Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in
Providence CountyProvidence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of 2000, the population was 621,602. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Providence County, in the city of Cranston . It is the 93rd most populous county in the United States.-History:Providence County...
,
Rhode IslandRhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With a population of 79,269 at the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, it is the third largest city in the state. The
center of populationIn demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region, on average. Mathematically, it corresponds to the geometric median of the inhabitants.- Determination :...
of Rhode Island is located in Cranston
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt. Cranston is a part of the
Providence metropolitan areaThe Providence metropolitan area is a region covering six counties in two states, and is the 37th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Anchored by the city of Providence, Rhode Island, it has an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%. The...
.
Cranston was named one of the "100 Best Places to Live" in the United States by Money magazine in 2006
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL4419180.html.
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in
Providence CountyProvidence County is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of 2000, the population was 621,602. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Providence County, in the city of Cranston . It is the 93rd most populous county in the United States.-History:Providence County...
,
Rhode IslandRhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. With a population of 79,269 at the
2000 censusThe Twenty-Second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, it is the third largest city in the state. The
center of populationIn demographics, the center of population of a region is the geographical point nearest to all the inhabitants of that region, on average. Mathematically, it corresponds to the geometric median of the inhabitants.- Determination :...
of Rhode Island is located in Cranston
http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt. Cranston is a part of the
Providence metropolitan areaThe Providence metropolitan area is a region covering six counties in two states, and is the 37th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Anchored by the city of Providence, Rhode Island, it has an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%. The...
.
Cranston was named one of the "100 Best Places to Live" in the United States by Money magazine in 2006
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL4419180.html. It is among the top 25 safest cities in the country, according to
CQ PressCQ Press, a division of SAGE Publications, publishes books, directories, periodicals, and electronic products on American government and politics, with an expanding list in international affairs and journalism and mass communication....
's research.
Geography
Cranston is located at (41.773200, -71.453289).
According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data. As part of the United States Department of Commerce, the Census Bureau serves as the leading source of quality data about...
, the city has a total area of 29.9 square miles (77.5 km²), of which, 28.6 square miles (74.0 km²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.5 km²) of it (4.54%) is water.
The following neighborhoods are located in Cranston:
- Alpine Estates
- Arlington
- Bellefonte
- Castleton
- Auburn
Auburn is an urban neighborhood in the east-central part of Cranston, Rhode Island....
- Dean Estates
- Eden Park
- Edgewood
Edgewood is located in eastern Cranston, Rhode Island. It borders Warwick to the southwest, Providence to the north, and Narragansett Bay to the east. To the south it borders Pawtuxet Village....
- Fiskeville
Fiskeville is a small village in the south west corner of Cranston, Rhode Island, United States, and also reaching into the south east corner of the Town of Scituate, Rhode Island. Its Main Street forms the border between the two municipalities....
(also in ScituateScituate is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,324 at the 2000 census.-History:Scituate was first settled in 1710 by emigrants from Scituate, Massachusetts...
)
- Forest Hills
- Garden City
- Garden Hills
- Laurel Hill
- Howard
Howard was originally a farming hamlet in the southern part of Cranston, Rhode Island. In the mid-19th century, most of the land was acquired by the State of Rhode Island to construct a state prison, a poor house, and other state facilities...
- Jackson
Jackson, Rhode Island is an unincorporated area outlying, to the northwest, West Warwick....
(also in ScituateScituate is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 10,324 at the 2000 census.-History:Scituate was first settled in 1710 by emigrants from Scituate, Massachusetts...
)
- Knightsville
Knightsville is an urban neighborhood in the northern part of the City of Cranston, Rhode Island. Most of the residents are predominantly Italian-American, with many able to trace their lineage to Itri, a small Italian coastal village approximately half way between Rome and Naples.The neighborhood...
- Meshanticut
Meshanticut is a village in Cranston, Rhode Island, United States.Meshanticut is a residential neighborhood on the western side of Cranston. Meshanticut, which is a Narragansett Indian word meaning "place of woods" features an eclectic array of housing styles including Victorian homes, cottages,...
- Oaklawn
Oak Lawn is a historical village in south west Cranston, Rhode Island. Prior to being named "Oak Lawn" in 1872 the area was known as "Searle's Corner". The Edward Searle house, built in 1677, and one of the oldest standing structures in Rhode Island, is located in Oak Lawn. The village is also...
