Cranston, Rhode Island

Cranston, formerly known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The official population of the city in the 2020 United States Census was 82,934, making it the second-largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston. Cranston is a part of the Providence metropolitan area.

Cranston ranked 36th on the list of "America's 50 Best Cities to Live" in a 2014 survey done by 247wallst.com.

The Town of Cranston was created in 1754 from a portion of Providence north of the Pawtuxet River. After losing much of its territory to neighboring towns and the city of Providence, Cranston itself became a city on March 10, 1910.

History

Much of the land was purchased by Roger Williams from the Narragansett Indians in 1638 as part of the Pawtuxet Purchase, and the first settler in the area was William Arnold, who was followed shortly by William Harris, William Carpenter, and Zachariah Rhodes. Stephen Arnold, a brother-in-law of Rhodes and William Arnold, built a gristmill on the Pawtuxet Falls, and laid out the Arnold Road (modern-day Broad Street) connecting it to the Pequot Trail leading to Connecticut. Arnold's son Benedict Arnold became the first governor of Rhode Island under the charter of 1663. Residents were unable to agree upon a name for a new town for decades, and the Town of Cranston was eventually created by the General Assembly in 1754 from a portion of Providence north of the Pawtuxet River. Historians debate whether the town was named after Governor Samuel Cranston, the longest-serving Rhode Island governor, or his grandson Thomas Cranston, who was serving as speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives at the time that the town was created. In the early 1770s, town meetings were held at the taverns of Caleb Arnold and Nehemiah Knight, where residents voted in favor of a resolution opposing the British Parliament's Coercive Acts; the town heavily supported the Patriot cause during the Revolutionary War. The town lost much of its territory to neighboring towns and the city of Providence over the 19th century, and Cranston became a city on March 10, 1910.

Many Italian Americans in Cranston are descended from immigrants of Itri, Italy, who settled mainly in the Knightsville section of Cranston during the early 1900s. Cranston is known for the St. Mary's Feast, inspired by the Feast of the Madonna della Civita celebrated in Itri. Since 1905, the St. Mary's Feast has been a week-long festival celebrated in July in Cranston with vendors, a carnival, fireworks, and a religious procession from St. Mary's Church on Sunday. In 2000, Cranston and Itri became sister cities.

For many years, Cranston was the third-largest city in Rhode Island, after Providence and Warwick, both of which it borders, but in 2017, it surpassed Warwick to take second place. Though Cranston's overall population density was already much greater than the geographically larger Warwick, a major factor contributing to its growth has been a large and semirural section west of Interstate 295, which has seen a high volume of housing development in recent years; Warwick has significantly less open land available for development.

Flood of 2010

The Pawtuxet River overflowed in March 2010 after an overwhelming amount of rain. This caused many major sites to be shut down and repaired, such as the Warwick Mall, Contour Dental Laboratories, and the CLCF Building.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (4.54%) are covered by water.
The city occupies roughly three percent of Rhode Island's total land mass.

These neighborhoods and villages are located in Cranston:

* Alpine Estates
* Apple Hill Estates
* Arlington
* Bellefonte
* Castleton Estates
* Auburn
* Dean Estates
* Eden Park
* Edgewood
* Fiskeville (also in Scituate)
* Forest Hills
* Friendly Community
* Garden City
* Garden Hills
* Glen Woods
* Hillside Farms
* Howard
* Jackson (also in Scituate)
* Knightsville
* Laurel Hill
* Meshanticut
* Oakhill Terrace
* Oak Lawn
* Orchard Valley Estates
* Pawtuxet Village (also in Warwick)
* Pontiac
* Stadium
* Thornton (this includes part of Johnston)
* Webster
* Westend
* Western Hills Village
* Woodridge

Demographics

2020

The 2020 United States census counted 82,934 people, 32,676 households, and 19,522 families in Cranston. The population density was 2,925.9 per square mile (1,129.7/km). The 34,182 housing units had an average density of 1,205.9 per square mile (465.6/km). The racial makeup was 68.14% White (65.66% non-Hispanic White), 5.65% Black or African American, 0.58% Native American or Alaska Native, 6.99% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 9.99% from other races, and 8.59% (7,126) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race was 18.17% (15,067) of the population.

Of the 32,676 households, 27.9% had children under 18, 43.7% were married couples living together, and 31.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present; 30.0% of households consisted of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 25.0% of the population.

The city's age distribution was 19.0% under 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 41.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 104.9 males. For every 100 females 18 and older, there were 106.4 males.

The 2016-2020 five-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $74,425 (with a margin of error of +/- $3,217) and the median family income was $89,180 (+/- $3,837). Males had a median income of $51,447 (+/- $2,606) versus $35,032 (+/- $2,123) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $42,882 (+/- $1,971). Approximately, 4.1% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under the age of 18 and 8.8% of those ages 65 or over.

The most common Hispanic background in Cranston is Dominican American and Guatemalan American, reflective of Rhode Island's Latino population as a whole. Also, a relatively large Cambodian American population is centered around Park and Pontiac Avenues in the center of the city. Italian Americans are still the predominant ethnicity throughout Cranston, numbered at 38% of the population. This gives Cranston one of the largest Italian-American communities in the United States, similar to neighboring Johnston and North Providence, Rhode Island.

