Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Guaynabo
Municipio Autónomo de Guaynabo
City and municipality
Caparra Archaeological Site
San Pedro de Mártir Church
Guaynabo City Hall
San Patricio Mall
Guaynabo skyline
Flag of Guaynabo
Flag
Coat of arms of Guaynabo
Coat of arms
Nicknames: 
"Ciudad de los Conquistadores", "Pueblo del Carnaval Mabó", "Primer Poblado de Puerto Rico"
Anthem: "Guaynabo, Pueblo Querido"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Guaynabo Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Guaynabo Municipality
Map
Coordinates: 18°22′00″N 66°06′00″W / 18.36667°N 66.10000°W / 18.36667; -66.10000
Sovereign state United States
Commonwealth Puerto Rico
Settled1508
FoundedApril 9, 1769
Founded byPedro R. Dávila
Barrios
10 barrios
Government
 • MayorEdward O'Neill Rosa (PNP)
 • Senatorial District1 - San Juan (Half)
2 - Bayamon (Half)
 • Representative dist.6 / 9
Area
 • Total
27.1 sq mi (70.2 km2)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total
89,780
 • Rank6th in Puerto Rico
 • Density3,300/sq mi (1,300/km2)
Demonym(s)Guaynabeño (masculine)
Guaynabeña (feminine)
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Codes
00965, 00966, 00968, 00969, 00971, 00970
Area code787/939
Major routes

Websiteguaynabocity.gov.pr

Guaynabo (Spanish pronunciation: [ɡwajˈnaβo], locally [wajˈnaβo]) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, east of Bayamón, south of Cataño and San Juan Bay, and north of Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrios and the downtown area and administrative center of Guaynabo Pueblo. With a land area of 27.13 square miles (70.3 km2) and a population of 89,780 as of the 2020 census, it is part of the San Juan metropolitan area. The studios of WAPA-TV, the most watched television station in Puerto Rico, are located in Guaynabo.[2]

History

The first European settlement in Puerto Rico, Caparra, was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de León in land that is today part of Guaynabo. Ponce de León resided there as first Spanish governor of Puerto Rico. This settlement was abandoned in 1521 in favor of San Juan. The ruins of Caparra remain and are a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The Museum of the Conquest and Colonization of Puerto Rico, which features artifacts from the site and others in Puerto Rico, is located on the grounds.

The municipality of Guaynabo was founded in 1769 by Pedro R. Davila (P.R.), after a struggle for division from the municipality of Bayamón. Previously, the municipality was known as Buinabo, a name that it is popularly said to mean in Taíno "Here is another place of fresh water." Irish officer Thomas O'Daly and fellow Irishman Miguel Kirwan settled the area in the late 18th century and developed a farm and sugarcane plantation he named Hacienda San Patricio. The plantation no longer exists but the land on which it was located is now the central business district of Guaynabo and the San Patricio Plaza shopping mall.

On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Guaynabo, where 26.9% of the population live below the poverty level, 2800 homes were destroyed.[3] The hurricane triggered numerous landslides in Guaynabo.[4][5] Then president Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump visited Guaynabo.[6] Due to the municipality's fiscal difficulties, it was not until April 2, 2019, over a year and half later, that the overtime pay owed to municipal workers was paid.[7]

After 24 years as mayor, Héctor O'Neill García resigned in 2017 when allegations surfaced of sexual harassment toward a female municipal employee.[8] He was replaced in a run-off election by Angel Pérez Otero, who in turn was forced out due to his arrest for Federal corruption allegations in 2021.[9] Héctor O'Neill's son Edward O'Neill Rosa won the following run-off election to succeed him as mayor in January 2022.[10]

Geography

Guaynabo is on the northern side.[11]

Barrios

Barrios of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico locator map
Barrios of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico locator map

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Guaynabo is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a smaller barrio referred to as "el pueblo", located near the center of the municipality.[12][13][14][15]

  1. Camarones
  2. Frailes
  3. Guaraguao
  4. Guaynabo barrio-pueblo
  5. Hato Nuevo
  6. Mamey
  7. Pueblo Viejo
  8. Río
  9. Santa Rosa
  10. Sonadora