- Pontiac
- Stadium
- Thornton
Thornton is a neighborhood located in the north-west part of Cranston, Rhode Island on the Johnston line and extends into the Johnston side.The residents of this neighborhood are predominantly Italian-American....
- Pawtuxet Village
Pawtuxet Village is a section of both Warwick and Cranston, Rhode Island. It is located at the point where the Pawtuxet River flows into Narragansett Bay.- History :...
- Woodridge
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 79,269 people, 30,954 households, and 20,243 families residing in the city of Cranston. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 2,774.6 people per square mile (1,071.3/km²). There were 32,068 housing units at an average density of 1,122.5/sq mi (433.4/km²). 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 racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.56% of the population.
Over 30% of Cranston's residents describe themselves as Italian American, one of the highest percentages of this ethnic group in cities with over 50,000 residents in the United States.
Cranston is a part of the
Providence metropolitan areaThe Providence metropolitan area is a region covering six counties in two states, and is the 37th largest metropolitan area in the United States. Anchored by the city of Providence, Rhode Island, it has an estimated population of 1,622,520, exceeding that of Rhode Island by slightly over 60%. The...
, which has an estimated population of 1,622,520.
There were 30,954 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.6% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the city the population was spread out, with 21.6% under the age of 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 years of age 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 the median income for a family was $55,241. Males had a median income of $40,031 versus $28,279 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
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 age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
Four
freewayA freeway is a type of road designed for safer high-speed operation of motor vehicles through the elimination of at-grade intersections. This is accomplished by preventing access to and from adjacent properties and eliminating all cross traffic through the use of grade separations and...
s travel through Cranston:
I-95Interstate 95, the main north-south Interstate Highway on the east coast of the United States, runs generally southwest-northeast through the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It runs from the border with Connecticut near Westerly through Warwick and Providence and to the Massachusetts state line in...
, I-295, RI 10 (the Huntington Expressway) and RI 37. Other state-numbered roads in Cranston are
U.S. 1In the U.S. state of Rhode Island, U.S. Route 1 is a major north-south state highway through Providence. Staying close to the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay, it is a longer route than Interstate 95, and many portions are a four-lane divided highway....
, 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 AuthorityThe Rhode Island Public Transit Authority provides public transportation, primarily buses, in the state of Rhode Island. The main hub of the RIPTA system is Kennedy Plaza, a large bus terminal in downtown Providence, Rhode Island...
(RIPTA) buses.
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a blend of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union Station...
's
Northeast CorridorThe Northeast Corridor is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency. The route is fully electrified and serves a densely urbanized string of cities from Washington, D.C., in the south through Baltimore, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, Newark, New...
passes through but has no station in the city. The MBTA's
Providence/Stoughton LineThe Providence/Stoughton Line is a line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system running southwest from Boston, Massachusetts, USA. The main line was originally built by the Boston and Providence Rail Road, and now carries service between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island...
will also pass through upon the completion of the new train station at T.F. Green Airport, but will not include a station in Cranston.
Sites
The first auto race track in the country, Narragansett Park, opened in present-day Stadium in September 1886.
Cranston is home to the Budlong Pool, one of the largest outdoor
swimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed body of water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest and deepest is the Olympic size...
s in the country. Built in the 1940s as a
Works Progress AdministrationThe Works Progress Administration was the largest "New Deal" agency, employing millions of people and affecting almost every locality in the United States, especially rural and western mountain populations...
project, it is a staple of the community. It is located at 198 Aqueduct Road, off Reservoir Avenue (part of RI 2).
Sprague Mansion, an 18th-century homestead, is listed on the
National Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
http://riroads.com/members/sprague.htm. The
Thomas Fenner HouseThe Thomas Fenner House or the "Sam Joy Place" is an historic stone-ender house on 43 Stony Acre Drive in Cranston, Rhode Island. It is one of the oldest surviving houses in Rhode Island....
, built around 1677, is one of the oldest houses in Rhode Island.
Edgewood Yacht ClubEdgewood Yacht Club is an historic yacht club in Cranston, Rhode Island at 3 Shaw Avenue.The club was constructed in 1908 by Murphy, Hindle & Wright in 1908 in a shingle style...
is a notable structure on the National Register of Historic Places located on the Providence River.
