Caguas, Puerto Rico

Caguas Municipio Autónomo de Caguas
City and Municipality
View of Caguas from Cerro Las Piñas in Beatriz, Cayey
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  "La Ciudad del Turabo" (Turabo Valley), "La Ciudad Criolla" (Creole City), "La Cuna de los Trovadores" (Cradle of Trovadores)
Anthem: "Centro y Corazón de Puerto Rico"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Caguas Municipality
Coordinates: 18°13′53″N 66°2′22″W / 18.23139°N 66.03944°W / 18.23139; -66.03944Coordinates: 18°13′53″N 66°2′22″W / 18.23139°N 66.03944°W / 18.23139; -66.03944
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Founded	January 1, 1775
Barrios	show 11 barrios Caguas barrio-pueblo Bairoa Beatriz Borinquen Cañabon Cañaboncito Río Cañas San Antonio San Salvador Tomás de Castro Turabo
Government
• Mayor	William Miranda Torres (PPD)
• Senatorial dist.	7
• Representative dist.	31,32
Area
• Total	59.07 sq mi (153.00 km2)
• Land	58.68 sq mi (151.97 km2)
• Water	0.40 sq mi (1.03 km2)
Elevation	211.0 ft (64.3 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	127,244
• Density	2,200/sq mi (830/km2)
Demonym(s)	Cagüeños caguenses
Ethnicity (2000 Census)[1]
• White	84.5%
• Black	7.8%
• American Indian/AN	0.6%
• Asian	0.3%
• Native Hawaiian/PI	0.1%
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)
ZIP Codes	00725, 00726, 00727
Area code(s)	787/939
Major routes
Website	caguas.gov.pr

Caguas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkaɣwas]), founded in 1775, is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey.

Caguas is located 20 miles (32 km) from San Juan. It is located in the Valle de Caguas or Caguas Valley (also known as Valle del Turabo or the Turabo Valley), at the eastern ranges of the Central Mountain Range. It is known as La Ciudad Criolla (Criollo City), Valle del Turabo (the Turabo Valley) and La Cuna de los Trovadores (The Cradle of the Trovadores).^[2] Its name originates from the Taíno cacique Caguax, who was a regional chief. Caguas is a principal city of both the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area.^[3]

History[]

Caguas was founded on January 1, 1775, as San Sebastián del Piñal de Caguax, with the name later being shortened and modernized to its current form. The name of the city comes from the native name Caguax who was a local Taíno chief and early convert to Christianity. The site of the historic downtown area of Caguas and its central square dates to 1779. In 1820 the settlement was granted the title of Villa and it was granted city rights in 1894.

Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Caguas was 19,857.^[4]

The city grew considerably in size during the 1970s^[5] and quickly became an exurb of San Juan to the north due to its location. The region of Caguas became an important pharmaceuticals manufacturing centers during this time. Pharmaceutical companies originally came to Puerto Rico in the late 1960s and 1970s to take advantage of the now-expired federal tax incentive known as Section 936. This incentive allowed U.S.-based manufacturers to send all profits from local plants to stateside parent plants without having to pay any federal taxes.

Although not typically seen as part of the colloquial Área Metro of San Juan (San Juan, Cataño, Bayamón, Guaynabo and Carolina), the municipality of Caguas is located in the census-based San Juan Metropolitan Area due to its role as a commuter town. The average commute time for residents of the municipality is 30.5 minutes^[6]. Caguas is the fourth most populous city in the San Juan Metropolitan region and the most populous city in Puerto Rico that is not located in a coastal area.

In 2002, Caguas was the site of the 2002 USAF Hercules air disaster.^[7]

Hurricane Maria[]

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in Caguas with its wind and rain. Rivers were breached causing flooding of low-lying areas, and infrastructure and homes were destroyed. The hurricane caused $90 million in damages in Caguas.^[8][9][10]

Geography[]

The city and municipality of Caguas are located approximately 30 minutes from the coastline both on the east (Humacao) and the north (San Juan). It is east of Aguas Buenas and Cidra, north of Cayey, south of San Juan, and west of Gurabo and Trujillo Alto. It also shares borders with Guayama and Patillas via a five-point border at the summit of Cerro La Santa, with Cayey and San Lorenzo. This is the tallest point of the Sierra de Cayey, not to be confused with Montaña Santa which is another mountain in the same massif located on the boundary between the municipalities of Patillas and San Lorenzo. At this point there are two tall antennas which provide signal to Puerto Rico's principal TV stations such as WKAQ-TV and WAPA-TV. No road passes exactly at this point, and it can be approached nearby through Puerto Rico Highway 184.

