address, 198,106 in all from MassGIS.
checked 14 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Barnstable by the Census

Population

228,996 2020 Census count

Housing units

164,885 2020 Census count

Land area

394 square miles

Water area

911 square miles · 70% of the county, including large bodies of water

People per sq mi

581 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Barnstable County's official site

We have found the county's site but not its offices yet; start there.

In Massachusetts, permits, zoning and assessing are handled by each city or town, not the county, and deeds are recorded at the county's registry of deeds (search the registries).

County government

County government
The official website of Barnstable County.
barnstablecounty.org

See your own lot on these maps

Open Barnstable County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Barnstable County

When was Barnstable County founded?: Barnstable County was founded in 1685, and named after Barnstable, Massachusetts.
What is the county seat of Barnstable County?: The county seat of Barnstable County is Barnstable.
Is there an online parcel map for Barnstable County?: Yes. Cape Cod Commission publishes a parcel map of 162,104 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Barnstable County's boundary or name changed?: Barnstable County was created in 1685. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 1 later change, chiefly involving Plymouth County.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Barnstable County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby