Newport

Sister cities

• Imperia
• Kinsale
• Shimoda
• Ponta Delgada
• Saint John
• La Rochelle

History

Newport was founded in 1639 on Rhode Island, which is now called Aquidneck Island. Its eight founders and first officers were Nicholas Easton, William Coddington, John Clarke, John Coggeshall, William Brenton, Jeremy Clark, Thomas Hazard, and Henry Bull. Many of these people were part of the settlement at Portsmouth, along with Anne Hutchinson and her followers. They separated within a year of settling Portsmouth and began the settlement of Newport on the southern side of the island. Newport grew to be the largest of the four original settlements that became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, including Providence Plantations and Shawomett. Many of the first colonists in Newport became Baptists, and the second Baptist congregation in Rhode Island was formed in 1640 under the leadership of John Clarke. In 1658, a group of Jews was welcomed to settle in Newport, fleeing the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal. They were not allowed to settle elsewhere. This group eventually came to be known as Congregation Jeshuat Israel, and is the second-oldest Jewish congregation in the United States. They meet in Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in America. The Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations received its royal charter in 1663. Benedict Arnold was elected as the first governor. The Old Colony House at the head of Washington Square in Newport served as the seat of Rhode Island's government from 1741 until the current Rhode Island State House was completed in Providence in 1904. At that time, Providence became the state's sole capital city. Newport was the most important port in colonial Rhode Island, and a public school was established in 1640. The commercial activity that raised Newport to its fame as a rich port began with the immigration…

Geography

Newport is located on, and is the most populous municipality of, Aquidneck Island in Narragansett Bay. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and , or 32.64%, is water. The Newport Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in New England, connects Newport to neighboring Conanicut Island across the East Passage of the Narragansett. Newport has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa/Dfb), bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) and oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Being surrounded by ocean water, Newport is often cooler in the summer than some coastal cities further north, such as Boston. According to the USDA, Newport is located in plant hardiness zone 7a.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Claiborne Pell Elementary
  Elementary · Newport · 697 students · 10.6:1 ratio
• Rogers High School
  High · Newport · 633 students · 9.9:1 ratio
• Portsmouth Middle School
  Middle · Portsmouth · 618 students · 11.2:1 ratio
• Middletown High School
  High · Middletown · 567 students · 11.3:1 ratio
• Frank E. Thompson Middle
  Middle · Newport · 546 students · 9.1:1 ratio
• Gaudet Middle School
  Middle · Middletown · 465 students · 12.2:1 ratio
• Melville School
  Elementary · Portsmouth · 328 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Aquidneck School
  Elementary · Middletown · 318 students · 13.8:1 ratio