The Cranston Country Club is the only public golf course in Cranston.
Notable residents
- A.J. Smith - General Manager of the San Diego Chargers spent several years as a coach at Cranston High School West
- Dennis Wholey
Dennis Wholey is an American television host and producer, and the author of a number of self-help books, one of which was a New York Times bestseller. He currently hosts This is America with Dennis Wholey, an interview program shown throughout the U.S...
- Talk show host; was born in Cranston
- Deon Anderson
Deon Terry Anderson is an American football fullback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He attended and played college football at the University of Connecticut after graduating from the Avon Old Farms School in 2002. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
- played in the NFL for the Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
- Elisabeth Hasselbeck
Elisabeth Hasselbeck is an American television host and television personality. She was a contestant on Survivor: The Australian Outback and is a current co-host on the daytime talk show The View .-Early life:Elisabeth DelPadre Filarski was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
- of Survivor fame and co-host of The ViewThe View is an American talk show broadcast on American Broadcasting Company as part of ABC Daytime. Created by Barbara Walters and Bill Geddie, who both also serve as the show's executive producers, the program features a panel of women as co-hosts...
- Elisha Hunt Rhodes
Elisha Hunt Rhodes served in the Union Army of the Potomac during the American Civil War. Rhodes' illustrative diary of his war service was quoted prominently in Ken Burns' PBS documentary The Civil War....
, Noted GeneralA general officer is an officer of high military rank. The term or equivalent is used by nearly every country in the world. General can be used as a generic term for all grades of general officer, or it can specifically refer to a single rank that is simply called general.-All general officer...
and American Civil WarThe American Civil War , also known as the War Between the States and several other names, was a civil war in the United States of America. Eleven Southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America...
diarist.
- George J. Peters
George J. Peters was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in World War II during Operation Varsity.-Biography:...
, United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
soldier and Medal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed on a member of the United States armed forces who distinguishes themselves "conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while...
recipient in World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- Hugh Duffy
Hugh Duffy was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1945.-Career:...
, major league baseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
player
- Jack Capuano
Jack Capuano is a retired former professional ice hockey defenseman who spent parts of three seasons in the National Hockey League in the late 1980s and early 1990s.-Playing career:...
-retired former professional ice hockey defenseman and head coach of New York Islanders junior league affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound TigersThe Bridgeport Sound Tigers are an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; it has been the AHL affiliate of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League since its inception, and use the same team colors as the Islanders do...
- Jack Reed
John Francis "Jack" Reed is the senior United States senator from Rhode Island and a member of the Democratic Party. Prior to his election, Reed was a three-term member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district from January 3, 1991 to...
U.S Senator from Rhode IslandRhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
- Marissa Castelli
Marissa Castelli is an American pair skater. With partner Simon Shnapir, she is the 2009 World Junior bronze medalist and 2009 U.S. junior bronze medalist. Castelli & Shnapir placed 6th at the 2008-2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final...
- Bronze medalist at the 2008 U.S. Figure skating Championships in novice pairs
- Mark Van Eeghen
Mark van Eeghen ,is an American football player, who played ten years in the National Football League, including making two Super Bowl appearances. He was a member of the Oakland Raiders and for two seasons, the New England Patriots...
- Former NFL Pro Bowl running back who played for the Los Angeles Raiders and the New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
- Michael Parkhurst
Michael Parkhurst is an American soccer player who currently plays center back for Danish team Nordsjælland.- Early years :...
-Former New England Revolution soccer player. 2005-2008. 2005 MLS Rookie of the year, 2006 Humanitarin of the year, 2007 Defender of the Year, 2007 fair play of the Year, 2007 MLS Best XI, 2008 Fair Play of the Year.
- Monty Are I
Monty Are I is an American alternative rock band from Cranston, Rhode Island. Monty recently won Takeover Records' Sign My Band contest on MySpace , but ended up signing to Stolen Transmission, and were upstreamed to Island Records. They also won the Ernie Ball sponsored Battle of the Bands in 2003...
- Popular American Rock Band. All grew up in the Westwood.
- Nehemiah R. Knight
Nehemiah Rice Knight was a United States Senator from Rhode Island. Born in Cranston, he attended the common schools. In 1802 he was a member of the Rhode Island House of Representatives; he moved to Providence and was clerk of the Court of Common Pleas from 1805 to 1811 and clerk of the circuit...