Guaynabo's town square in Guaynabo barrio-pueblo

Sectors

Further information: List of barrios and sectors of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)[16] are further subdivided into smaller areas called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[17][18][19]

Special Communities

See also: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of social exclusion. A map shows these communities occur in nearly every municipality of the commonwealth. Of the 742 places that were on the list in 2014, the following barrios, communities, sectors, or neighborhoods were in Guaynabo: Amelia, Buen Samaritano, Camarones barrio, Corea, El Polvorín, Honduras, Jerusalén, Los Filtros, Sector El Laberinto, Sector La Pajilla, Sector Los Ratones (Camino Feliciano), Sector San Miguel, Trujillo, Sector Tomé, Vietnam,[20] and Villa Isleña.[21][22]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
192010,800—
193013,50225.0%
194018,31935.7%
195029,12059.0%
196039,71836.4%
197067,04268.8%
198080,74220.4%
199092,88615.0%
2000100,0537.7%
201097,924−2.1%
202089,780−8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[23]
1920-1930[24]
1930-1950[25] 1960-2000[26] 2010[14] 2020[27]

Tourism

To stimulate local tourism, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Guaynabo page lists Ruinas de Caparra, Paseo Tablado, and Plaza de Los Artistas, as places of interest.[29]

Landmarks and places of interest

Museum of Transportation in Guaynabo
Scenic lookout at mirador Gavillan

Economy

Several businesses have their headquarters or local Puerto Rican branches in Guaynabo. El Nuevo Día,[31] Chrysler, Santander Securities, Puerto Rico Telephone, and many sales offices for large US and international firms (such as Total, Microsoft, Toshiba, Puma Energy and others) have their Puerto Rican headquarters in Guaynabo. WAPA-TV (Televicentro) and Univision Puerto Rico have their main studios in Guaynabo.

Iberia's San Juan-area offices are in Guaynabo.[32]

Crime

Carjackings have been an ongoing problem in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico[33][34][35][36][37] and in 2014 the FBI reported a carjacking that occurred in Camarones.[38]

Climate

Climate data for Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 94
(34) 		93
(34) 		95
(35) 		97
(36) 		96
(36) 		97
(36) 		95
(35) 		98
(37) 		96
(36) 		98
(37) 		95
(35) 		92
(33) 		98
(37)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 84
(29) 		85
(29) 		86
(30) 		87
(31) 		88
(31) 		90
(32) 		90
(32) 		90
(32) 		90
(32) 		89
(32) 		87
(31) 		85
(29) 		90
(32)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 67
(19) 		67
(19) 		67
(19) 		69
(21) 		72
(22) 		73
(23) 		73
(23) 		74
(23) 		73
(23) 		73
(23) 		71
(22) 		68
(20) 		67
(19)
Record low °F (°C) 50
(10) 		45
(7) 		45
(7) 		60
(16) 		59
(15) 		55
(13) 		55
(13) 		60
(16) 		62
(17) 		60
(16) 		55
(13) 		50
(10) 		45
(7)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.79
(122) 		3.30
(84) 		3.52
(89) 		5.80
(147) 		7.17
(182) 		4.54
(115) 		6.70
(170) 		6.44
(164) 		7.39
(188) 		6.79
(172) 		8.06
(205) 		6.39
(162) 		70.89
(1,800)
Source: weather.com[39]

Culture

Festivals and events

Guaynabo celebrates its patron saint festival in April. The Fiestas Patronales de San Pedro Martir is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[11][40]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Guaynabo include:

  • Three Kings Festival – January
  • Mabó Carnival – February
  • Mothers’ Day celebration – May
  • National Salsa Day – June
  • Fine Arts camp and recreation and sports camp – June
  • Bomba and Plena (folkloric music and dance) Festival – October
  • Official lighting of Christmas Lights – November

