Cranston, Rhode Island
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| Cranston, Rhode Island | |||
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| Coordinates: 41°46′24″N 71°27′12″W / 41.77333°N 71.45333°W | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Rhode Island | ||
| County | Providence | ||
| Incorporated (town) | 1754 | ||
| Incorporated (city) | 1910 | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Allan Fung | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 29.9 sq mi (77.5 km2) | ||
| - Land | 28.6 sq mi (74.0 km2) | ||
| - Water | 1.4 sq mi (3.5 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 62 ft (19 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 79,269 | ||
| - Density | 2,774.7/sq mi (1,071.3/km2) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| Area code(s) | 401 | ||
| FIPS code | 44-19180[1] | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1218689[2] | ||
| Website | http://www.cranstonri.com | ||
Cranston, once known as Pawtuxet, is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. With a population of 79,269 at the 2000 census, it is the third largest city in the state. The center of population of Rhode Island is located in Cranston [3]. 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 magazine in 2006 [4]. It is among the top 25 safest cities in the country, according to CQ Press's research.
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[edit] Geography
Cranston is located at 41°46′24″N 71°27′12″W / 41.77333°N 71.45333°W (41.773200, -71.453289).[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, 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 Estates
- Auburn
- Dean Estates
- Eden Park
- Edgewood
- Fiskeville (also in Scituate)
- Forest Hills
- Garden City
- Garden Hills
- Laurel Hill
- Howard
- Jackson (also in Scituate)
- Knightsville
- Meshanticut
- Oaklawn
- Pontiac
- Stadium
- Thornton
- Pawtuxet Village
- Woodridge
- Western Hills Village
- Source: RIGIS Villages data layer
[edit] Public High/Middle Schools
- Cranston High School West
- Cranston High School East
- Western Hills Middle School
- Hugh B. Bain Middle School
- Park View Middle School
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 79,269 people, 30,954 households, and 20,243 families residing in the city of Cranston. The population density 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 races, 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 area, 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 couples 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 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 age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government and infrastructure
The Rhode Island Department of Corrections has its headquarters in Cranston.[6]
[edit] 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 U.S. 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 (RIPTA) buses. Amtrak's Northeast Corridor passes through but has no station in the city. The MBTA's Providence/Stoughton Line 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.
[edit] 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 pools in the country. Built in the 1940s as a Works Progress Administration 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 Places [7]. The Thomas Fenner House, built around 1677, is one of the oldest houses in Rhode Island. Edgewood Yacht Club 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.
[edit] 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 - Talk show host; was born in Cranston
- Deon Anderson- played in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys
- Elisabeth Hasselbeck - of Survivor fame and co-host of The View
- Elisha Hunt Rhodes, Noted General and American Civil War diarist.
- George J. Peters, United States Army soldier and Medal of Honor recipient in World War II
- Hugh Duffy, major league baseball player[8]
- Jack Capuano-retired former professional ice hockey defenseman and head coach of New York Islanders junior league affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers
- Jack Reed U.S Senator from Rhode Island
- Marissa Castelli - Bronze medalist at the 2008 U.S. Figure skating Championships in novice pairs
- Mark Van Eeghen- Former NFL Pro Bowl running back who played for the Los Angeles Raiders and the New England Patriots
- Michael Parkhurst-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- Popular American Rock Band. All grew up in Westwood.
- Nehemiah R. Knight - Governor of Rhode Island 1817-1821 and U.S. Senator 1821-1841, born in Cranston
- Robert Knight - textile manufacturer, founder of Fruit of the Loom
- Sasha Cagen, public intellectual and creator of the Quirkyalone movement
- Sergei Khrushchev - son of former Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, acts as a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University
- Tom Mellor- played in the national hockey league. won a silver medal at the 1972 olympics
- Vinny Paz- 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 - NFL defensive back for Green Bay Packers, also starred at Bishop Hendricken High School and Boston College
- William Carpenter (Rhode Island) - 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 reverend, author
- Don T. Volino, Jr. Italian philanthropist, media consultant
- Steve Laffey, former Mayor of Cranston
- Michael Napolitano, former Mayor of Cranston
- Edward D. DiPrete, former Governor of Rhode Island and former Mayor of Cranston
- Joe Trimble - former MLB pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Pirates
[edit] In pop culture
The leading female character in the 1970 film Love Story, Jennifer Cavalleri, is said to hail from Cranston.
Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane has stated that the fictional town of Quahog, Rhode Island is modeled after Cranston.
[edit] Sister cities
[edit] References
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/statecenters.txt
- ^ "MONEY Magazine: Best places to live 2006: Cranston, RI snapshot". Money.cnn.com. http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2006/snapshots/PL4419180.html. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "Contact Us." Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Retrieved on December 7, 2009.
- ^ "Sprague Mansion, Cranston, RI". Riroads.com. http://riroads.com/members/sprague.htm. Retrieved 2009-12-11.
- ^ Reichler, Joseph L., ed (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th edition ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8.
[edit] External links
- City of Cranston Official Site
- Cranston Public Library homepage
- Cranston Public Schools homepage
- Cranston Directory
- Pawtuxet Cove
- Cranston Style
- Cranston, Rhode Island is at coordinates 41°46′24″N 71°27′12″W / 41.7732°N 71.453289°WCoordinates: 41°46′24″N 71°27′12″W / 41.7732°N 71.453289°W
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