Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, it is one of the oldest cities in New England, founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. He named the area in honor of "God's merciful Providence" which he believed was responsible for revealing such a haven for him and his followers. The city developed as a busy port, as it is situated at the mouth of the Providence River at the head of Narragansett Bay.
Providence | |
|---|---|
State capital city | |
Downtown Providence skyline Weybosset Street | |
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Flag Seal | |
| Nickname(s): The Creative Capital, the Renaissance City, the Divine City, PVD, Prov | |
| Motto: "What Cheer?" | |
Interactive map of Providence | |
| Coordinates: 41°49′25″N 71°25′20″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Providence |
| Region | New England |
| Settled | 1636 |
| Incorporated (city) | November 5, 1832 |
| Founded by | Roger Williams |
| Named for | Divine providence |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Body | Providence City Council |
| • Mayor | Brett Smiley (D) |
| Area | |
| • State capital city | 20.58 sq mi (53.31 km2) |
| • Land | 18.41 sq mi (47.67 km2) |
| • Water | 2.18 sq mi (5.64 km2) |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • State capital city | 190,934 |
| • Rank | US: 134th |
| • Density | 10,373.47/sq mi (4,005.25/km2) |
| • Urban | 1,285,806 (US: 39th) |
| • Urban density | 2,362.5/sq mi (912.2/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,676,579 (US: 38th) |
| GDP | |
| • MSA | $105.561 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 02901–02912, 02918-02919, 02940 |
| Area code | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-59000 |
| Website | www |
Providence was one of the first cities in the country to industrialize and became noted for its textile manufacturing and subsequent machine tool, jewelry, and silverware industries. Today, the city of Providence is home to eight hospitals and eight institutions of higher learning which have shifted the city's economy into service industries, though it still retains some manufacturing activity.
At the 2020 census, Providence had a population of 190,934, making it the third-most-populous city in New England after Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts. The Providence metropolitan area is the second largest metropolitan area in New England by a large margin with over 1.6 million residents, nearly 30-percent larger than metro Hartford.