Providence, Rhode Island

Providence
State capital city
Flag Seal
Nickname(s):  The Creative Capital, the Renaissance City, the Divine City, PVD, Prov
Motto:  "What Cheer?"
Location in Rhode Island
Coordinates: city(191,000) 41°49′25″N 71°25′20″W / 41.82361°N 71.42222°W / 41.82361; -71.42222
Country	United States
State	Rhode Island
County	Providence
Region	New England
Settled	1636; 389 years ago (1636)
Incorporated (city)	November 5, 1832; 192 years ago (1832-11-05)
Founded by	Roger Williams
Named for	Divine providence
Area [1]
• 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 [2]	10 ft (3 m)
Population  (2020)[3]
• 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)
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.providenceri.gov

Providence is the capital and the most populous city of Rhode Island. It was one of the first cities established in the United States.^[4] It is located in Providence County. It is the third largest city in the New England region. In the 2020 census, the city proper population was 190,934.^[3] Providence has the 38th largest metropolitan population in the country, with an estimated metropolitan population of 1,676,579. This metropolitan area includes almost all of Rhode Island and part of Massachusetts.^[5][6][7] Providence is at the mouth of the Providence River, at the head of Narragansett Bay. The city's small footprint is crisscrossed by streets at odd angles and has a rapidly changing distribution of residents.

Providence was founded in 1636 by 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 to settle. The official name of the state includes the name of the city, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. After being one of the first cities in the country to industrialize, Providence became noted for its jewelry and silverware industry. Today, the City of Providence is home to eight hospitals and seven institutions of higher learning, which has shifted the city's economy into service industries, although it still retains significant manufacturing activity.

From colonial times to the mid-19th century, the Rhode Island General Assembly rotated meetings between the state's five county court houses. After 1853 the state legislature stopped meeting at the Kent, Washington and Bristol county courthouses, but continued to alternate its sessions between Providence State House and the Newport State House in Newport. Early in the 20th century, Providence became the only capital of the state.

1. ↑ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
2. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Providence, Rhode Island
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved Oct 12, 2022.
4. ↑ "Providence: Introduction". Advameg, Inc. Retrieved 2007-06-05.
5. ↑ "Population and Housing Occupancy Status: 2010 - United States -- Metropolitan Statistical Area; and for Puerto Rico more information 2010 Census National Summary File of Redistricting Data". 2010 United States Census. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. April 14, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
6. ↑ "May 2006 OEC Metropolitan Statistical Area definitions". US Department of Labor. Retrieved 2007-06-09.
7. ↑ "Population Estimates for Places over 100,000: 2000 to 2009". US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2009-08-30.