U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

is a major north–south

state highway A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...

through the U.S. state, specifically within the

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

. Staying close to the Atlantic Ocean and Narragansett Bay, it is a longer route than

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1, US Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Miami, Florida, to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between M ...

, and many portions are a four-lane divided highway.

Route description

US 1 has a business/bypass split in Warwick where US 1 Business runs along Post Road and US 1 Bypass runs along Post Road Bypass. The business route is officially recognized by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation as US 1. US 1 enters Rhode Island via a small bridge from Pawcatuck, CT to Downtown Westerly. Route 1 winds through Downtown Westerly, passing two shopping plazas (the Granite Street Shopping Center and the Franklin Shopping Plaza) prior to a junction with RI 78, the two-lane highway designed to bypass Downtown. A right onto Airport Road at this intersection provides access to Westerly State Airport, Watch Hill and Misquamicut. Route 1 continues to Dunn's Corners, with Langworthy Road providing more beach access. The road then becomes a divided highway shortly after, with RI 1A merging into the highway from the Misquamicut area. Route 1 then crosses into Charlestown, RI near Shelter Harbor. After stoplight intersections with Ross Hill Road (

RI 216 Route 216 is a numbered state highway running in Rhode Island. Its southern terminus is at U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Charlestown, and its northern terminus is at the Connecticut border where it continues as Connecticut Route 216. Route description ...

), West Beach Road-providing access to Quonochontaug, East Beach Road-providing access to Blue Shutters Town Beach and East Beach, and Wildflower Road, there are no more stoplights until the end of the freeway after the

Wakefield, RI Wakefield-Peacedale (listed as "Wakefield-Peace Dale" by the United States Census Bureau) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of South Kingstown in Washington County, Rhode Island, United States that includes the villages of Peace Dale ...

exits. Access to exits on the opposite side of the road are provided through U-turn ramps. The southbound side has junction with Prosser Trail, a road leading to Burlingame State Park. Burlingame access is also located prior to the East Beach Road exit. An exit for Route 1A on the northbound side leads to Ningret Park and the police station. Route 1 bends to the right. On the southbound side is Kings Factory Road. Another junction with Route 1A occurs on Route 1 North. 1A merges onto 1 from the south, briefly, before exiting and continuing north to Cross Mills. Route 1 north then features a ramp providing access to Cross Mills and Route 1A-leading to Charlestown Breachway and Charlestown Town Beach-for those just merging in on a U-turn from Route 1 south via a junction with

RI 2 Route 2 is a state highway in Rhode Island, that runs from U.S. Route 1 in Charlestown to US 1 in Providence. Route description Route 2 starts at US 1 in Charlestown, which is also the southern terminus of Route 112. Route 2 a ...

RI 112 Route 112 is a numbered state highway running in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It connects U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in the town center of Charlestown and Route 138 in the town of Richmond. Route description Route 112 begins as South Co ...

(South County Trail). Another set of U-turn ramps is located for access to Routes 2 and 112. After northbound junctions with more beach access roads (Falcone Lane, Narrow Lane, which is split in half by the highway, the other half continuing on the southbound side that leads to South County Trail), US 1 continues into South Kingstown, where Green Hill Beach Road (Route 1A) meets US 1 on the northbound side, and Post Road (also Route 1A) meets Route 1 south. After a junction with Moonstone Beach Road (northbound side leads to the

Trustom Pond Trustom Pond is a closed lagoon in South Kingstown, Washington County, Rhode Island, United States. It is one of nine coastal lagoons (referred to as "salt ponds" by locals) in southern Rhode Island. It has a surface area of , and is the only unde ...

