When was Providence County founded?

Providence County was founded in 1703, and named after divine providence.

What is the county seat of Providence County?

The county seat of Providence County is Providence.

Is there an online parcel map for Providence County?

Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.

Has Providence County's boundary or name changed?

Providence County was created in 1703. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Bristol (Mass.) County, Kent County and Kings County. It was formerly called Providence Plantations.

Is my lot in a flood zone?

We do not have flood maps for Providence County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

County · code 44007

Providence CountyRhode Island

Providence County is a county in Rhode Island with its seat in Providence, formed on June 22, 1703 as one of two original counties.

Founded1703
County seatProvidence
Named fordivine providence
Land area409 sq mi + 26 sq mi water
Population660,741 2020 Census

Open the free map Click any parcel in Providence County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated 19 October 2026

Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Providence on the map of Rhode Island

Rhode Island has 5 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Counties of Rhode Island · Providence highlighted

History

Founded in 1703

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Providence County was formed in 1703, and named after divine providence. Providence is the county seat.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

1703
Providence County created Providence Plantations (now Providence) created as one of two original counties; covered the Rhode Island mainland. 22 June 1703 · R.I. Recs., 3:477-478
1729
Renamed Providence Plantations renamed Providence; lost to creation of Kings (now Washington).
formerly Providence Plantations
16 June 1729 · R.I. Recs., 4:427
c. 1747
Gained territory Providence gained from Bristol (Massachusetts) and Suffolk (Massachusetts) when Rhode Island implemented the 1746 royal settlement of the boundary with Massachusetts.
from Bristol (Mass.)from Suffolk (Mass.)
17 February 1747 · Arnold, 2:157; R.I. Recs., 5:207-209
1750
Lost territory Providence lost to creation of Kent.
to Kent
11 June 1750 · R.I. Recs., 5:301
1862
Gained territory Providence gained from Bristol (Massachusetts) when Massachusetts and Rhode Island implemented the U. S. Supreme Court settlement (31 December 1861) of their boundary to the Atlantic Ocean.
from Bristol (Mass.)from U. S.
1 March 1862 · Bayles, Providence, 1:29; R.I. Acts and Resolves, 1861, ch. 379, sec. 2/p. 4; Ullman, 83-84; Van Zandt, 68

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Providence

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Parcels Missing

No public parcel map found for Providence County yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office.
Address points Official

One point per address, 217,064 in all from RI E 9-1-1 Uniform Emergency Telephone System (maintained with AK Associates), published by RIGIS (URI Environmental Data Center, the state's GIS clearinghouse).
edited 11 September 2026 · checked 14 October 2026
Buildings Reference

Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026

Official: from the office that keeps the record
Good enough: a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback: a guide only; check the official record
Missing: nothing public found yet

People and land

Providence by the Census

Population

660,741 2020 Census count

Housing units

276,770 2020 Census count

Land area

409 square miles

Water area

26 square miles

People per sq mi

1,614 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

See your own lot on these maps

Open Providence County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

Open the free map no sign-in Pro early access

Questions

Common questions about Providence County

When was Providence County founded?: Providence County was founded in 1703, and named after divine providence.
What is the county seat of Providence County?: The county seat of Providence County is Providence.
Is there an online parcel map for Providence County?: Not that we have found yet. Lot lines and owners of record are kept by the county assessor's office. When a public parcel map appears, it shows here.
Has Providence County's boundary or name changed?: Providence County was created in 1703. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 4 later changes, chiefly involving Bristol (Mass.) County, Kent County and Kings County. It was formerly called Providence Plantations.
Is my lot in a flood zone?: We do not have flood maps for Providence County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby