Chatham, Massachusetts

Chatham, Massachusetts
Town
Flag Seal
Location in Barnstable County and Massachusetts
Coordinates: 41°40′55″N 69°57′37″W / 41.68194°N 69.96028°W / 41.68194; -69.96028
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
County	Barnstable
Settled	1664
Incorporated	1712
Named After	Chatham, Kent
Communities	Chatham Chatham Port North Chatham Quitnesset South Chatham West Chatham
Government
• Type	Open town meeting
Area
• Total	24.4 sq mi (63.2 km2)
• Land	16.1 sq mi (41.8 km2)
• Water	8.3 sq mi (21.4 km2)
Elevation	46 ft (14 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	6,594
• Density	409/sq mi (157.8/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Code	02633
Area code	508/774
FIPS code	25-12995
GNIS feature ID	0618250
Website	www.chatham-ma.gov

Chatham (/ˈtʃætəm/) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Chatham is located at the southeastern tip of Cape Cod and has historically been a fishing community. First settled by the English in 1664, the township was originally called Monomoit based on the indigenous population's term for the region.^[1] Chatham was incorporated as a town on June 11, 1712, and has become a summer resort area. The population was 6,594 at the 2020 census, and can swell to 25,000 during the summer months.^[2] There are four villages that comprise the town, those being Chatham (CDP), South Chatham, North Chatham, and West Chatham. Chatham is home to the Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge, and the decommissioned Monomoy Point Light both located on Monomoy Island. A popular attraction is the Chatham Light, which is an operational lighthouse that is operated by the United States Coast Guard.