Guides › Rhode Island › Providence, Rhode Island
City guide

Providence, Rhode Island

S. state of Rhode Island.

Type CityPopulation 190,934Metro Area Population 1,700,000

Why go

  • Capital city of Rhode Island, US.
  • Served by North Central State Airport (SFZ).

History

Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is the third-most populous city in New England, with a population of 190,934 at the 2020 census. The Providence metropolitan area extends into Massachusetts and has approximately 1.7 million residents, making it the 39th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. It is the county seat of Providence County.

Airports

T.F. Green Airport (PVD) 6.8 mi to the centre
2000 Post Rd, Warwick, RI 02886 — You board from the indoor waiting area — no need to plan for the weather. ✈ 9 airlines (AirTran Airways, Southwest Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines…) · direct flights to 17 destinations incl. Atlanta, Orlando, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Boston (47 mi) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 9 airlines, 17 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor
Quonset State Airport (NCO) 16 mi to the centre
North Kingstown, RI, US — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
Newport State Airport (NPT) 21 mi to the centre
211 Airport Access Rd, Middletown, RI 02842 — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day.
Indoor | Outdoor
North Central State Airport (SFZ) 7.9 mi to the centre
Pawtucket, RI, US — Indoor waiting area, but you walk out to the aircraft to board — bring an umbrella or a coat if the forecast is poor.
Indoor | Outdoor
Sky Glen Airport 18 mi to the centre
Uxbridge, MA, US
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Newport and Bristol Ferry
Ferry terminal · 0.8 mi from the centre · RI-DOT/Seastreak
Outdoor
Seastreak Ferry Terminal at Providence
Ferry terminal · 0.8 mi from the centre · Seastreak
Outdoor
Providence - Bristol
Ferry route · Seastreak
Outdoor
Providence - Newport
Ferry route · Seastreak
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is North Central State Airport (SFZ); 2 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By air: PVD has direct flights to 17 destinations on 9 airlines (incl. Atlanta, Orlando, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago…). By water: 2 ferry terminals within 12 mi (nearest: Newport and Bristol Ferry, 0.8 mi); routes include Providence - Bristol, Providence - Newport.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Providence, Rhode Island. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Local transit

Bus · Attleboro, Massachusetts · Schedules & GTFS data
Bus · Boston, Massachusetts · Schedules & GTFS data
Bus · Rhode Island · Schedules & GTFS data (official feed)

Trains & rail

National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach
Intercity coach

Private aviation

On-demand charter, jet cards and the semi-private scheduled carriers that serve this city.

Jet card, management · Managed fleet across US bases · Locally based jet card and aircraft management with private terminals in ~20 US cities.
Helicopter, by-the-seat · Helicopters, seaplanes, jets via partners · By-the-seat helicopters Manhattan–JFK/Newark and the Hamptons; jet charter through partners.
Membership charter · King Air 350i, Citation, Hawker, Global · US membership and on-demand charter; Delta Air Lines is a major shareholder.
Semi-private scheduled · Embraer 135 (16 seats) · First-class-only scheduled flights from Van Nuys to Aspen, Sun Valley, Cabo and Europe in summer.
Charter, management, FBO · Managed fleet, light to ultra-long-range · Charter, management and FBOs at Van Nuys and Orange County; the original Hollywood jet operator.