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Washington County, Rhode Island

Coordinates: 41°23′N 71°37′W / 41.39°N 71.62°W / 41.39; -71.62
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Narragansett Country" redirects here. For the Narragansett tribals lands, see Narragansett Indian Reservation.

Washington County
County
Former Washington County Courthouse in West Kingston
Former Washington County Courthouse in West Kingston
Map
Map
Map
Coordinates: 41°23′N 71°37′W / 41.39°N 71.62°W / 41.39; -71.62
Country United States
State Rhode Island
RegionNew England
Metro areaProvidence
FormedJune 3, 1729; 296 years ago (1729-06-03)
Named afterGeorge Washington
County townSouth Kingstown
Largest townSouth Kingstown
Incorporated municipalities9 towns
Area
 • Total
563 sq mi (1,460 km2)
 • Land329 sq mi (850 km2)
 • Water234 sq mi (610 km2)  41%
Highest elevation
[1]
567 ft (173 m)
Lowest elevation
[2]
0 ft (0 m)
Population
 (April 1, 2020)
 • Total
129,839 Increase
 • Density230/sq mi (89/km2)
GDP
[3]
 • Total$8.636 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC−5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code format
028xx
Area code401
FIPS code44-009
GNIS feature ID1219782
Congressional district2nd

Washington County, known locally as South County, is a county located in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,839.[4] Rhode Island counties have no governmental functions other than as court administrative boundaries, which are part of the state government.[5]

History

[edit]

The area today known as Washington County was part of the ancestral lands of the Narragansett Indian Tribe.[6] During the second half of the 17th Century, about a dozen English colonists from Newport and Massachusetts colonies moved to the area to establish farms; the larger of these were known as "Narragansett Planters."[6]

By the mid-18th century, there were 25 to 30 large plantations in the county, and their owners became very wealthy.[6] The labor for these farms came from enslaved people; it is estimated that about 15% and 25% of Washington County’s population was enslaved.[6]

Washington County was created as Kings County in 1729 within the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed Washington County on October 29, 1781, in honor of George Washington. At the earliest stage of colonial settlement, the area was called "The Narragansett Country",[citation needed] named after the Naragansett tribe and its tributary tribe the Niantics, both of whom lived in the area.

Early land purchases in the Narragansett Country were effected by settlers after the establishment of Indian trading posts at Fort Neck in Charlestown, and at Smith's Castle in Wickford. A series of conflicts involving the Manisseans on Block Island gave that island to the Massachusetts Bay Colony for a number of years, before being transferred to the Rhode Island Colony under Newport County, and then finally to Washington County in 1959.

The borders of the Narragansett country were disputed for nearly 100 years among the colonies of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Narragansetts had pledged their fealty to King Charles, and the area was known as "The King's Province" and was placed under the authority of Rhode Island "until the King's pleasure was further known". In 1664, a royal commission under Charles II stepped in to adjudicate these conflicting claims. The commission extinguished the claims of Massachusetts, and Rhode Island was granted jurisdiction until the commission finished processing Connecticut's appeals, which were not ended until 1726. Settlements of King's Province were named to reflect the English Restoration, in honor of King Charles II. Towns reflecting this history include the two Kingstowns and Charlestown, as well as the villages of Kingston and West Kingston.

Washington County is also known in Rhode Island as "South County",[7][8] though some definitions of South County include outside towns, such as East Greenwich in neighboring Kent County, and exclude towns within Washington County, such as New Shoreham.[9]

Geography

[edit]
Historic Downtown Westerly, Rhode Island

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 563 square miles (1,460 km2), of which 329 square miles (850 km2) is land and 234 square miles (610 km2) (41%) is water.[10] It is the largest county in Rhode Island by total area. The county's topography ranges from flat along the shoreline to gently rolling hills farther inland. The highest point is a large area approximately 560 feet (170 m) above sea level in the Exeter neighborhood of Black Plain;[11] the lowest point is sea level along the coast. The northern boundary west of Davisville is approximately 41.60°N. The western boundary north of Westerly is approximately 71.79°W.

National protected areas

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Major highways

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179018,323—
180016,135−11.9%
181014,962−7.3%
182015,6874.8%
183015,411−1.8%
184014,324−7.1%
185016,43014.7%
186018,71513.9%
187020,0977.4%
188022,49511.9%
189023,6495.1%
190024,1542.1%
191024,9423.3%
192024,9320.0%
193029,33417.7%
194032,49310.8%
195048,54249.4%
196059,05421.7%
197083,58641.5%
198093,31711.6%
1990110,00617.9%
2000123,54612.3%
2010126,9792.8%
2020129,8392.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[12]
1790-1960[13] 1900-1990[14]
1990-2000[15] 2010-2019[16]

2020 census

[edit]

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 129,839.[17] Of the residents, 16.2% were under the age of 18 and 22.7% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 46.9 years, with 93.0 males for every 100 females and 90.9 males for every 100 females age 18 and over. 66.4% of residents lived in urban areas and 33.6% lived in rural areas.[18]

The racial makeup of the county was 89.5% White, 1.2% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.0% Asian, 1.5% from some other race, and 5.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 3.5% of the population.[17]

There were 52,439 households in the county, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 26.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]

There were 65,694 housing units, of which 20.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.6% were owner-occupied and 25.4% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.9% and the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%.[19]

Communities

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Map of Washington County, Rhode Island showing towns, census-designated places, and Narragansett tribal lands

Towns

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Census-designated places

[edit]

