Watch Hill, RI GIS Map
Watch Hill is a city in Washington County, Rhode Island, with a population of about 154. The map below shows its location, boundary and surrounding roads, with federal GIS layers you can turn on for the area.
- County
- Washington County
- Population
- 154
- Elevation
- -4 ft
- Coordinates
- 41.3052, -71.8594
- Land area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Time zone
- America/New York
About Watch Hill, RI
Watch Hill is an affluent coastal neighborhood and census-designated place in the town of Westerly, Rhode Island. As of the 2020 census, Watch Hill had a population of 212. It sits at the most-southwestern point in Rhode Island. It came to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th century as an exclusive summer resort, with wealthy families building sprawling Victorian-style "cottages" along the peninsula. Watch Hill is characterized by The New York Times as a community "with a strong sense of privacy and of discreetly used wealth," in contrast with "the overpowering castles of the very rich" in nearby Newport.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Cities Near Watch Hill
- Westerly, RI5 mi
- Groton, CT12 mi
- New London, CT13 mi
- Block Island, RI17 mi
- Norwich, CT19 mi
- Montauk, NY19 mi
- South Kingstown, RI20 mi
- Narragansett, RI23 mi
Other Cities in Washington County
GIS Data for Watch Hill, RI
The Watch Hill map loads live federal GIS layers in your browser, so you can check flood zones, terrain, land cover and district boundaries for any address in Watch Hill without a separate GIS login. Everything below is drawn from public U.S. government data.
Layers you can turn on
FEMA flood zones
National Flood Hazard Layer — flood insurance rate map zones.
Elevation contours and hillshade
USGS 3DEP terrain, so you can read slope and relief.
Land cover
NLCD land cover classes — forest, developed, wetland, water.
School districts
Census TIGER unified and elementary school district boundaries.
ZIP code and county boundaries
Census TIGER ZCTA and county boundary lines.
Map tools
Measure distance and area
Draw a line or polygon to get length in miles or area in acres.
Sketch and annotate
Add points, lines and shapes on top of the map.
Inspect any point
Click the map to read coordinates, elevation and the layers under your cursor.
Download the map
Save the current view as a PNG image.
Watch Hill Demographics
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates.
Population
203
Households
106
Median household income
$168,750
Median age
61.9 years
Median home value
$2,000,001
Owner-occupied homes
94.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher
71%
Below poverty level
12.3%
Land area
0.8 sq mi
Population density
253 / sq mi
County
Photos of Watch Hill
Hover over a photo to see it larger. Tap on mobile.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, taken in or near Watch Hill. Credits and licenses are shown in the larger view.
Soils of Watch Hill
General soil map unit at the city center: Hinckley-Gloucester
Soil Properties
- Drainage class
- Somewhat excessively drained
- Hydrologic soil group
- A (high infiltration, low runoff)
- Available water storage (0–150 cm)
- 10.0 cm
- Typical slope
- 20%
Soil Components
- Gloucester14%
Inceptisols · Typic Dystrudepts
- Gloucester12%
Inceptisols · Typic Dystrudepts
- Hinckley11%
Entisols · Typic Udorthents
- Hinckley11%
Entisols · Typic Udorthents
- Gloucester7%
Inceptisols · Typic Dystrudepts
- Gloucester7%
Inceptisols · Typic Dystrudepts
Source: USDA NRCS U.S. General Soil Map (STATSGO2). General soil map data (1:250,000 scale) is not suitable for site-specific decisions.
Climate of Watch Hill
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the Westerly State Ap, Ri weather station, elevation 81 ft, 4.4 miles from the city center.
Warmest month
Jul · avg high 82°F
Coldest month
Jan · avg low 24°F
Annual precipitation
42.8 in
Average Monthly Temperatures (°F)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high °F | 40 | 41 | 47 | 57 | 67 | 75 | 82 | 80 | 74 | 64 | 54 | 45 |
| Avg low °F | 24 | 26 | 32 | 41 | 50 | 59 | 66 | 64 | 57 | 46 | 38 | 30 |
| Precip. in | 3.34 | 2.75 | 4.17 | 3.90 | 3.32 | 3.55 | 2.91 | 3.49 | 3.81 | 4.29 | 3.50 | 3.77 |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Conditions at the station may differ from other parts of the city.
Natural Hazard Risk in Watch Hill
FEMA National Risk Index ratings for Washington County, compared with all U.S. counties.
Overall risk
Score 64 of 100
Expected annual loss
Buildings, population & agriculture
Social vulnerability
Susceptibility to hazard impacts
Community resilience
Ability to prepare & recover
Risk by Hazard
- HurricaneRelatively Moderate
- Coastal FloodingRelatively Moderate
- Inland FloodingRelatively Moderate
- Ice StormRelatively Moderate
- EarthquakeRelatively Low
- LightningRelatively Moderate
- Heat WaveRelatively Low
- DroughtRelatively Low
- Winter WeatherRelatively Low
- LandslideVery Low
- Strong WindRelatively Low
- TornadoRelatively Low
- Cold WaveRelatively Low
- WildfireVery Low
- HailVery Low
Source: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025 release). County-level ratings are relative to other U.S. counties and are not a property-specific assessment.
Watch Hill FAQ
What county is Watch Hill in?
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Watch Hill, Rhode Island is located in Washington County.
What is the population of Watch Hill?
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Watch Hill has a population of about 154, making it the number 30 of the 30 Rhode Island cities listed on GIS Map.
What is the elevation of Watch Hill?
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The elevation of Watch Hill is approximately -4 feet (-1 meters) above sea level at the city center.
What time zone is Watch Hill in?
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Watch Hill is in the Eastern Time zone (America/New York).
How far is Watch Hill from Providence?
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Watch Hill is about 43 miles from Providence, the capital of Rhode Island, in a straight line.
What cities are near Watch Hill?
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Cities near Watch Hill include Westerly, RI (5 miles); Groton, CT (12 miles); New London, CT (13 miles); Block Island, RI (17 miles); Norwich, CT (19 miles).
Local notes for Watch Hill, RI
Questions and local knowledge from people who know the area. Every note is read before it appears here.