Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Answers.com

Cranston

 
Dictionary: Cran·ston
Today's Weather

P/CLOUDY
Temp: 25°F / -3°C
Full forecast below
(krăn'stən) pronunciation

A city of east-central Rhode Island south of Providence. It was settled in 1636. Population: 81,500.

 

Search unanswered questions...
Enter a question here...
Search: All sources Community Q&A Reference topics
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Cranston
Top
Cranston, industrial city (1990 pop. 76,060), Providence co., central R.I., a residential suburb of Providence; inc. as a town 1754, as a city 1910. Its manufactures include machinery, plastics, rubber products, and chemicals. The city was named for Samuel Cranston, a colonial governor of Rhode Island. In the 19th cent., Cranston was an important textile center. The Friends Meeting House (1729) and several pre-Revolutionary buildings still stand.


Weather: Cranston
Top
AccuWeather® Current Conditions



P/CLOUDY
Temperature: 25°F / -3°C
RealFeel Temperature™: 13°F / -10°C
Humidity: 46%
Winds: W 12 mph / 19 kmh
Pressure: 30.16"
Visibility: 10 mi. / 16 km

AccuWeather® 5-Day Forecast

Friday HI:  31°F / 0°C
LO: 20°F / -6°C
Saturday HI:  35°F / 1°C
LO: 22°F / -5°C
Sunday HI:  43°F / 6°C
LO: 35°F / 1°C
Monday HI:  45°F / 7°C
LO: 33°F / 0°C
Tuesday HI:  44°F / 6°C
LO: 34°F / 1°C
Last updated December 11, 2009 22:49 (EST)

Wikipedia: Cranston, Rhode Island
Top
Cranston, Rhode Island
—  City  —

Seal
Location of Cranston in Providence County, Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°46′24″N 71°27′12″W / 41.77333°N 71.45333°W / 41.77333; -71.45333
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 [1]. 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 [2]. It is among the top 25 safest cities in the country, according to CQ Press's research.

Contents

Geography

Cranston is located at 41°46′24″N 71°27′12″W / 41.77333°N 71.45333°W / 41.77333; -71.45333 (41.773200, -71.453289).[3]

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:

Source: RIGIS Villages data layer

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

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.

Government and infrastructure

The Rhode Island Department of Corrections has its headquarters in Cranston.[4]

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.

Sites

"Howard Prison" in Cranston, Rhode Island at the turn of the 20th century

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 [3]. 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.

Notable residents

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.

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "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. 
  4. ^ "Contact Us." Rhode Island Department of Corrections. Retrieved on December 7, 2009.
  5. ^ Reichler, Joseph L., ed (1979) [1969]. The Baseball Encyclopedia (4th edition ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishing. ISBN 0-02-578970-8. 

External links


 
 

 

Copyrights:

Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2007. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ Read more
Weather. © 2008 AccuWeather, Inc.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cranston, Rhode Island" Read more