Cranston, formerly known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. Its official population 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; it is a part of the Providence metropolitan area.
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 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's, 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 could not agree on 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 when 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.Steven Frias, Cranston and Its Mayors: A History (The History Press, 2011) pg. 10-20Historic District Commission "History of Cranston" http://www.cranstonri.com/generalpage.php?page=94
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 its 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 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 3% 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 Oak-Hill 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
Racial and ethnic composition {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |+Cranston city, Rhode Island – racial and ethnic composition !Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) ! !2010 !2000 !1990 !1980 |- |White alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |65.7%(54,454) |77.2%(62,055) |87.2%(69,104) |93.8%(71,323) |98.2%(70,709) |- |Black alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |4.9%(4,048) |4.5%(3,654) |3.2%(2,574) |2.2%(1,657) |0.8%(549) |- |American Indian alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.3%(212) |0.2%(200) |0.3%(211) |0.2%(133) |0%(21) |- |Asian alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |6.9%(5,693) |5.1%(4,110) |3.3%(2,591) | |1.7%(1,324) | |0.3%(246) |- |Pacific Islander alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |0%(22) |0%(33) |0%(23) |- |Other race alone (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |0.6%(509) |0.3%(242) |0.2%(174) |0.1%(91) |0.1%(55) |- |Multiracial (NH) |style='background: #ffffe6; |3.5%(2,929) |1.7%(1,384) |1.2%(979) |— |— |- |Hispanic/Latino (any race) |style='background: #ffffe6; |18.2%(15,067) |10.8%(8,709) |4.6%(3,613) |2%(1,532) |0.6%(412)
2020 census As of the 2020 census, Cranston had a population of 82,934, 32,676 households, and 19,522 families, and the median age was 41.2 years; 19.0% of residents were under 18, 8.6% were 18 to 24, 26.9% were 25 to 44, 27.3% were 45 to 64, and 18.2% were 65 or older. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males, and for every 100 females 18 and over, there were 94.0 males age 18 and over. About 99.4% of the residents lived in urban areas, while 0.6% lived in rural areas. 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). Of the 32,676 households in Cranston, 27.9% had children under 18 living in them, 43.7% were married-couple households, 17.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 31.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present; about 30.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. Of the 34,182 housing units, 4.4% were vacant, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 1.0% and a rental vacancy rate of 3.7%. The 2016–2020 five-year American Community Survey estimates reported the average household size was 2.5 and the average family size was 3.2. The percent of those 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 25.0% of the population. The 2016–2020 ACS 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). The median income for those above 16 years old was $42,882 (+/- $1,971). About 4.1% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.2% of those under 18 and 8.8% of those 65 or over. 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]. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 18.17% (15,067) of the population. + Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percentage White 56,514 68.1% Black or African American 4,683 5.6% American Indian and Alaska Native 485 0.6% Asian 5,799 7.0% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander 45 0.1% Some other race 8,282 10.0% Two or more races 7,126 8.6% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 15,067 18.2% The most reported ancestries in 2020 were: Italian (24.7%) Irish (16.1%) English (10.7%) Dominican (7.4%) French (6.2%) Portuguese (5.8%) German (4.7%) Puerto Rican (2.9%) Cambodian (2.6%) Guatemalan (2.5%)
The most common Hispanic background in Cranston is Dominican American and Puerto Rican, 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. Its headquarters are currently located off of the Oak-Hill Terrace neighborhood.
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.Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America by Charles Leerhsen
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
+ Cranston city vote by party in presidential elections YearGOPDEMOthers202445.67% 18,63851.88% 21,1682.45% 1000202042.22% 17,31356.12% 23,0391.71% 701201643.30% 15,93450.99% 18,7635.70% 2,099201237.20% 13,00861.16% 21,3881.64% 574200837.72% 13,98160.76% 22,5201.51% 561200440.95% 14,47157.54% 20,3311.51% 532200031.00% 10,42063.09% 21,2045.90% 1,984199626.71% 9,09861.37% 20,90111.92% 4,059199231.45% 12,45046.96% 18,58921.59% 8,549198846.33% 17,12953.32% 19,7110.35% 128
The Rhode Island Department of Corrections has its headquarters and its adult prison facilities in Cranston."Contact Us ." Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Retrieved on December 7, 2009. The Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families operates the Rhode Island Training School, a juvenile correctional facility, in Cranston. The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles is headquartered in Cranston."DLLR's Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning." Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Retrieved on August 23, 2010.
The City of Cranston operates under a mayor-council form of government. General city elections are held on the first Tuesday 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, one representing each of the city's six wards, and three city-wide representatives. Council members are elected to a two-year term, and are limited to five consecutive terms. The current Cranston city council president is Daniel Wall. The council elected for the 2025–2027 term has a 5–4 Democratic majority.