Route 5 starts at US 1 in Warwick near Gorton Pond. It runs north over I-95 without an interchange before intersecting Route 2 in Cranston. It continues north, generally paralleling I-295. After passing US 44 near Greenville, Route 5 crosses the Stillwater Reservoir on a short causeway. Continuing north, Route 5 has a short concurrency with Route 7, and it continues to North Smithfield. Route 5 crosses the Route 146 expressway without an interchange and terminates at the Massachusetts state line, though the northernmost Route 5 shields are around Route 102 at the south end of the Route 146A concurrency.
History
Route 5 was once numbered Route 1C along the 3.0 miles (4.8 km) between its south end at U.S. Route 1 (New England Interstate Route 1 before 1926) and Route 2 (originally Route 1A). It was renumbered Route 5 and extended north by 1934.