- Governor of Rhode Island 1817-1821 and U.S. Senator 1821-1841, born in Cranston
- Sasha Cagen
Sasha Cagen is an American writer, editor, and entrepreneur best known for starting the quirkyalone movement. Her first book was Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics , and her second book To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us, a...
, public intellectual and creator of the QuirkyaloneQuirkyalone is a neologism referring to someone who enjoys being single and generally prefers to be alone rather than dating for the sake of being in a couple....
movement
- Sergei Khrushchev
Sergei Nikitich Khrushchev , son of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, now resides in the United States where he is a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.-Career:...
- son of former Soviet Premier Nikita KhrushchevNikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
, acts as a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown UniversityBrown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III...
- Tom Mellor
Thomas Robert Mellor is a retired professional ice hockey defenseman who played 26 regular season games in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings between 1973 and 1975...
- played in the national hockey league. won a silver medal at the 1972 olympics
- Vinny Paz
Vinny Paz, formerly Vinny Pazienza is an Italian-American former boxer and world champion in the lightweight and light middleweight weight classes...
- former lightweight and light middleweight boxing champion
- 1996 Little League National Champions-Cranston Western Little League-Defeated by Chinese Taipei 13-3 in World Championship.
- Will Blackmon
Will Edwards Blackmon is an American football cornerback/ return specialist who currently plays in the National Football League for the Green Bay Packers. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
- NFL defensive back for Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League and are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL.The Packers are the last vestige of "small town...
, also starred at Bishop Hendricken High School and Boston CollegeBoston College is a private research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Its name reflects its early history as a liberal arts college and preparatory school in Boston's South End. It is a member of the 568 Group and the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
- William Carpenter (Rhode Island)
William Carpenter William Carpenter William Carpenter (born about 1610 probably of Amesbury, Wiltshire, England - died September 7, 1685 at Providence (Pawtuxet section now in Cranston, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations) was a co-founder of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations...
- Early settler from 1644 and who in 1685 was buried on his former homestead in present-day Cranston. He was the first surnamed Carpenter to make permanent residence in America arriving from England in the mid-1630s.
- Frederick Lewis Weis
Rev. Frederick Lewis Weis, Th.D. reverend, author of a number of well-known genealogical books.Born in Cranston, Rhode Island to John Peter Carl Weis and his wife Georgina Lewis, both natives of Massachusetts. Second child of four children.In April 1913, he entered the United States Naval...
reverend, author
- Don T. Volino, Jr. Italian philanthropist, media consultant
- Steve Laffey
Stephen Laffey was the Republican mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island with his term ending in 2007.-Background:Laffey was born in 1962 in Warwick, Rhode Island, one of five children born to John and Mary Laffey. When he was four years old, his family moved to Cranston, where his father worked as a...
, former Mayor of Cranston
- Michael Napolitano
Michael Napolitano is a former mayor of the city of Cranston, Rhode Island, succeeding Stephen Laffey. He defeated Councilman Allan Fung by 79 votes. He is a former Municipal Court Judge of the city, as well as a former instructor at Providence College...
, former Mayor of Cranston
- Edward D. DiPrete
Edward Daniel DiPrete is an American Republican Party politician from Rhode Island.DiPrete served as Governor of Rhode Island from 1985 to 1991, and was defeated for reelection in a landslide by former federal attorney and businessman Bruce Sundlun in 1990.DiPrete was born in Cranston, Rhode Island...
, former Governor of Rhode Island and former Mayor of Cranston
In pop culture
The leading female character in the 1970 film
Love StoryLove Story is a 1970 romantic drama film written by Erich Segal based on his 1970 best-selling novel. It was directed by Arthur Hiller. The film, well-known as a tragedy, is considered one of the most romantic of all time by the American Film Institute , and was followed by a sequel, Oliver's Story...
, Jennifer Cavalleri, is said to hail from Cranston.
Family GuyFamily Guy is an American animated television sitcom, created by Seth MacFarlane, for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family which consists of Peter, Lois, Meg, Chris, Stewie, and their pet dog Brian...
creator Seth McFarlane has stated that the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island is modeled after Cranston.
External links