Warwick, Rhode Island

City of Warwick
City
Warwick City Hall, Brush Neck Cove, the Caleb Greene House, and T. F. Green Airport
Official seal of City of Warwick
Seal
Location in Kent County, Rhode Island
Location in Kent County, Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°43′N 71°25′W / 41.717°N 71.417°W / 41.717; -71.417
CountryUnited States
StateRhode Island
CountyKent
Founded1642
Incorporated (town)August 8, 1647
Incorporated (city)April 21, 1931
Named forRobert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • MayorFrank Picozzi (I)
 • City CouncilWilliam Foley (D)
Jeremy M. Rix (D)
Timothy Howe (D)
Jim McElroy (D)
Edgar N. Ladouceur (D)
Donna M. Travis (D)
Steven McAllister (D)
Anthony Sinapi (D)
Vincent Gebhart (D)
Area
[1]
 • Total49.75 sq mi (128.85 km2)
 • Land35.00 sq mi (90.65 km2)
 • Water14.75 sq mi (38.20 km2)
Elevation
[2]
20 ft (6 m)
Population
 (2020)[3]
 • Total82,823
 • Density2,366.30/sq mi (913.64/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP Codes
02886, 02888–02889
Area code401
FIPS code44-74300[4]
GNIS feature ID1220018[2]
Websitewww.warwickri.gov

Warwick (/ˈwɒrɪk/ WORR-ik or /ˈwɔːrwɪk/ WOR-wik[5]) is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States, and is the third-largest city in the state, with a population of 82,823 at the 2020 census. Warwick is located approximately 12 miles (19 km) south of downtown Providence, Rhode Island, 63 miles (101 km) southwest of Boston, Massachusetts, and 171 miles (275 km) northeast of New York City.

Warwick was founded by Samuel Gorton in 1642 and has witnessed major events in American history. It was decimated during King Philip's War (1675–1676) and was the site of the Gaspee Affair, the first act of armed resistance against the British, preceding even the Boston Tea Party, and a significant prelude to the American Revolution. Warwick was also the home of Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene, George Washington's second-in-command, and Civil War General George S. Greene, a hero of the Battle of Gettysburg.

Today, it is home to Rhode Island's main airport, T. F. Green Airport, which serves the Providence area and also functions as a reliever for Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. Warwick was also home to Rocky Point, which closed in 1995 and is now a state park.

Early history

[edit]
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Kent County, Rhode Island

Warwick was settled by Samuel Gorton in 1642. Narragansett Sachem Miantonomi sold him the Shawhomett Purchase for 144 fathoms of wampum. This included the towns of Coventry and West Warwick, Rhode Island. However, Sachems Sacononoco and Pumham claimed that Miantonomi had sold the land without asking for their approval. They took their case to Boston, where they placed their lands under Massachusetts rule. In 1643, Massachusetts Bay Colony sent a militia force to Shawomett to arrest Gorton and his followers. After a tense standoff, all but three of the Gortonists surrendered to the Massachusetts forces. Gorton then sailed back to England and sought a charter from the King. He was greatly assisted in gaining it by Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, so Gorton and his fellow settlers changed the name of their colony from Shawumet to Warwick.[6]

The ongoing harassment from Massachusetts Bay Colony, however, caused the other three colonies on Narragansett Bay (Providence Plantations, Portsmouth, and Newport) to unite with Warwick and get a British royal charter allowing them to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.[7]: 302 

In 1772, Warwick was the scene of the first violent act against the British Crown in the Gaspee Affair. Local patriots boarded the Gaspee,[8] a revenue cutter that enforced the Stamp Act 1765 and Townshend Acts in Narragansett Bay. It was here that the first blood was spilled in the American Revolution when Gaspee's commanding officer Lt. Dudingston was shot and seriously wounded during the struggle for the ship. The Gaspee was stripped of all cannons and arms, then burned.[9]

During the Revolution, Warwick militiamen participated in the battles of Montreal, Quebec, Saratoga, Monmouth, and Trenton, and they were present for the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781.

Transportation

[edit]

Major traversing highways include:

Interstate 95 is the major thoroughfare of Rhode Island, with the first southbound exit in Warwick at Jefferson Boulevard, and ending with the Route 117 interchange, near the Apponaug rotaries. Interstate 295 connects to the main highway at exit 27, providing direct travel to Woonsocket and Massachusetts. Smaller routes include Route 37 (Lincoln Avenue Freeway) connecting 295 to U.S. Route 1, and the Airport Connector Road.

The Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport is the main airport serving Rhode Island, and is located in Warwick. The name was changed from T.F. Green Airport in 2021.[10] T. F. Green Airport is a station on the Providence/Stoughton Commuter Rail Line, providing weekday service to Providence Station and Boston's South Station.[11]

Climate

[edit]
Climate data for Providence, Rhode Island (T. F. Green Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1904–present[b]
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 70
(21) 		72
(22) 		90
(32) 		98
(37) 		96
(36) 		98
(37) 		102
(39) 		104
(40) 		100
(38) 		88
(31) 		81
(27) 		77
(25) 		104
(40)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 58.7
(14.8) 		57.9
(14.4) 		67.1
(19.5) 		79.3
(26.3) 		87.2
(30.7) 		91.5
(33.1) 		94.8
(34.9) 		92.7
(33.7) 		87.6
(30.9) 		78.9
(26.1) 		70.1
(21.2) 		61.5
(16.4) 		96.6
(35.9)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 38.3
(3.5) 		40.5
(4.7) 		47.7
(8.7) 		58.9
(14.9) 		68.9
(20.5) 		77.7
(25.4) 		83.6
(28.7) 		82.2
(27.9) 		74.8
(23.8) 		63.8
(17.7) 		53.2
(11.8) 		43.4
(6.3) 		61.1
(16.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 30.2
(−1.0) 		32.0
(0.0) 		38.9
(3.8) 		49.3
(9.6) 		59.1
(15.1) 		68.2
(20.1) 		74.4
(23.6) 		73.0
(22.8) 		65.6
(18.7) 		54.4
(12.4) 		44.5
(6.9) 		35.5
(1.9) 		52.1
(11.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 22.1
(−5.5) 		23.5
(−4.7) 		30.2
(−1.0) 		39.6
(4.2) 		49.2
(9.6) 		58.8
(14.9) 		65.2
(18.4) 		63.9
(17.7) 		56.5
(13.6) 		45.1
(7.3) 		35.8
(2.1) 		27.6
(−2.4) 		43.1
(6.2)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 4.1
(−15.5) 		7.4
(−13.7) 		15.1
(−9.4) 		28.5
(−1.9) 		38.1
(3.4) 		47.2
(8.4) 		56.2
(13.4) 		54.3
(12.4) 		43.1
(6.2) 		31.7
(−0.2) 		21.8
(−5.7) 		12.3
(−10.9) 		2.0
(−16.7)
Record low °F (°C) −13
(−25) 		−17
(−27) 		1
(−17) 		11
(−12) 		29
(−2) 		39
(4) 		48
(9) 		40
(4) 		32
(0) 		20
(−7) 		6
(−14) 		−12
(−24) 		−17
(−27)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.96
(101) 		3.44
(87) 		4.90
(124) 		4.29
(109) 		3.37
(86) 		3.81
(97) 		2.91
(74) 		3.59
(91) 		4.17
(106) 		4.18
(106) 		4.27
(108) 		4.65
(118) 		47.54
(1,208)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.3
(26) 		10.5
(27) 		6.4
(16) 		0.6
(1.5) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		1.0
(2.5) 		7.6
(19) 		36.6
(93)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 11.2 10.3 11.6 11.7 12.2 10.8 9.3 9.1 9.1 10.2 9.6 11.9 127.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.7 5.4 3.7 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.6 3.4 19.3
Average relative humidity (%) 63.9 63.0 62.9 61.4 66.6 70.1 71.0 72.5 73.0 70.2 68.9 67.0 67.5
Average dew point °F (°C) 16.3
(−8.7) 		17.4
(−8.1) 		25.0
(−3.9) 		33.1
(0.6) 		45.0
(7.2) 		55.6
(13.1) 		61.5
(16.4) 		61.0
(16.1) 		53.8
(12.1) 		42.6
(5.9) 		33.3
(0.7) 		22.1
(−5.5) 		38.9
(3.8)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 171.7 172.6 215.6 225.1 254.9 274.1 290.6 262.8 233.0 208.7 148.0 148.6 2,605.7
Percent possible sunshine 58 58 58 56 57 60 63 61 62 61 50 52 58
Average ultraviolet index 1 2 4 6 7 8 8 8 6 4 2 1 5
Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point, and sun 1961–1990)[13][14][15]
Source 2: Weather Atlas [16]
Climate data for Providence
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average sea temperature °F (°C) 41.4
(5.2) 		38.1
(3.4) 		38.7
(3.8) 		44.1
(6.7) 		50.9
(10.5) 		59.6
(15.3) 		67.0
(19.4) 		69.3
(20.7) 		66.7
(19.3) 		61.6
(16.4) 		54.2
(12.3) 		47.7
(8.8) 		53.3
(11.8)
Source: Weather Atlas [16]


