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Major city · United States

Chatham, MassachusettsChatham

Give Chatham 2 nights in late May–June or September: one for the Main Street village and lighthouse, one for a Monomoy seal trip. Skip it as a day trip in July–August.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
Late May–June, September–early October
avoid July–August weekends (traffic and parking), and mid-day Sunday departures
Airports
BOS · HYA · PVD
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.

Chatham sits at the elbow of Cape Cod, where Route 28 meets the Atlantic. It is a small town — about 6,600 residents — with a walkable Main Street, a working fish pier, a lighthouse beach and the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge offshore. Two nights covers it; three if you add a beach day or a whale-watch run from Provincetown. The reason to time it right is traffic: summer weekends turn Route 28 into a queue, and parking at the lighthouse fills by mid-morning.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Chatham, Massachusetts, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Sit-down mealSit-down dinner mainAdd 18–22% tip and Massachusetts meals tax.$25–45
  • BeerDraught beer in a bar$7–10
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–30
  • Budget bedMotel or inn double room, a night, per roomUS$120
  • Mid-range bedMotel or inn double room, a night, per roomUS$220
  • High-end bedMotel or inn double room, a night, per roomUS$450

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$160 · High US$300

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Chatham Light and Lighthouse BeachMonomoy National Wildlife Refuge and its sealsMain Street shops and the fish pierCape Cod Baseball League at Veterans' Field
Airports
BOS Boston Logan International (About 2 h by car via Route 3 and Route 6; the fastest option with a car.) · HYA Cape Cod Gateway (Hyannis) (About 40 min by car; small airport with limited seasonal service — check routes.) · PVD Rhode Island T.F. Green (About 2 h by car; useful if Logan fares are high.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Chatham, Massachusetts: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C

−4°C

11 rd

Feb

4°C

−4°C

10 rd

Mar

7°C

−1°C

11 rd

Apr

12°C

4°C

11 rd

May

17°C

9°C

11 rd

Jun

22°C

14°C

10 rd

Jul

26°C

18°C

9 rd

Aug

26°C

18°C

9 rd

Sep

22°C

14°C

9 rd

Oct

17°C

9°C

10 rd

Nov

12°C

4°C

11 rd

Dec

7°C

−1°C

12 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

A car is the practical choice: sights spread over 8 km of Route 28 and the beaches have no rail link. In the village you can walk Main Street end to end in about 20 minutes. Taxis and ride-hail exist but are thin in the evening — book ahead. Bicycles work on the Old Colony Rail Trail toward Harwich.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Harwich Port

go

Door to door: About 20 min

Drive Route 28 west, about 15 min

Beaches and a small harbour; pairs well with a Chatham afternoon.

Orleans

go

Door to door: About 25 min

Drive Route 28 east, about 20 min

Gateway to Nauset Beach and the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Brewster

go

Door to door: About 35 min

Drive Route 6A west, about 30 min

Ponds, a museum and the rail trail; good on a cloudy day.

Provincetown

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive Route 6 north, about 1 h

Whale-watch boats and the national seashore; a full day, and summer traffic can double the drive.

Bostonskip

Door to door: 2–2.5 h

Drive Route 6 and Route 3, or bus from Hyannis

Too far for a day return; make it a separate stop.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Main Street / village centre

Walk to shops, restaurants and the fish pier. Best for a car-free evening; book months ahead in summer.

Shore Road and Lighthouse Beach

Waterfront inns and the big resort; 15–20 min walk to Main Street.

Route 28 west (West Chatham)

Motels with parking at the door; 5–10 min drive to the centre, cheaper in shoulder season.

North Chatham and Old Harbor Road

Quieter B&Bs and inns; 5 min drive to the village.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$90–150 excl. bed
Mid
$150–260 excl. bed
High
$260+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel or inn double room1 × 2 nights × US$220US$440
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × US$160US$640
Rental car, one day1 × US$90US$90
Monomoy Island Ferry seal tour, per person2 × US$40US$80
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$15US$30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$128
Trip total≈ US$352 per person per day, bed includedUS$1,408

Summer weekends run at the top of the band; shoulder season drops sharply.

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax is added at checkout and Cape Cod lodging tax applies to beds. Flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Lobster rollFried-seafood baskets and chowder run lower.$25–35
Sit-down dinner mainAdd 18–22% tip and Massachusetts meals tax.$25–45
Draught beer in a bar$7–10
Beach or lighthouse parkingTown sticker rules change by lot; check posted signs at the lot.$0–25 per day
eSIM or data SIM, about a week$10–30

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Very safe for a US beach town; the real risks are rip currents and sharks near the seal colonies, summer traffic, and ticketed parking on Main Street.
  • Summer weekend traffic on Route 28 can add an hour; leave before 9am or after 6pm.
  • Lighthouse Beach parking is small and the overlook has a 30-minute limit — arrive early or walk in.
  • Park inside the lines on Main Street; the town tickets aggressively.
  • Seals at Monomoy mean great white sharks offshore — swim at lifeguarded beaches only and follow posted warnings.
  • Many restaurants and inns close or cut hours from November to April; check before booking a winter trip.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Chatham, MassachusettsChatham

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No consulates in Chatham; nearest are in Boston. Check your country's Boston consulate or embassy for hours.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Taxi, Chatham village to Lighthouse Beach: about $10–15, 5 min
  • Rental car, one day: $60–150 plus fuel
  • Monomoy Island Ferry seal tour: about $40 per person, 90 min

Say or show

  • Thank you — Thank you
  • The check, please — The check, please
  • Where is the beach parking? — Where is the beach parking?
  • Is this seat taken? — Is this seat taken?

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% for taxis.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Chatham, Massachusetts. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Late May–June, September–early October · avoid July–August weekends (traffic and parking), and mid-day Sunday departures · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for BOS, HYA and PVD: last transfers, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Main Street, the fish pier and lighthouse, Old Harbor, West Chatham.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Chatham Light, Atwood House Museum, Godfrey Windmill, Monomoy ferry) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Summer-weekend and storm-arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources