

The town of Barnstable is the largest of the Cape Cod towns, not only in area and population, but in commerce, travel, tourism, and most every other way. Barnstable's year-round population of about 50,000 nearly triples in the summer. Barnstable is also the seat of Barnstable County, which includes all of Cape Cod. Located on the 'bicep' of the Cape Cod 'arm', Barnstable spans the entire height of the Cape, from Cape Cod Bay on the north to Nantucket Sound on the south.
Barnstable consists of 7 unincorporated villages:
Osterville, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Cotuit,
West Barnstable, and Barnstable village.
The best known of all the villages is Hyannis,
which by itself could qualify as a city, with a significant
business/commercial district, shopping centers, an airport, ferry
connections to Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and more. It also
includes the Hyannisport area, well known as the site of the Kennedy
compound.
Barnstable is bordered on the west by Sandwich and Mashpee, and on the east by Yarmouth.