Originally, another Ohio-class submarine, SSBN-730, was to have been named Rhode Island; a contract was awarded in 1977 for SSBN-730s construction and her keel was laid in 1981 with the Rhode Island name planned for the completed submarine.
The contract to build Rhode Island (SSBN-740) was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut, on 5 January 1988 and her keel was laid down there on 15 September 1988.