Yarmouth is one of 15 coastal towns in Barnstable County. Bordered on the north by Cape Cod Bay, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean and to the south by Nantucket Sound, Cape Cod is the easternmost point of land in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. With over 550 miles of shoreline and more than 360 lakes and ponds, the maritime heritage of the region is deeply rooted. The nearly 400 square miles of land are home to more than 200,000 year-round residents, swelling to more than three times that number during the peak summer months.

Students attend schools in the Dennis-Yarmouth Regional School System that serves the area's 4,500 students at six public schools including four elementary and one high- and middle-school. More than 80% of the 1999 graduating class planned on attending college. Cape Cod Community College in neighboring Barnstable Village is ranked one of the best-run two-year colleges in the state. The town is also a partner in the Cape Cod Regional Technical High School located in Harwich. There are three libraries located in the town, one located in each village.

For those interested in the theater, the Cape Cod Playhouse in neighboring Dennis Village plays host to many popular musicals during the summer. The Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis offers concerts and other events all summer long and attracts many national and international stars.

While it may be known as a tourist destination, Yarmouth has a strong economic base. Both Federal Express and UPS have distribution centers and the city is also home to several financial institutions, computer support companies, architectural companies, law offices and engineering firms, dozens of real estate offices, insurance agencies, printing companies and various retail and rental outlets.

Yarmouth's highway network consists of three major east-west arteries. Route 6A to the North, Route 28 to the South and the Mid-Cape Highway, Route 6, which is the only limited access highway to the town. The Barnstable Municipal Airport provides air services to most major cities in New England and to the Islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The Steam Ship Authority operates year-round ferry service to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The ferry acts as the lifeline to the Islands and carries both passengers and freight from Hyannis and Woods Hole in Falmouth.