Other villages

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Ghost towns

[edit]

Napatree point

Politics

[edit]
United States presidential election results for Washington County, Rhode Island[20][21]
Year Republican / Whig Democratic Third party(ies)
№  % №  % №  %
2024 31,247 41.10% 42,589 56.01% 2,200 2.89%
2020 29,818 39.20% 44,549 58.57% 1,693 2.23%
2016 27,230 41.03% 33,741 50.84% 5,398 8.13%
2012 25,366 40.34% 35,888 57.07% 1,625 2.58%
2008 25,624 38.73% 39,082 59.07% 1,454 2.20%
2004 26,533 42.36% 34,679 55.37% 1,422 2.27%
2000 21,253 37.80% 29,560 52.58% 5,411 9.62%
1996 16,302 32.71% 25,958 52.09% 7,572 15.20%
1992 16,211 30.62% 23,009 43.46% 13,724 25.92%
1988 21,650 48.04% 23,210 51.51% 202 0.45%
1984 24,365 57.59% 17,793 42.06% 147 0.35%
1980 16,932 41.47% 16,429 40.24% 7,466 18.29%
1976 17,856 49.57% 17,980 49.91% 186 0.52%
1972 19,280 58.46% 13,637 41.35% 62 0.19%
1968 11,639 43.40% 13,851 51.65% 1,328 4.95%
1964 7,342 29.63% 17,434 70.37% 0 0.00%
1960 12,651 52.21% 11,580 47.79% 0 0.00%
1956 14,278 65.71% 7,450 34.29% 0 0.00%
1952 13,389 61.29% 8,448 38.67% 9 0.04%
1948 9,522 55.88% 7,379 43.30% 140 0.82%
1944 8,233 56.12% 6,419 43.76% 18 0.12%
1940 9,233 60.54% 6,001 39.35% 17 0.11%
1936 8,764 58.21% 5,956 39.56% 336 2.23%
1932 7,307 58.42% 5,047 40.35% 153 1.22%
1928 7,793 68.84% 3,500 30.92% 27 0.24%
1924 8,038 75.21% 2,366 22.14% 283 2.65%
1920 6,420 74.93% 2,012 23.48% 136 1.59%
1916 2,837 55.17% 2,224 43.25% 81 1.58%
1912 2,129 44.91% 1,691 35.67% 921 19.43%
1908 3,043 66.46% 1,278 27.91% 258 5.63%
1904 3,189 70.63% 1,197 26.51% 129 2.86%
1900 2,421 66.35% 960 26.31% 268 7.34%
1896 3,040 72.05% 654 15.50% 525 12.44%
1892 2,183 52.83% 1,501 36.33% 448 10.84%
1888 2,346 57.54% 1,492 36.60% 239 5.86%
1884 2,014 60.08% 1,155 34.46% 183 5.46%
1880 2,017 62.02% 1,229 37.79% 6 0.18%
1852 1,022 46.71% 1,086 49.63% 80 3.66%
1844 967 57.59% 712 42.41% 0 0.00%

Similar to other counties in Rhode Island, Washington County votes Democratic in presidential elections, having last voted Republican in 1984.

Gubernatorial elections results
Gubernatorial elections results[22]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2022 38.7% 22,827 57.9% 34,160 3.4% 1,959
2018 36.8% 20,646 52.5% 29,431 10.7% 6,021
2014 36.24% 17,972 38.46% 18,261 23.69% 11,253
2010 35.57% 17,637 16.73% 8,192 47.7% 23,648
United States Senate election results for Washington County, Rhode Island1[23]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
№  % №  % №  %
2024 30,661 41.56% 42,992 58.27% 126 0.17%
2018 23,189 41.14% 33,071 58.67% 110 0.20%
2012 24,209 40.79% 35,006 58.99% 131 0.22%
United States Senate election results for Washington County, Rhode Island2[24]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
№  % №  % №  %
2020 26,189 35.64% 47,188 64.22% 105 0.14%
2014 15,742 33.74% 30,849 66.12% 66 0.14%

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Washington County High Point, Rhode Island". peakbagger.com.
  2. ^ Sea level at the Atlantic Ocean.
  3. ^ "Gross Domestic Product: All Industries in Washington County, RI". fred.stlouisfed.org.
  4. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Washington County, Rhode Island". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  5. ^ "National Associations of Counties listing for Washington County, Rhode Island". naco.org. Archived from the original on May 7, 2003. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "What did southern Rhode Island's Colonial economy look like?". Slavery in Southern Rhode Island. South County History Center. Archived from the original on February 19, 2024. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  7. ^ "South County isn't an official Rhode Island county. So why does everyone call it that?". The Providence Journal. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  8. ^ "About South County".
  9. ^ "Towns". South County RI. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  10. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  11. ^ 41°35′09″N 71°39′16″W / 41.58583°N 71.65444°W / 41.58583; -71.65444
  12. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  13. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Archived from the original on August 11, 2012. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  14. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  15. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2015.
  16. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  17. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  18. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  19. ^ a b "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Archived from the original on March 23, 2018. Retrieved May 6, 2018.
  21. ^ "The Popular Vote of the United States, in the Presidential Election of 1844". New York Daily Herald. No. 5270. November 7, 1848. p. 1. Retrieved August 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections – Sate Data". uselectionatlas.org.
  23. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections – Sate Data". uselectionatlas.org.
  24. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections – Sate Data". uselectionatlas.org.
[edit]
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for South County.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Washington County, Rhode Island.
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