Cranston, Rhode Island

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 was named one of the "100 Best Places to Live" in the United States by Money in 2006. 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 nineteenth 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%) is 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
Laurel Hill
Howard
Jackson (also in Scituate)
Knightsville
Meshanticut
Oakhill Terrace
Oak Lawn
Orchard Valley Estates
Pontiac
Stadium
Thornton (this includes part of Johnston)
Pawtuxet Village (also in Warwick)
Webster
Westend
Woodridge
Western Hills Village
Demographics
2020
As of the 2020 US Census, 82,934 people lived in the city. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 18.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 65.4% of the population. The racial makeup of the city was 78.78% White, 6.34% African American, 0.50% Native American, 6.23% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 4.6% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races.
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.
2010
As of the 2010 US Census, 80,387 people resided in the city. The racial makeup of the village was 81.93% White, 5.26% African American, 0.32% Native American, 5.17% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.6% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 10.83% of the population.
1990 census
As of the census of 1990, 79,269 people, 30,954 households, and 20,243 families lived in the city of Cranston. The population density was 2,774.6 persons per square mile (1,071.3/km2). The 32,068 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 89.19% White, 3.69% African American, 0.30% Native American, 3.28% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.93% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 4.56% of the population.
Of the 30,954 households, 28.7% had children under 18 living with them, 49.2% were married couples living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were not families. About 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.41, and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city, the age distribution was 21.6% under 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females of age 18 or over, there were 92.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $44,108, and for a family was $55,241. Males had a median income of $40,031 versus $28,279 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,978. About 5.6 of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under 18 and 8.5% of those 65 or older.
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 auto 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. 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 popular among local sailors and is a 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. Ward 1 Councilmember Lammis J. Vargas is the Vice President. The council elected for the 2023-2025 term had a 5-4 Democratic majority, but, after a special election to replace a vacated GOP seat, the council achieved a 6-3 Democratic majority.
The current mayor, Kenneth J. Hopkins, was sworn in on January 4, 2021, following his election to a four-year term in November 2020. 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: Frank S. Lombardi (District 26), Hanna M. Gallo (District 27), Joshua Miller (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.
Education
Cranston High School East
Cranston High School West
Cranston Area Career And Technical Center
Western Hills Middle School
Hugh B. Bain Middle School
Park View Middle School
Hope Highlands Middle School
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
Immaculate Conception Catholic Regional School
Oak Lawn Elementary School
Orchard Farms Elementary School
George J. Peters Elementary School
Edward S. Rhodes Elementary School
Saint Paul School
Stadium Elementary School
Stone Hill Elementary School
Daniel D. Waterman Elementary School
Woodridge Elementary 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 Michael Traficante, a city-wide 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
City website
Cities in Providence County, Rhode Island
Cities in Rhode Island
Populated coastal places in Rhode Island
Providence metropolitan area