Orleans Real Estate

Unlike some of its more remote neighbors, Orleans is considered a year-round community.  Residents range from vacationers with second homes to young families and retirees, all of whom enjoy the diverse mix of shops, restaurants, and other conveniences.  Orleans is also home to Nauset Beach, distinguished by big waves and long stretches of white sand as well as spectacular sunsets.  Read more about Orleans real estate.

Orleans Homes For Sale

More About Orleans Real Estate

Orleans History

Orleans was first settled in the late 1600s by Pilgrims from the Plymouth Colony who were dissatisfied with the poor soil condition further north.  Captured twice by the British during the Revolutionary War, Orleans was named in honor of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orleans in recognition of France’s support for the Thirteen Colonies during the War.  Early town organizers specifically avoided selecting a British or “English” name and Orleans lives on as the town name to this day.  Windmills dotting the landscape are a testament to the area’s early reliance on salt-making as a major industry – the windmills were used to pump salt water into shallow vaults for evaporation.  The Jonathan Young Windmill on Route 28 is a popular icon of this earlier time.

Orleans Housing

Housing stock includes both year-round homes ranging from Cape Cod-style properties to ranches and stately colonials.  Orleans also features a number of waterfront estates and oversized “cottages” that provide magnificent views of the harbor as well as deeded pond rights.  Along with Brewster, Eastham, and Wellfleet, Orleans belongs to the Nauset Regional School District set against the backdrop of the National Seashore and Nauset Light house.  Each town operates an elementary school for their own students and then combines middle and high school students in the regional school.

Orleans Location

Orleans is located in the Lower Cape and has frontage on both the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cod Bay.  It is bordered by Eastham to the west,  Brewster to the east and Harwich to the southeast.  It is located 36 miles east of the Sagamore Bridge and 90 miles southeast of Boston.

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