Rhode Island
Newport
Rhode Island’s Scenic Byways
Rhode Island is home to one national scenic byway and eight state scenic byways and began their own program designating byways in 1991. Each of the nine byways offers incredible ways to experience the natural beauty of Rhode Island. Millions of people visit the state each year, and their travel contributes significantly to many towns and locales across the state.
Key Points
- Rhode Island is home to nine scenic byways, including one national scenic byway and eight state scenic byways.
- In 2019, 26.2 million people visited Rhode Island and contributed to $7 billion in economic activity throughout the state.
- The travel industry supports over 13% of jobs in Rhode Island, or about 87,852 total jobs.
- Travel and tourism generated $843 million in state and local taxes in 2017, saving each household in Rhode Island $2,050.
- In 2017, travel industry tax revenues were enough to pay for the public education of 49,914 students for a year.
Rhode Island Byways
Map Key:
- National Scenic Byways
- State Scenic Byways
National Scenic Byways
Byways Provide Access to Public Lands
South Carolina byways provide access to the state’s most spectacular public lands, including one national park, 22 state parks, one Wild and Scenic River, 45 national historic landmarks, and seven state beaches.
About the National Scenic Byways Program
The National Scenic Byways Program, established by Congress in 1991, recognizes historic, scenic, and culturally important roads, all of which promote economic development and tourism in communities around the U.S. There are more than 1,200 byways in all 50 states.
All scenic byways exhibit one or more of six core intrinsic qualities — scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, archaeological, or natural. For a road to be named a national scenic byway, it must first be designated a state, tribal, or federal agency scenic byway. Once achieving that, a road may apply for national scenic byway designation, but its intrinsic quality must be of regional significance. All-American Roads are the very best of the national scenic byways, demonstrating at least two intrinsic qualities of national significance.