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Woods Hole
Woods HoleLocation of Woods Hole within MassachusettsShow map of MassachusettsWoods HoleWoods Hole (the United States)Show map of the United States
Coordinates	41°31′00″N 70°40′58″W / 41.5167755°N 70.6828079°W / 41.5167755; -70.6828079
Part of	Atlantic Ocean

Woods Hole is a strait in Massachusetts separating the Elizabeth Islands from the village of Woods Hole on the mainland of Cape Cod. It is one of four straits allowing maritime passage between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound. The others are Canapitsit Channel, Robinson's Hole and Quick's Hole. Woods Hole is often referred to as Woods Hole Passage to distinguish it from the village of Woods Hole, which is itself named after the passage.

Woods Hole is a naturally occurring, rocky, and treacherous passage, with shallow rocky areas scattered along both sides of the channel. The current is often strong running between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, mostly flowing at around 4 knots and occasionally as fast as 7 knots. The eastern (Vineyard Sound) side of the channel also splits into a southern branch, known as Broadway, which flows closer to Nonamesset Island.

Etymology

The origin of the strait's name is unknown. Several similar straits in the area are also referred to as "holes", but this term is not used in the U.S. outside of the Cape and Islands. The source of "Woods" is also hazy but is believed to have been derived from the possessive form of the name of a Wampanoag living in the area during English colonization of Cape Cod in the 17th century. There is a possibility that Woods Hole was named after a colonist, but it is unlikely to have been a reference to woods, in the sense of a forest.

References

"Woods Hole Passage". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2018-11-12.
"BSC Cruising Guide Woods Hole Navigation". Retrieved 12 March 2016.
"Why Woods Hole?" (PDF). Retrieved 15 March 2016.

v t e Coastal waterbodies of Massachusetts
Bays	Buzzards Bay Cape Cod Bay Dorchester Bay Duxbury Bay Hingham Bay Massachusetts Bay Mount Hope Bay Nahant Bay Narragansett Bay Plymouth Bay Popponesset Bay Quincy Bay Waquoit Bay
Channels	Broad Sound North Entrance Channel Canapitsit Channel Fort Point Channel Hypocrite Channel Salem Channel South Channel
Coves	Cat Cove Juniper Cove Orleans Cove Warren Cove
Harbors	Barnstable Harbor Boston Harbor East Harbor Hyannis Harbor Marblehead Harbor Plymouth Harbor Port of New Bedford Provincetown Harbor Rock Harbor Salem Harbor
River mouths	Annisquam River Back River Blackwater River Bass River Eagle Hill River Egypt River Fore River Ipswich River Jericho Creek Merrimack River Mitchell River Oyster Pond River Quashnet River Roger Island River Rowley River Skug River Tiasquam River Weir River
Sounds	Broad Sound Nantucket Sound Vineyard Sound
Straits	Quick's Hole Robinson's Hole Woods Hole

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