The city is located in one of the largest valleys in Puerto Rico, the Valle de Caguas or Caguas Valley (also known as Valle del Turabo or the Turabo Valley).^[11] Being located in a valley, Caguas has the distinction of being relatively flat except near the borders with all the mentioned municipalities except Gurabo.^[12] The valley is bordered by the Sierra de Luquillo on the northeast, the to the east, the Sierra de Cayey on the south and the main range of the Cordillera Central to the west.

This valley is fed mainly by the Grande de Loíza River, one of Puerto Rico's major rivers that feed into the Atlantic Ocean, and numerous tributaries such as the Cagüitas, along which the contemporary settlement of Caguas was built. The city's nickname Valle del Turabo comes from the Turabo River, which is another tributary that flows from the south. The Gurabo River, another major tributary, feeds into the Grande de Loíza at a region where the valley narrows into a rift valley that runs from west to east and ends in Humacao in the southeastern coast of the island.

As with other parts of Puerto Rico, the region of Caguas is susceptible to earthquakes. The municipality is located along the Great Northern Puerto Rico fault zone (GNPRfz) and in recent times the region experienced moderate size earthquakes in 1990^[13] and 2010^[14].

Water features[]

• The Río Grande de Loíza divides this municipality from Gurabo.
• Other rivers: Río Turabo, Río Caguitas, Río Cañaboncito, Río Bairoa and Río Cañas.

Climate[]

The climate is classified as a Tropical monsoon climate, meaning the daily mean temperature from month to month is never less than 64.4 °F (18 °C), and there is a distinct wet and dry season. Rainfall is common in relative abundance throughout most of the year, although there is less rain than in the eastern coastal valleys. The land, however, is fertile and deep.

Barrios[]

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Caguas is subdivided into barrios:^[16][17][18]

Sectors[]

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)^[19] and subbarrios,^[20][21][22] in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.^[23][24][25]

Special Communities[]

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 Caguas: Bairoa La 25, Morales neighborhood, Parcelas Viejas in Borinquén, Sector La Barra, and Comunidad La Quebrada in Río Cañas, Hoyo Frío in Las Carolinas, Lajitas, Las Carolinas, Los Muchos, Los Panes in Beatriz, and Savarona.^[26][27]

Tourism[]

Landmarks and places of interest[]

There are seven places in Caguas listed on the US National Register of Historic Places:^[28]

• Alcaldia de Caguas, the City Hall building
• Primera Iglesia Bautista de Caguas
• Gautier Benítez High School
• Escuela Vocacional Aguayo Aldea
• Logia Union y Amparo #44
• Puente No. 6 or (Spanish: Puente La Concepción)
• Carretera Central

Other landscapes in Caguas include:

• Botanical and Cultural Gardens
• Caguas Historical Museum
• Caguas Cathedral
• Coquí Villa
• Hacienda Catalina Ruins
• Hacienda Cofresí
• Hacienda Country Club
• La Casa de Ajedrez (The House of Chess)
• Tobacco Museum
• Catedral Dulce Nombre de Jesus (In town plaza founded in 1729 and constructed in 1774).

To stimulate local tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the Voy Turistiendo (I'm Touring) campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Voy Turisteando Caguas passport page lists the Jardín Botánico William Miranda Marin, the Catedral Dulce Nombre de Jesús, the Plaza de Recreo Santiago R. Palmer and the Museo de Artes Populares as places of interest for locals.^[29]

Culture[]

Festivals and events[]

Caguas celebrates its patron saint festival in July. The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Sra. del Carmen is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.^[12]

Other festivals and events include:

• Rosario Cantado a los Reyes – 4 January
• Three Kings Festival – 5 January
• Criolla Beatriz – February
• Criolla Borinquen Fair – March
• Criolla Cañabón Fair – April
• Felipe "La Voz" Rodríguez' Birthday – 8 May
• Al Fresco – Every last Friday of each month
• Cross Festival – 23–31 May
• Typical Criole Festival – 1–2 June
• Latin American Musical

Sports[]

The Criollos de Caguas baseball team is considered one of the greatest of all-time in all of Latin America, having won 18 national Puerto Rico titles and 5 Caribbean World Series titles The team is a member of the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de Puerto Rico (LBPPR). Three of the first five Puerto Ricans that played Major League Baseball in the U.S. mainland, at one point in their careers played for the Criollos de Caguas (Luis Rodríguez Olmo, Victor Pellot Power, Roberto Clemente).