Geography

[edit]

Warwick is located at 41°43′N 71°25′W / 41.717°N 71.417°W / 41.717; -71.417 (41.7181, −71.4152).[17]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.6 square miles (128 km2), of which 35.5 square miles (92 km2) is land and 14.1 square miles (37 km2) (28.46%) is water. Warwick's entire eastern edge is waterfront, starting with the Providence River at its northern border with Cranston. Conimicut Point marks the end of the river and the beginning of Narragansett Bay, which extends beyond the city's southern limit on its way to the Atlantic Ocean; two southern Warwick peninsulas, Warwick Neck and Potowomut, enclose the water to form Greenwich Bay.

Warwick is bordered by Cranston to the north, West Warwick to the west, and East Greenwich to the south. The city's southernmost neighborhood, Potowomut, is a semi-exclave, reachable by land only by passing through East Greenwich; through Potowomut, Warwick also shares a border with North Kingstown. Because of the North Kingstown border, Warwick borders two Rhode Island counties: Providence County and Washington County.

The following villages are located in Warwick:

Demographics

[edit]
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18305,529—
18406,72621.6%
18507,74015.1%
18608,91615.2%
187010,45317.2%
188012,16416.4%
189017,76146.0%
190021,31620.0%
191026,62924.9%
192013,481−49.4%
193023,19672.1%
194028,75724.0%
195043,02849.6%
196068,50459.2%
197083,69422.2%
198087,1234.1%
199085,427−1.9%
200085,8080.4%
201082,672−3.7%
202082,8230.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[3]

Warwick is officially a part of the Providence metropolitan area, which has a population of 1,600,852 in the 2010 census.

2020 census

[edit]

The 2020 United States census counted 82,823 people, 36,555 households, and 21,150 families in Warwick. The population density was 2,366.3 inhabitants per square mile (913.6/km2). There were 38,625 housing units at an average density of 1,103.5 per square mile (426.1/km2).[19][20] The racial makeup was 85.69% (70,967) white or European American (84.28% non-Hispanic white), 2.11% (1,751) black or African-American, 0.3% (252) Native American or Alaska Native, 3.11% (2,575) Asian, 0.02% (13) Pacific Islander or Native Hawaiian, 2.58% (2,138) from other races, and 6.19% (5,127) from two or more races.[21] Hispanic or Latino of any race was 6.06% (5,019) of the population.[22]

Of the 36,555 households, 22.5% had children under the age of 18; 42.6% were married couples living together; 30.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 33.8% of households consisted of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19] The average household size was 2.3 and the average family size was 2.9.[23] The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 25.3% of the population.[24]

16.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 21.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.0 years. For every 100 females, the population had 108.6 males.[19] For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 112.4 males.[19]

The 2016-2020 5-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $73,285 (with a margin of error of +/- $2,534) and the median family income was $90,027 (+/- $4,102). Males had a median income of $51,057 (+/- $1,899) versus $39,959 (+/- $1,627) for females.[25] The median income for those above 16 years old was $44,491 (+/- $1,873).[26] Approximately, 3.8% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under the age of 18 and 9.2% of those ages 65 or over.[27][28]

Government

[edit]
Warwick town vote
by party in presidential elections[29]
Year GOP DEM Others
2020 42.20% 19,578 55.70% 25,845 2.19% 1,018
2016 44.25% 18,338 48.35% 20,038 7.39% 3,064
2012 37.21% 15,027 60.54% 24,448 2.24% 905
2008 38.37% 16,541 59.85% 25,802 1.79% 770
2004 41.02% 16,640 57.10% 23,164 1.87% 760
2000 32.37% 12,741 60.85% 23,948 6.78% 2,669
1996 26.83% 10,414 59.64% 23,152 13.53% 5,254
1992 29.88% 13,348 45.90% 20,504 24.22% 10,822
1988 45.29% 18,052 54.34% 21,662 0.37% 149

Warwick is split into three districts in the Rhode Island Senate which are currently held by Democrats Michael McCaffrey (District 29), Jeanine Calkin (District 30), and Kendra Anderson (District 31). The town is a part of Rhode Island's 2nd congressional district, which is currently represented by Democrat Seth Magaziner. It is traditionally Democratic in presidential elections; no Republican has carried it in over three decades.

