Providence, Rhode Island
Providence | |
|---|---|
Downtown Providence skyline Weybosset Street | |
|
Flag Seal | |
| Nicknames: The Creative Capital, the Renaissance City, the Divine City, PVD, Prov | |
| Motto: "What Cheer?" | |
Interactive map of Providence | |
Providence Location within the United States Providence Location within Rhode Island | |
| Coordinates: 41°49′25″N 71°25′20″W / 41.82361°N 71.42222°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Rhode Island |
| County | Providence |
| Region | New England |
| Settled | 1636 |
| Incorporated (city) | November 5, 1832 |
| Founded by | Roger Williams |
| Named after | Divine providence |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council |
| • Body | Providence City Council |
| • Mayor | Brett Smiley (D) |
| Area | |
| 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 (3.0 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| 190,934 | |
| • Rank | US: 133rd |
| • Density | 10,373.5/sq mi (4,005.25/km2) |
| • Urban | 1,285,806 (US: 39th) |
| • Urban density | 2,363/sq mi (912.2/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,700,901 (US: 39th) |
| Demonym | Providentian |
| GDP | |
| • Metro | $111.840 billion (2023) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 02901–02912, 02918-02919, 02940 |
| Area code | 401 |
| FIPS code | 44-59000 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 1219851 |
| Website | providenceri.gov |
Providence (/ˈprɒvɪdəns/ ⓘ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is the third-most populous city in New England with a population of 190,934 at the 2020 census, while the Providence metropolitan area extending into Massachusetts has approximately 1.7 million residents, the 39th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. It is the county seat of Providence County.
Providence is one of the oldest cities in New England, founded in 1636 by Reformed Baptist theologian Roger Williams, a 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 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.