The Criollos de Caguas basketball team, founded in 1968 by and , was a basketball team that did not enjoy as much success as their baseball counterparts. However, in the early 2000s, they showed a lot of progress by reaching the national playoffs various times. The team was a member of the BSN. In 2006, the team won its first BSN national basketball championship, defeating Flor Melendez and his Santurce Crabbers in five games.

Caguas is home to the Bairoa Gym, one of the most important boxing gyms in all Puerto Rico and a place where many visiting champions have trained at; such as boxing Welterweight Champion Miguel Cotto, his brother Jose Miguel, Alberto Mercado, Juan Carazo, Alfredo Escalera and others.

The Criollas de Caguas women's volleyball team has won 9 national Puerto Rico titles and has made it to the finals more than 15 times. The team is a member of the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (LVSF).

The Criollos de Caguas FC soccer team is considered one of the most successful clubs in the island winning multiple tournaments and cups in Puerto Rican soccer including the National League Title in 2015.

Economy[]

In September 2005, city mayor William Miranda Marin levied the first municipal tax in Puerto Rico via city ordinance. Area merchants now charge a one cent tax for every dollar spent at all retail businesses. The tax has become known around the island as the "Willie Tax." It resulted in an estimated $500,000 monthly income for the city. However, the municipal tax was increased to 1.5% after the establishment of the 5.5% state tax for a total of 7% and the tax was declared illegal by the Puerto Rico's Supreme Court.^{[citation needed]}

During 2006, Miranda Marin began calling Caguas "El Nuevo Pais de Caguas" ("The New Country of Caguas").

Agriculture[]

During the early part of the 20th century, Caguas hosted one of Puerto Rico's most important sugar manufacturers, which gave employment to thousands of Cagüeños.

Business[]

Numerous businesses and important buildings have opened in Caguas since the 1970s, including the imposing 23 story apartment building , its adjacent competitors Bonneville Apartments, and the 10 floor .^[30] There are also several shopping centers:

• Plaza del Carmen Mall
• Las Catalinas Mall

Demographics[]

In 1899, the United States conducted its first census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Caguas was 19,857.

In 2020, Caguas had a population of 127,244 compared to 142,893 in 2010. This shows an 11% decrease in the population in the municipality. The population density in 2020 was 2,200 people per square mile (830/km²). Hispanic or Latino of any race constitute 98.4% of the population of the municipality. There are also communities of Dominicans, Cubans and Colombians.

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1900	19,857		—
1910	27,160		36.8%
1920	35,920		32.3%
1930	47,728		32.9%
1940	53,356		11.8%
1950	60,132		12.7%
1960	65,098		8.3%
1970	95,661		46.9%
1980	117,959		23.3%
1990	133,447		13.1%
2000	140,502		5.3%
2010	142,893		1.7%
2020	127,244		−11.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[31] 1899 (shown as 1900)[32] 1910-1930[33] 1930-1950[34] 1960-2000[35] 2010[17] 2020[36]

Government[]

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The mayor of the city of Caguas were

1953 to 1969 - Angel Rivera PPD

1969 to 1973 - Miguel Hernandez Rodriguez (New Progressive Party (PNP))

1973 to 1977 - Angel O. Berrios Diaz (PPD)

1977 to 1981 - Miguel Hernandez Rodriguez (PNP)

1981 to 1997 - Angel O. Berrios Diaz (PPD)

1997 to 2010 - William Miranda Marín (PPD)

2010 to present - William Miranda Torres (PPD)

The city belongs to the Senatorial district VII (Humacao), which is represented by two Senators. In 2016, Miguel Laureano (PNP) and José Luis Dalmau (PPD) were elected as District Senators.

Symbols[]

The municipio or municipality has an official flag and coat of arms.^[37]

Flag and coat of arms[]

The colors blue and gold were chosen for the shield, distinctive of the city of Caguas. The figures symbolize both the indigenous and Christian origins of the city.

The coat of arms consists of a shield with a blue field. Upon the field are two sets of three golden arrows, forming a cross of St. Andrew. Above the cross is a crown which represents Caguax, cacique of the Turabo Valley region at the time of the arrival of the Spanish conquerors. Arrows were used as a remembrance of the first Christian place of worship established in the region which was dedicated under the patronage of St. Sebastian. There are pineapples interspersed to reflect the native agriculture. A castellated wall surmounts the shield to show the city's having been granted status as a municipality by the Spanish Crown.