Economy

[edit]

It is considered part of the Pawtuxet River Valley  [Wikidata]. Before its dissolution, Eckerd Corporation had its headquarters in Warwick.[30]

The ten largest employers in Warwick are Kent Memorial Hospital, Citizens Bank- Warwick Call Center, UPS, MetLife, City of Warwick, Leviton Manufacturing, Wal-Mart, Community College of Rhode Island, J.C. Penney, Kenney Manufacturing, and Inskip Automall.

Notable people

[edit]

Education

[edit]
The Knight Campus building of the Community College of Rhode Island

Local public schools are operated by Warwick Public Schools.[34] Toll Gate High School and Pilgrim High School are the two comprehensive public high schools located in Warwick. The high schools are set for renovations in March 2025, a year after the city council issued a $350 million bond to rebuild them.[35] The two public middle schools are Winman Junior High School and Warwick Veterans Junior High School. Aldrich Junior High School and Gorton Junior High School closed in 2016 as part of the school consolidation project.[36] The school department is headed by superintendent Lynn Dambruch.[37]

Bishop Hendricken High School is an all-male college preparatory Catholic high school located in Warwick.[38] Rocky Hill School is a Pre-K–12 co-ed secular country day school located on Warwick's isolated Potowomut peninsula. The school lists an East Greenwich address, despite being geographically included as part of the city of Warwick.[39]

The Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus is also located in Warwick on the former Knight Estate.[40]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  2. ^ Official records for Providence kept at downtown from November 1904 to May 1932 and at T. F. Green Airport since June 1932.[12]
  1. ^ "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  2. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Warwick, Rhode Island
  3. ^ a b "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
  4. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ^ Farzan, Antonia Noori. "Rhode Island pronunciation guide: 35 names that visitors and even some locals get wrong". The Providence Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
  6. ^ "The Seal of Warwick".
  7. ^ Austin, John Osborne (1887). Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island. Albany, New York: J. Munsell's Sons. ISBN 978-0-8063-0006-1.
  8. ^ This version of the story is told by Ephraim Bowen and John Mawney in Staples, William R., The Documentary History of the Destruction of the Gaspee, (Providence, R.I.: Knowles, Vose, and Anthony, 1845), p. 14–16. These men had taken part in burning Gaspee and made these statements in 1826.
  9. ^ "Joseph Bucklin V Biography". Joseph Bucklin Society. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  10. ^ Gagosz, Alexa (May 12, 2021). "R.I. House votes to rename T.F. Green Airport". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
  11. ^ Authority, Massachusetts Bay Transportation. "Providence/Stoughton Line < Commuter Rail < Schedules & Maps < MBTA - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority". mbta.com. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  12. ^ ThreadEx
  13. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  14. ^ "Station: Providence T F Green AP, RI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
  15. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for PROVIDENCE/GREEN STATE, RI 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on June 24, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Providence, Rhode Island, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  17. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  18. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae RI.gov: Cities & Towns
  19. ^ a b c d "US Census Bureau, Table DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  20. ^ "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  21. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P1: RACE". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  22. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  23. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1101: HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  24. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1501: EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  25. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1903: MEDIAN INCOME IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  26. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S2001: EARNINGS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS (IN 2020 INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS)". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  27. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1701: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  28. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table S1702: POVERTY STATUS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS OF FAMILIES". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  29. ^ "Previous Election Results". www.elections.state.ri.us. Archived from the original on October 27, 2012.
  30. ^ "Contacting Us." Eckerd Corporation. Retrieved on June 19, 2010. "Mail: 50 Service Ave., Warwick, RI 02886."
  31. ^ Shane, Ken (February 19, 2015). "Former Vanity 6 singer inducted into RI Music Hall of Fame". The Jamestown Press. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  32. ^ "1965 Pilgrim High School Yearbook". www.classmates.com. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  33. ^ Botelho, Jessica A. "James Woods recently retires from acting, now selling RI home". WJAR. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  34. ^ Warwick Public Schools website
  35. ^ Maravi, Vallery. "When will Warwick start building the 2 new high schools?". WPRI.com. Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  36. ^ "Warwick Public Schools Consolidation". sites.google.com. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  37. ^ "Office of the Superintendent". Warwick Public Schools. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  38. ^ "Bishop Hendricken Catholic High School - Rhode Island". Bishop Hendricken High School. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  39. ^ "RI Private School- Pre-School, Prep School, Rhode Island". Rocky Hill School. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  40. ^ "Home Page – Community College of Rhode Island". www.ccri.edu. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Warwick, Rhode Island.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Warwick (Rhode Island).
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