Tides across the Cape
Updated every six minutes from NOAA's Tides & Currents service. Six stations cover the bay, sound, and outer shore — pick yours below or scan all six.
Wellfleet
#84472956 NOAA stations, side by side
Tides vary by an hour or more between the bay and the sound. Pick the station nearest your beach.
Why an hour matters
The Cape sticks out into open Atlantic, with Cape Cod Bay tucked behind it. Bay tides lag the outer shore by roughly an hour and a half, and the sound side runs lower amplitude — usually under three feet, where the bay routinely swings six.
For sandbar walking (Skaket, First Encounter, Sandy Neck) aim for the two hours either side of low tide. For body-surfing the outer beaches (Marconi, Nauset Light, White Crest) high tide brings the cleanest waves but the smallest beach.