On the flag, the shield sits atop another blue field on which the cross of arrows motif is repeated.^[38]

Transportation[]

Public transportation in Caguas, as in most of Puerto Rico, is limited to small "guaguas públicas" (Mini Bus). There is inexpensive but slow service to and from San Juan and Rio Piedras. Several buses and public taxi services serve the town to a limited degree. In 2019^[39], 91.55% of the population relied on their own cars or carpool services to commute.

A "light interurban rail" system connecting Caguas to San Juan was in the planning stages and discarded due to lack of funding.

Caguas is served by one freeway, one tolled expressway and one main divided highway. Puerto Rico Highway 30 connects Caguas to the eastern part of the island. There is no freeway/expressway to the west, due mainly to the fact that there is no sufficient population west of Caguas to develop a new freeway or expressway; good access to the municipalities of Cidra (southwest) and Aguas Buenas (northwest) are possible via PR-172 and PR-156, respectively. Puerto Rico Highway 52 connects Caguas to the north (San Juan) and south (Cayey, Ponce). Puerto Rico Highway 1 is an alternate route to San Juan and Guaynabo with two lanes per direction; in south Caguas it becomes rural near Borinquen, therefore the only good access to Cayey is the expressway (PR-52) and a $1.00 toll has to be paid (only in the south direction). The only municipality bordering Caguas with a poor-access road is San Lorenzo, via PR-183; but good access to San Lorenzo is possible by entering Gurabo via PR-30, and then taking PR-203 south.

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport is about 35 minutes away by car.

There are 86 bridges in Caguas.^[40]

Education[]

High schools[]

• Colegio Católico Notre Dame
• Elohim Christian Academy
• New Generation Christian Academy (formerly CLA)
• Caguas Military Academy
• Colegio Bautista
• Colegio Católico San Juan Apóstol
• Academia Cristo de los Milagros
• Dr. Juan José Osuna High school
• José Gautier Benítez High school
• Escuela Libre de Música - Antonio S. Paoli
• Manuela Toro Morice High School
• Republic of Costa Rica Vocacional High School of Caguas
• Eloisa Pascual "Bairoa III" High School
• Rio Cañas High School
• Santa Rosa Superior School
• Thomas Alva Edison School
• Superior
• Escuela Secundaria Especializada en Ciencias, Matemáticas y Tecnología (CIMATEC)
• Caguas Private School (CPS)

Higher education[]

• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
• Columbia College
• Turabo University at Gurabo (Gurabo, Puerto Rico)

Health care[]

• Hospital Hima San Pablo
• Menonita Caguas Regional Hospital
• San Juan Bautista Medical Center
• Corporacion SANOS

Sister cities[]

Caguas, Puerto Rico is twinned with Hartford, Connecticut and Southbridge, Massachusetts.

Gallery[]

• 

  Museo de Arte de Caguas

• 

  The José Ignacio Quintón Center for Criollo Music, located at the corner of Calle Ruiz Belvis and Calle Intendente Ramírez in Caguas, Puerto Rico. The center occupies the historic First Baptist Church of Caguas (built 1907–1909), and is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

• 

  Carousel in Plaza de Caguas

• 

  Caguas cathedral "Dulce Nombre de Jesús" founded in 1729. On the facade hangs an image of native son Blessed Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, whose body rests in the cathedral.

• 

  Entrance to the Botanical and Cultural Gardens in Caguas

• 

  Main square for recreation, Plaza de Recreo Santiago R. Palmer in Caguas barrio-pueblo

• 

  The Walmart in Caguas, Puerto Rico is one of five Walmart facilities on the island equipped with solar panels.

See also[]

• List of Puerto Ricans
• History of Puerto Rico
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Caguas

References[]

Further reading[]

• Caguas and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
• Carrasquillo, Rosa E. (2006). Our Landless Patria: Marginal Citizenship and Race in Caguas, Puerto Rico, 1880–1910. Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press. OCLC 61204347.

External links[]

• Eastern Center Virtual Library (in Spanish)
• Caguas Community Portal (in Spanish)
• Huertas Junior College (in Spanish)
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
• Columbia College (in Spanish)
• Grand Valley State University(in Spanish)
• Jardín Botánico y Cultural William Miranda Marín (in Spanish)
• Caguas, Puerto Rico on Facebook