Pawtucket (/pəˈtʌkɪt/ ⓘ pə-TUK-it[5]) is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States.

"[8] The Pawtucket region was said to have been one of the most populous places in New England prior to the arrival of European settlers.

[9] Other settlers followed Jenks, and the area became home to manufacturers of muskets, linseed oil, potash, and ships by 1775.

[9] Also around this time, Oziel Wilkinson and his family set up an iron forge that made anchors, nails, screws, farm implements, and cannons.

The city had a half-dozen movie theaters, two dozen hotels, and an impressive collection of fine commercial and residential architecture.

[10] Many wealthy mill owners such as Darius Goff built their mansions in the area.

[11] In 1922, it was affected by the 1922 New England Textile Strike, shutting down the mills in the city over an attempted wage cut and hours increase.

[12][13] The textile business in New England declined during the Great Depression, with many manufacturers closing or moving their facilities to the South where operations and labor were cheaper.

Later in the 20th century, Pawtucket began to lose some of its architectural heritage to the wrecking ball, including the Leroy Theatre.

Today, goods produced in the city include lace, non-woven and elastic woven materials, jewelry, silverware, metals, and textiles.

Hasbro, one of the world's largest manufacturers of toys and games, is headquartered in Pawtucket.

The 2020 United States census counted 75,604 people, 31,565 households, and 17,202 families in Pawtucket.

Hasbro, a Fortune 1000 toy and game making company, is headquartered in Pawtucket.

In 2017, music historians Al Gomes and Connie Watrous of Big Noise were successful in getting the street where the concert stage stood (the corner of 511 Narragansett Park Drive) officially renamed as "Beach Boys Way".

[30][31][32] In January 1999, Herb Weiss, of the Planning Department, was hired to oversee the city's newly created Arts District.

Through the support of then Mayor James E. Doyle and Planning Department Michael Cassidy, Weiss brought significant recognition for Pawtucket-Arts oriented development strategy.

[33] Mayor Doyle and Weiss hired researcher Ann Galligan, of Northeastern University, to create an arts and cultural plan.

Bands that have performed or recorded here include Battles, Lightning Bolt, Brown Bird, and Fang Island.

One hub for arts and culture in the city is Lorraine Mills, a repurposed mill building on the eastern side of the city, which houses institutions including Mixed Magic Theatre, Wage House (comedy club), Pawtucket Arts Collaborative, and Crooked Current Brewery.

The longest professional baseball game in history, 33 innings, was played at McCoy Stadium in 1981.

Until its closure in 1978, the track hosted several important races that drew some of the top horses from around the United States including Hall of Fame members; Seabiscuit, War Admiral and Gun Bow.

It is a private college preparatory school founded on the basis of St. John the Baptist de la Salle.

To preserve certain buildings in the city, planners snaked I-95, creating sharp bends in the highway.