Sports

Guaynabo's old BSN team, the Guaynabo Mets, won national championships in 1980, 1982 and 1989, commanded by the player whom the Mario Morales Coliseum was named after, Mario "Quijote" Morales. The Conquistadores de Guaynabo, or Guaynabo Conquistadores, are the Guaynabo Mets replacement and still play in the Mario Morales Coliseum. The Mets de Guaynabo are the local women's volleyball team that play in the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (LVSF), winning three titles in 1978, 1993–94 and 1995. They also play in the Mario Morales Coliseum. Guaynabo Fluminense FC is Guaynabo's professional soccer team that plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League. The league started in 2008 and Guaynabo's current position in the league is 4th place. Guaynabo Fluminense FC play their matches at the Jose Bonano Stadium that was originally made for baseball, but became a soccer arena after the Puerto Rico Baseball League was cancelled for the 2008 season. It was at the same year that the Puerto Rico Soccer League was starting to take place. In the 2009 season, Guaynabo Fluminense FC moved to the Sixto Escobar Stadium.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates two post offices, Guaynabo and Caparra Heights, in Guaynabo.[41][42]

The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Metropolitan Detention Center, Guaynabo in Guaynabo.[43]

Some regions of the city belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district I while others belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district II. Both of the Districts are represented by two Senators. In 2024, Nitza Morán and Juan Oscar Morales were elected as Senators for District I, while Migdalia Padilla and Carmelo Ríos have been serving as Senators for District II since being elected in 2004.[44]

Mayors

Mayors of Guaynabo from 1969 to present

Mayor Term Party
Ebenezer Rivera 1969–1979 New Progressive Party
Alejandro Cruz Ortiz 1979–1993 New Progressive Party
Héctor O'Neill García 1993–2017 New Progressive Party
Angel Pérez Otero 2017–2021 New Progressive Party
Edward O'Neill Rosa 2022–Present New Progressive Party

Mayors of Guaynabo from 1782 to 1969

Term Name
1782 Cayetano de la Sarna
1800 Pedro Dávila
1812 Dionisio Cátala
1816 Angel Umpierre
1818 Juan José González
1821 Joaquín Goyena
1822 José María Prosis
1823 Simón Hinonio
1825 José R. Ramírez
1827 Antonio Guzmán
1828 Genaro Oller
1836 Andrés Degal
1836 Agustín Rosario
1840 Francisco Hiques
1844 Martínez Díaz
1848 Tomás Cátla
1849 Andrés Vega
1852 Justo García
1856 José Tomás Sagarra
1857 Manuel Manzano
1859 Juan Floret
1859 José Francisco Chiques
1862 Segundo de Echeverte
1862 José de Murgas
1869 Juan J. Caro
1873 Benito Gómez
1874 Manuel Millones
1876 José Otero
1891 Juan Díaz de Barrio
1914 José Ramón
1914 José Carazo
1919 Narciso Vall-llobera Feliú
1924 Zenón Díaz Valcárcel
1936 Dolores Valdivieso
1944 Augosto Rivera
1948 Jorge Gavillán Fuentes
1956 Juan Román
1964 José Rosario Reyes

Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[45]

Flag

This municipality has a flag.[46]

Coat of arms

This municipality has a coat of arms.[46]

Health facilities

Professional Hospital Guaynabo located on Felisa Rincón Avenue (formerly Las Cumbres Avenue), is the newest hospital infrastructure built in Puerto Rico. Guaynabo is the only city in Puerto Rico to have a hospital specialized in advanced vascular surgery.[47] Some of the first and newest procedures performed in Puerto Rico during 2009 were done in Professional Hospital Guaynabo, including the first AxiaLIF surgery for lumbar fusion.[48]

Transportation

The Tren Urbano has only one station in the municipality, Torrimar Station. Guaynabo has a bus network called “Guaynabo City Transport”. There are 63 bridges in Guaynabo.[49]

Notable people

Education

Guaynabo is home to Atlantic University College, which specializes in new media art.

The Japanese Language School of Puerto Rico (プエルトリコ補習授業校 Puerutoriko Hoshū Jugyō Kō), a weekend Japanese school, previously held its classes in Guaynabo.[50] It closed in March 2006.[51]

International relations

Guaynabo serves as a host city to four foreign consulates with business in Puerto Rico:

  • Skyline of Guaynabo
    Skyline of Guaynabo
  • PR-1 and PR-8834 in Guaynabo
    PR-1 and PR-8834 in Guaynabo
  • Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo
    Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo

See also

References

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