Westport is a shoreline community that appeals to both year-long and summer residents. Just west of Cape Cod, Westport lies directly on Buzzard's Bay in a natural cove securely between Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and the eastern edge of Rhode Island. This location offers beautiful beach and waterfront areas and the surrounding...
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Westport is a shoreline community that appeals to both year-long and summer residents. Just west of Cape Cod, Westport lies directly on Buzzard's Bay in a natural cove securely between Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and the eastern edge of Rhode Island. This location offers beautiful beach and waterfront areas and the surrounding countryside includes a number of freshwater bodies: Watuppa Pond and Sawdy Pond, and the east and west branches of the Westport River and its estuary.
Westport's rich water resources have played a crucial role in its history and development. Long ago, Westport Point was favored by the Native Wampanoag people as a summer encampment, called "Pacquachuck" or "cleared hill". The elders of Plymouth Colony purchased the land in the 1650's and subsequently sold it in parcels to Quakers and Baptists. These new settlers, now free from Puritan persecution at Plymouth found Westport a bountiful area where they engaged in fishing and farming. The stretch of coast has been a major asset of the community where ships left to find whales or run rum. For most of Westport's history though, the economic mainstay was agriculture and fishing. Westport's land and the coast therefore, has resisted development and the area's natural beauty is in tact.
More recently, Westport's unique location on the Bay has been successful in drawing residents and visitors who can't resist the white sand and dunes of Horseneck, Cherry and Webb Beaches. Though Westport is home to 14,000 permanent residents, the community has been attracting a vacation population since the 1960's when Interstate 195 and Route 88 extended to provide increased access to Westport and the coast. Homes are surprisingly affordable in this scenic community. Modest traditional style cottages are offered at the most reasonable prices for the area, while housing prices can rise dramatically for spectacular oceanfront homes.
In August 2008, the average home sales price for a single family home or condo in Westport, MA was $437,125. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
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