Economy

Companies with corporate headquarters in Cranston include jewelry maker Alex and Ani and Coastway Community Bank. The first Del's Lemonade stand was opened in Cranston in 1948.

Arts and culture

Sites

The first automobile race track in the country, Narragansett Park, located off Park Avenue, opened at present-day Stadium Ball Field in 1867 as a trotting track.

The Budlong Pool, located at 198 Aqueduct Road, off Reservoir Avenue (part of RI 2), is the city's only public pool. Budlong, which is much larger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool, was built in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration project. The pool was closed in 2019 after an architect's report stated that the pool was "close to the end of its serviceable life” and would cost $2 million to repair. The pool has since become a subject of political debate in the city. Mayor Ken Hopkins proposed in 2023 to completely replace the aging structure with a new, $3.5-million redesign, which at 7,000 square feet, would be one-third the current size. About 2,000 Cranston residents signed a petition opposing the project.

Sprague Mansion, an 18th-century homestead, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Thomas Fenner House, built around 1677, is one of the oldest houses in Rhode Island. Edgewood Yacht Club has long been popular among local sailors, and is an historic landmark located on the Providence River.

Sports

Little League

* 1996 United States Champions (CWLL)
* 2015 New England Champions (CWLL)

Government

The Rhode Island Department of Corrections has its headquarters and its adult prison facilities in Cranston. The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families operates the Rhode Island Training School (RITS), a juvenile correctional facility, in Cranston. The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles is headquartered in Cranston.

The City of Cranston operates under a mayor-council form of government. General city elections are held on the first Tuesday next after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years. Terms for elected officials begin on the first Monday in January of the year following their election. The City Council consists of nine members: six representing each of the City wards, and three city-wide representatives. Council members are elected to a two-year term, and are limited to five consecutive two-year terms. The current Cranston city council president is Jessica M. Marino, a city-wide representative and first woman to hold the office. The council elected for the 2025-2027 term has a 5-4 Democratic majority.

The current mayor, Kenneth J. Hopkins, was sworn in on January 6, 2025, following his re-election to a second four-year term in November 2024. Hopkins succeeded Mayor Allan Fung, the state's first Asian-American mayor, who served four terms from 2009 to 2021. , mayors may be elected to no more than two consecutive four-year terms.

In the Rhode Island Senate, Cranston is split into four senatorial districts, all represented by Democrats: Todd M. Patalano (District 26), Hanna M. Gallo (District 27), Lammis J. Vargas (District 28), and Matthew LaMountain (District 31). The city is divided into all or parts of nine Rhode Island House of Representatives districts, including Districts 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 41, and 42. At the federal level, Cranston is a part of Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district and is currently represented by Democrat Seth Magaziner.

In presidential elections, Cranston is reliably Democratic, as no Republican presidential nominee has won the city in over three decades. Donald Trump was the first Republican since George W. Bush in 2004 to cross 40%, as well as having the best showing in 2024.

Education

The school district is Cranston School District.

Public high schools:
* Cranston High School East
* Cranston High School West

Public middle schools:

*Western Hills Middle School
*Hugh B. Bain Middle School
*Park View Middle School
*Hope Highlands Middle School

Public elementary schools:

*Arlington Elementary School
*Chester Barrows Elementary School
*William R. Dutemple Elementary School
*Eden Park Elementary School
*Edgewood Highlands Elementary School
*Garden City Elementary School
*Gladstone Elementary School
*Glen Hills Elementary School
*Oak Lawn Elementary School
*Orchard Farms Elementary School
*George J. Peters Elementary School
*Edward S. Rhodes Elementary School
*Stadium Elementary School
*Stone Hill Elementary School
*Daniel D. Waterman Elementary School
*Woodridge Elementary School

Other public schools:
*Cranston Area Career And Technical Center

Private schools:
*Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School ( Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence)
* Saint Paul School

School committee

The Cranston School Committee consists of seven nonpartisan members, six representing each of the city wards and one city-wide representative. Committee members are elected at city general elections to a two-year term, and , members are limited to five consecutive two-year terms. The current Cranston School Committee chairperson is Domenic F. Fusco, Jr., the Ward 3 representative.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Four freeways travel through Cranston: I-95, I-295, RI 10 (the Huntington Expressway), and RI 37. Other state-numbered roads in Cranston are US 1, US 1A, RI 2, RI 5, RI 12, RI 33, RI 51, RI 115, and RI 117.

Cranston is served by Rhode Island Public Transit Authority buses. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor passes through, but has no station in the city. The MBTA's Providence/Stoughton Line also passes through, but does not include a station in Cranston, but a station stop has been proposed. Currently, the nearest MBTA stations are in Providence and Warwick at T.F. Green Airport, the former which is also served by Amtrak.

Notable people

In popular culture

* Quahog, Rhode Island, the primary setting of the animated sitcom ''Family Guy'', is modeled after Cranston according to the show's creator Seth MacFarlane.

Sister cities

* Itri, Lazio, Italy

Friendship cities

* Stepanakert, Artsakh

See also

*

Notes

References

External links

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{{Authority control

Cities in Providence County, Rhode Island
Cities in Rhode Island
Populated coastal places in Rhode Island
Providence metropolitan area