National Wildlife Refuge, southbound side leads to Perryville),

RI 110 Route 110 is a numbered state highway running wholly within the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island, South Kingstown in Rhode Island. It serves to connect the University of Rhode Island to points south via U.S. Route 1 in Rhode Island, U.S. Ro ...

meets Route 1 south. Prior to this on the southbound side, Route 1A meets Route 1. Back to the northbound side, where Matunuck Beach Road is found, leading to the beachside community of Matunuck, RI. Following this is Succotash Road, which leads to Jerusalem, RI, Snug Harbor, and East Matunuck State Beach. Then comes Post Road, leading to the signed destination-Jerry Brown Farm Road. Another Post Road/Route 1A junction comes on US 1 north, before it meets the highway again after a brief exitless stint. Route 1 south's junction with Post Road/Route 1A north leads to Wakefield and

Peace Dale Peace Dale (also spelled Peacedale) is a village in the town of South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Together with the village of Wakefield, it is treated by the U.S. Census as a component of the census-designated place identified as Wakefield-Peacedal ...

. The road becomes a freeway and has two exits for the Salt Pond/

South County Hospital South County Hospital is an independent, non-profit acute care hospital serving southern Rhode Island. It is located in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Overview The hospital is the flagship facility of South County Health, which also contains VNS Home ...

area. A third exit leads to

RI 108 Route 108 is a state highway in Washington County, Rhode Island. The route begins at an intersection with Ocean Road in the village of Narragansett Pier (within the town of Narragansett), just north of Point Judith Light. The route's no ...

and Narragansett's town beach,

Galilee Galilee (; he, הַגָּלִיל, hagGālīl; ar, الجليل, al-jalīl) is a region located in northern Israel and southern Lebanon. Galilee traditionally refers to the mountainous part, divided into Upper Galilee (, ; , ) and Lower Galil ...

, and

Point Judith Point Judith is a village and a small Cape (geography), cape, on the coast of Narragansett, Rhode Island, on the western side of Narragansett Bay where it opens out onto Rhode Island Sound. It is the location for the year-round ferry service that ...

. A Wakefield exit marks the end of the freeway. Access to South County Commons comes soon.

RI 138 Route 138 is a numbered State Highway running in Rhode Island. It is the longest state numbered route in Rhode Island, and the second longest highway after U.S. Route 1 in Rhode Island, US 1. Route 138 begins in Exeter, Rhode Island, Exeter at ...

meets from the west, and stays on in the concurrency until the exits for access to the

Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge The Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge spans the West Passage of Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island, United States. It is part of Rhode Island Route 138 and is on the route to Newport, Rhode Island for traffic heading northbound from Interstate 95. Con ...

and Jamestown, and the

Claiborne Pell Newport Bridge The Claiborne Pell Bridge, commonly known as the Newport Bridge, is a suspension bridge operated by the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority that spans the East Passage of the Narragansett Bay in Rhode Island (northeastern United States). ...

and

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

. Route 1 then meets

RI 4 Route 4, also known as the Colonel Rodman Highway, is a numbered state highway located in Washington County and southern Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The route is a major north–south freeway in the southern Providence metro ...

, a thruway leading to I-95.

History

Except north of downtown Providence, where US 1 was built as the

Providence and Pawtucket Turnpike U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Rhode Island is a major north–south state highway through the U.S. state, specifically within the Providence, RI, Providence Providence metropolitan area, metropolitan area. Staying close to the Atlantic Ocean and ...

(now Main Street), the highway was never a

turnpike road A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented ...

. Portions are the old

Boston Post Road The Boston Post Road was a system of mail-delivery routes between New York City and Boston, Massachusetts that evolved into one of the first major highways in the United States. The three major alignments were the Lower Post Road (now U.S. Ro ...

, while other parts were built as bypasses, leaving the old road as Route 1A. The turnpike south of Providence — the Providence and Pawcatuck Turnpike and

Hopkinton and Richmond Turnpike Route 3 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. Route 3 serves as a local alternative to Interstate 95 (I-95) as it parallels I-95 for almost its entire length. Route 3 in West Warwick was the site of The Station nightclub fire. ...

- followed the diagonal route that I-95 now takes.

Major intersections

References

{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=1, state=Rhode Island, statebefore=Connecticut, stateafter=Massachusetts 01 1 Rhode Island Transportation in Washington County, Rhode Island Transportation in Kent County, Rhode Island Transportation in Providence County, Rhode Island