The fourth-largest city in Rhode Island, Pawtucket is a diverse city with a storied history. In the late 1700s, English immigrant Samuel Slater built the country’s first water-powered cotton mill in Pawtucket, firmly establishing it as the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. (Today, the Old Slater Mill is a historic landmark where you can take a guided tour between mid-April and early December.)
Centuries later, businesses of all sizes continue to thrive in Pawtucket. The city contains the world headquarters of Hasbro and is studded with studios that sell art tax-free. One of its most ambitious economic growth projects of late is the stadium at Tidewater Landing, a 10,000-seat soccer stadium currently under construction. Scheduled to open in 2025, it will eventually become the home field for the Rhode Island FC, a brand-new professional soccer team.
Located outside Providence, Pawtucket values recycling, civic engagement — in 2023, it appointed a chief equity officer to promote diversity and inclusion — and the arts. People can take classes through the Rhode Island Watercolor Society, check out gorgeous murals on Main and Pleasant Streets, or watch dozens of teams race in fiberglass Taiwanese-style dragon boats as part of the Taiwan Day Festival every summer.
In addition to its large white and Latino populations, Pawtucket has a big Cape Verdean community, with scores of residents who can trace their ancestry to the West African country of Cabo (or Cape) Verde. In fact, the Cape Verdean Museum, which celebrates the nation’s history and culture, recently moved to Pawtucket.
