Rhode Island
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7correct to beat the crowd
Challenge yourself with our comprehensive Rhode Island trivia quiz featuring 97 free questions with answers spanning the state's rich history, geography, culture, and iconic landmarks. From Providence's vibrant arts scene to Newport's famous mansions, this quiz covers everything you need to know about the Ocean State. Whether you're a Rhode Island native or planning a visit, test your knowledge and discover fascinating facts about America's smallest state.
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Q 01Rhode Island is the smallest state; which state is second smallest by area?
Delaware
Delaware, at roughly 2,490 square miles, is the second-smallest state; Rhode Island covers about 1,214 square miles and Connecticut about 5,540.
Q 02What is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island?
Providence
Providence was named by Roger Williams for 'God's merciful providence' in guiding him there after his banishment; it is both Rhode Island's capital and its most populous city.
Q 03The official motto of Rhode Island is a single word. What is it?
Hope
The state motto of Rhode Island is 'Hope,' a word that also appears on the state seal and flag.
Q 04What flower was officially adopted as Rhode Island's state flower in 1968?
Violet
The violet had been voted in by schoolchildren back in 1897, but the state did not make it official until 1968, the last state in the country to adopt a flower.
Q 05What tree is recognized as Rhode Island's official state tree?
Red Maple
The Red Maple, known for its vibrant fall foliage, was officially adopted as the state tree in 1964.
Q 06Rhode Island's welcome sign carries what official nickname, earned by its bays and coast?
The Ocean State
'The Ocean State' is the nickname on Rhode Island's welcome signs; Narragansett Bay and about 400 miles of tidal shoreline give the smallest state its maritime identity.
Q 07In what year was Providence, the first permanent settlement in Rhode Island, founded by Roger Williams?
1636
Roger Williams established Providence in 1636 after being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, seeking a haven for religious freedom.
Q 08Samuel Gorton's 1642 purchase of Shawomet grew into which Rhode Island city?
Warwick
Warwick began as Shawomet, land Samuel Gorton bought from sachem Miantonomi in 1642; the settlement took its present name in 1648 in honour of the Earl of Warwick.
Q 09In what year did Rhode Island voters drop 'and Providence Plantations' from the state's name?
2020
In November 2020, Rhode Islanders voted to remove 'and Providence Plantations' from the state's official name, shortening it to 'State of Rhode Island.'
Q 10Which river forms the southern stretch of the Rhode Island–Connecticut border at Westerly?
Pawcatuck River
The Pawcatuck River separates Westerly, Rhode Island, from Stonington, Connecticut, before emptying into Little Narragansett Bay; the rest of the Connecticut line runs overland.
Q 11What is the highest natural point in Rhode Island?
Jerimoth Hill
Jerimoth Hill, standing at 812 feet above sea level, is the highest natural point in the state of Rhode Island.
Q 12How many municipalities, cities and towns together, make up Rhode Island?
39
Rhode Island is divided into 39 municipalities: eight cities, including Providence and Warwick, and 31 towns such as Bristol and Westerly.
Q 13Which exiled Massachusetts dissenter settled Aquidneck Island in 1638, founding what became Portsmouth?
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson, banished by Massachusetts Bay in 1638 for her religious views, joined the founding of Pocasset on Aquidneck Island; the settlement was later renamed Portsmouth.
Q 21Which Rhode Island city's casino hosted the first US Championships in 1881 and now houses the International Tennis Hall of Fame?
Newport
Newport's 1881 tournament was the ancestor of the US Open; the Hall of Fame occupies the Newport Casino, a Gilded Age social club rather than a gambling house.
Q 22What is the official state mineral of Rhode Island, a relative of jade?
Bowenite
Bowenite, a semi-precious gemstone closely related to jade, is the official state mineral of Rhode Island.
Q 23Rhode Island's State House dome is the world's fourth-largest self-supporting dome of which material?
Marble
327,000 cubic feet of white Georgia marble went into the building, along with 15 million bricks and 1,309 tons of iron floor beams.
Q 14In what month and year did Rhode Island become the first colony to renounce allegiance to King George III?
May 1776
Rhode Island renounced allegiance to King George III on May 4, 1776, two months before the Declaration of Independence.
Q 15Which fish did Rhode Island designate its official state fish in 2000?
Striped bass
Rhode Island named the striped bass its official state fish in 2000; the prized sport fish runs along Narragansett Bay and the south shore each summer.
Q 16Which 70-room Newport mansion, built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II in the 1890s, is the grandest of the city's Gilded Age summer 'cottages'?
The Breakers
The Breakers has 70 rooms and was built for Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1893–95; Newport's rich called such palaces 'cottages' because they only summered there.
Q 17Brown University, one of America's oldest, was founded in Rhode Island in what year?
1764
Brown University, originally known as 'The College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,' was founded in 1764.
Q 18Which fried seafood dish became the state's official appetizer in 2014, honouring its squid fleet?
Calamari
Calamari, often served fried, was designated the official state appetizer of Rhode Island in 2014, reflecting the state's significant squid fishing industry.
Q 19Which bay, cutting Rhode Island nearly in two, did Giovanni da Verrazzano sail past in 1524, comparing an island there to Rhodes?
Narragansett Bay
Verrazzano's comparison of an island near the mouth of Narragansett Bay to Greek Rhodes is one theory for the state's name; the bay cuts so deep that the state has 400 miles of coastline.
Q 20What is the official state shell of Rhode Island?
Quahaug
The quahaug is a hard-shelled clam; its name comes from the Narragansett word poquauhock, and its shells were once worked into wampum beads.
Q 24What is Rhode Island's only telephone area code?
401
Rhode Island has been served by a single area code, 401, since the original 1947 numbering plan; neighbouring Connecticut uses 203 and southeastern Massachusetts 508.
Q 25What is Rhode Island's official state rock, a dark rock with white markings?
Cumberlandite
Cumberlandite, a dark rock with white markings, is unique to Rhode Island and was adopted as its official state rock.
Q 26In what order did Rhode Island ratify the US Constitution and join the Union?
13th
Rhode Island was the last of the original Thirteen Colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution and become the 13th state, doing so on May 29, 1790.
Q 27Which Narragansett Bay island, home to Newport, is the 'Rhode Island' the state was named for?
Aquidneck
Aquidneck is the island's Narragansett name; colonists called it Rhode Island, and the name spread to the whole colony.
Q 28Which Native American tribe traditionally inhabited Rhode Island and sold land to Roger Williams?
Narragansett
Roger Williams purchased the land for Providence from the Narragansett sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi.
Q 29What 1772 event saw colonists burn a British customs schooner in Narragansett Bay?
Gaspee Affair
The Gaspee Affair in 1772, where Rhode Island colonists burned the British revenue schooner Gaspee, was a significant act of defiance leading up to the American Revolution.
Q 30What is the gilded statue atop the Rhode Island State House dome called?
The Independent Man
'The Independent Man', a gold-leafed bronze figure by George T. Brewster holding a spear, has crowned the State House dome in Providence since 1899 as an emblem of the state's independent spirit.