The Mayflower first made landfall at the tip of Cape Cod, in what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts, before the colonists went on to settle at Plymouth across the bay.

Quick Scoop: Short Answer

  • The ship’s first landing in North America was at Cape Cod (modern Provincetown Harbor) in November 1620.
  • A few weeks later, the settlers moved across Cape Cod Bay and founded the colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Cape Cod vs. Plymouth

  • Many people associate the phrase “where did Mayflower land” with Plymouth Rock, but historically the ship anchored and the Pilgrims first went ashore at Provincetown on Cape Cod.
  • Plymouth became famous because it was the site of the long-term settlement, while Provincetown marks the initial landfall and the signing of the Mayflower Compact.

Timeline in 1620

  1. Departed England in September 1620, aiming for the Virginia area.
  1. After storms and a long crossing, the Mayflower reached Cape Cod and anchored off what is now Provincetown Harbor.
  1. Over the following weeks, exploring parties crossed the bay and selected the site that became Plymouth, where the colony was established later that year.

So if someone asks “where did Mayflower land,” the most precise answer is: first at Cape Cod (Provincetown), then the permanent settlement at Plymouth, both in present-day Massachusetts.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.