Onset, Massachusetts
Onset is a community of 1,380 people in Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
Why visit Onset
Townapedia lists 5 museums and landmarks, 24 parks and trails, 6 places to eat, 1 place to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Bourne Highway Bridge, Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, Aptucxet Trading Post Museum and Gypsy.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 81°F; January lows average 22°F, and about 37 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Onset
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Onset
Onset is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Wareham, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 census, Onset had a population of 1,617.
From the Wikipedia article Onset, Massachusetts (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Bourne Highway Bridge
Bridge · 3.4 mi
Bridge in Bourne, Massachusetts
Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge
Bridge · 2.8 mi
Movable railroad bridge in Massachusetts
Museums and landmarks5
Aptucxet Trading Post Museum
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
American historical museum in Massachusetts
Gypsy
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic catboat (type of sailboat)
Tobey Homestead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic house in Massachusetts, United States
Tremont Nail Factory District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic district in Massachusetts, United States
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Bourne Town Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Parks, trails and playgrounds24
12 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes6
Subway
Fast food · Sandwich · 1.0 mi
2890 Cranberry Highway, East Wareham
Mo-Fr 08:00-20:00; Sa 08:00-20:30; Su 08:00-20:00
History
Onset was developed in the 1880s as a summer camp meeting for Spiritualists. Many of the existing cottages in Onset were built as second homes for individuals from Boston, Taunton, Brockton and other northeastern cities who gathered to hear mediums communicate with the dead. While it was run by the Spiritualists, the village was known as Onset Bay Grove.
From the History section of Onset, Massachusetts on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay1
Churches and places of worship1
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries14
Healthcare1
Map of Onset
61 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 39°F | 22°F | 4.2 in | 12.9 in |
| Feb | 40°F | 22°F | 3.7 in | 9.2 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 28°F | 5.6 in | 7.3 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 37°F | 4.6 in | 1.3 in |
| May | 66°F | 48°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 57°F | 3.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 81°F | 64°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 63°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 55°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 44°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 53°F | 35°F | 4.5 in | 0.2 in |
| Dec | 44°F | 27°F | 5.0 in | 6.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for E Wareham (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Plymouth County has had 20 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2023-09-15: Hurricane Lee (Hurricane)
- 2022-04-18: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-06-25: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2015-04-13: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Cape Cod Coast Guard Air Station (FMH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 9 miles away.
- Buzzards Bay 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Bourne 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Monument Beach 4 mi southeast, about 6 min by car
- Marion Center 6 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- North Falmouth 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Mattapoisett Center 8 mi southwest, about 13 min by car
- New Bedford 15 mi west, about 24 min by car
- North Lakeville 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Barnstable Town 17 mi east, about 27 min by car
- Fall River 22 mi west, about 35 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Onset Beach, David M. Green, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greetings from Onset, Cape Cod, Massachusetts - Large Letter Postcard (5274375730), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Onset Avenue streetcars postcard, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- The Square, Onset, Massachusetts - 1919 postcard, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- 1912 postcard of Onset Avenue and streetcar station, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Streetcar on Onset Avenue, Onset - postcard, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Greetings from Onset Bay, Massachusetts - Large Letter Postcard (8619267296), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Onset station postcard (2), Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Onset station 1910 postcard, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Onset Junction station postcard, Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Aptucxet Trading Post 1, Vejlenser, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tremont Nail Wareham, Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger), Public domain
- WarehamMA TobeyHomestead, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- WarehamMA WitchCatboat 2, User:Magicpiano, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bourne MA Town Hall, T.S. Custadio aka ToddC4176 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cape Cod Canal - Railroad Bridge, Jpo at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Water Wizz Cape Cod Community Event Booth, WaterWizz54, CC0
- Lead Lifeguard Team at Water Wizz Cape Cod, WaterWizz54, CC0
- Freestyle Trading Co. Gift Shop at Water Wizz Cape Cod, WaterWizz54, CC0
- Lazy River Fun & Thrilling Slides at Water Wizz Cape Cod, WaterWizz54, CC0
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