Kingston, Rhode Island
Kingston is a community of 7,332 people in Washington County, Rhode Island.
Why visit Kingston
Townapedia lists 15 museums and landmarks, 7 parks and trails, 17 places to eat and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include University of Rhode Island, Kingston Hill, Cottrell House and Gen. Isaac Peace Rodman House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 80°F; January lows average 19°F.
Weather in Kingston
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kingston
Kingston is a village and a census-designated place within the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States, and the site of the main campus of the University of Rhode Island. The population was 7,825 at the 2020 census. Much of the village center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Kingston Village Historic District. It was originally known as Little Rest.
From the Wikipedia article Kingston, Rhode Island (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
University of Rhode Island
School · 0.5 mi
University in Rhode Island, United States
Museums and landmarks15
Cottrell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in Rhode Island, United States
Gen. Isaac Peace Rodman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.9 mi
Historic house in Rhode Island, United States
George Fayerweather Blacksmith Shop
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Building in Rhode Island, United States
Henry Eldred Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Historic house in Rhode Island, United States
Kenyon's Department Store
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Department store in Rhode Island, United States of America
Kingston station
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Railway station in Kingston, Rhode Island
Peace Dale
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Village in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States of America
R. R. Gardner House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic house in Rhode Island, United States
Shadow Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Building in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States
Tootell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in Rhode Island, United States
Washington County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.8 mi
Courthouse in Rhode Island
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William Davis Miller House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Wakefield, Rhode Island
3 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds7
Potter Wood
Park
Small park containing hiking trails, a baseball field, a skating shed and pond, a basketball court, and some swings.
Restaurants and cafes17
Bru RI Coffee Bar
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Donut, Sandwich · 0.8 mi
56 Fortin Road, Kingston
Mo-Fr 07:00-18:00, Sa,Su 08:00-18:00
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 0.8 mi
120 Fortin Road, Kingston
Mo 06:00-18:00; Tu 06:00-15:00; We-Fr 06:00-18:00; Sa-Su 06:00-17:00
5 more on the map.
History
Kingston was first settled in the late seventeenth century. Originally known as Little Rest, the name was changed to Kingston in 1826. It was the county seat for Washington County (formerly Kings County) from 1752 until 1894, when a new courthouse was built in nearby West Kingston. West Kingston is also the site of the historic Kingston Railroad Station which opened in June 1875. The station is served by Amtrak on its Northeast Corridor.
For a time, starting in the late 1780s, the preacher Jemima Wilkinson, known as the Public Universal Friend resided and gave sermons in the town. As late as the 1900s inhabitants of Kingston called a species of solidago "Jemima weed", because its appearance in the town coincided with the preacher's first visit to the area.
South Kingstown established the Kingston Historic District in 1959, and much of Kingston village became a National Register historic district in 1974 as Kingston Village Historic District. The historic district is located just outside the campus of the University of Rhode Island and contains many fine examples of 18th and 19th century architecture. The historic district includes 38 buildings, including the Elisha Reynolds House.
From the History section of Kingston, Rhode Island on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship6
Christ United Methodist Church
Church · Methodist · 0.4 mi
2291 Kingstown Road, Kingston
Curtis Corner Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.3 mi
591 Curtis Corner Road, Wakefield
Shopping1
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Healthcare1
Map of Kingston
68 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37°F | 19°F | 4.2 in |
| Feb | 39°F | 21°F | 3.9 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 27°F | 5.7 in |
| Apr | 56°F | 36°F | 4.5 in |
| May | 66°F | 45°F | 3.6 in |
| Jun | 75°F | 54°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 80°F | 60°F | 3.3 in |
| Aug | 79°F | 59°F | 4.1 in |
| Sep | 73°F | 52°F | 4.3 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 41°F | 4.5 in |
| Nov | 52°F | 32°F | 4.4 in |
| Dec | 43°F | 25°F | 5.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kingston 1 W 72512 (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Washington County has had 18 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-03-20: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2024-03-20: Severe Storm And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2023-04-14: Queens River Fire (Fire)
- 2022-05-12: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2021-08-21: Hurricane Henri (Hurricane)
- 2020-03-30: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Quonset State Airport (NCO) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Narragansett Pier 4 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Carolina 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Charlestown 8 mi southwest, about 14 min by car
- Newport 10 mi east, about 16 min by car
- Hope Valley 10 mi west, about 17 min by car
- Newport East 13 mi east, about 20 min by car
- Melville 13 mi northeast, about 21 min by car
- Bradford 14 mi southwest, about 22 min by car
- Westerly 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
- Warwick 17 mi north, about 27 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kings County Courthouse (Kingston Free Library), Kyuss-Apollo, CC BY 3.0
- Kingston Rhode Island Free Library, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- West Kingston Courthouse, Marcbela (Marc N. Belanger), Public domain
- COTTER HOUSE, SOUTH KINGSTOWN, WASHINGTON COUNTY, RI, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- HENRY ELDRED FARM, SOUTH KINGSTON, WASHINGTON COUNTY RI, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- TOOTLE HOUSE, SOUTH KINGSTOWN, WASHINGTON COUNTY RI, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- SHADOW FARM, WAKEFIELD, WASHINGTON COUNTY, RI, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- GEN. ISAAC PEACE RODMAN HOUSE, WASHINGTON COUNTY RI, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- R. R. GARDNER HOUSE, SOUTH KINGSTOWN, WASHINGTON COUNTY RI, JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ, M.D., CC BY-SA 4.0
- Peace Dale Library, Meowwcat at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kenyon's Department Store, JacobKlinger, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kingston station from side platform, May 2017, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fayerweather House HABS RI1, Stanley P. Mixon, HABS photographer, Public domain
- William Davis Miller House Wakefield RI, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Elisha R. Reynolds House (1738), Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Airmen with Brunswick’s 165th Air Special Operations Squadron 'step off' (6121803712), Georgia National Guard from United States, CC BY 2.0
- 165th ASOS members dart towards target at Leapfest (6121262021), Georgia National Guard from United States, CC BY 2.0
- Walking off the drop zone (6121803798), Georgia National Guard from United States, CC BY 2.0
- Who's packing your chute? (6121261975), Georgia National Guard from United States, CC BY 2.0
- Canopies fill the sky (6121261893), Georgia National Guard from United States, CC BY 2.0
- Washington County Jailhouse (Pettaquamscutt Historical Society), Kyuss-Apollo, CC BY 3.0
- Meadowhawk Mating, Anomalo Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0
- George Fayerweather Blacksmith Shop-2, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- George Fayerweather Blacksmith Shop, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Moongate (2606130936), susteph, CC BY 2.0
- Orb weaver (Neoscona species), Chipslay, CC BY-SA 3.0
- URI Memorial Student Union, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- URI Multicultural Center, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- URI East Hall and Washburn Hall, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Washburn Hall-1921, University of Rhode Island archival Photo, Public domain
- URI Carothers Library, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- University of Rhode Island campus aerial view, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- University of Rhode Island Planetarium, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lippitt Hall, URI, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chester H. Kirk Center for Advanced Technology, Kenneth C. Zirkel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Young vanilla pods, ILikeMangos999, CC BY-SA 4.0
- South County Bike Path, Peace Dale, RI, Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0
- David M. Dooley Science Quad Marker, Innapoy, CC BY-SA 4.0
- URI Ryan Center, Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
- University of Rhode Island Motorola ALPR Camera on Plains Rd, Birdman of Rhode Island, CC0
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