Guaynabo, Puerto Rico facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Guaynabo
Municipio Autónomo de Guaynabo
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City and municipality
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San Pedro de Mártir Church
Guaynabo City Hall
San Patricio Mall
Guaynabo skyline
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| Nicknames:
"Ciudad de los Conquistadores", "Pueblo del Carnaval Mabó", "Primer Poblado de Puerto Rico"
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| Anthem: "Guaynabo, Pueblo Querido" | |||
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Guaynabo Municipality
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| Sovereign state |  United States |
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| Commonwealth |  Puerto Rico |
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| Settled | 1508 | ||
| Founded | April 9, 1769 | ||
| Founded by | Pedro R. Dávila | ||
| Barrios | |||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 27.1 sq mi (70.2 km2) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 89,780 | ||
| • Rank | 6th in Puerto Rico | ||
| • Density | 3,312.4/sq mi (1,278.9/km2) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Guaynabeño (masculine) Guaynabeña (feminine) |
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| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) | ||
| ZIP Codes |
00965, 00966, 00968, 00969, 00971, 00970
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| Area code(s) | 787/939 | ||
| Major routes |                |
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| Website | guaynabocity.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.
Contents
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 means in Taíno "Aquí hay otro lugar de agua dulce" or "Here is another place of fresh water."
Geography
Guaynabo is on the northern side.
Barrios
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.
Sectors
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) 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.
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 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, and Villa Isleña.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 10,800 | — | |
| 1930 | 13,502 | 25.0% | |
| 1940 | 18,319 | 35.7% | |
| 1950 | 29,120 | 59.0% | |
| 1960 | 39,718 | 36.4% | |
| 1970 | 67,042 | 68.8% | |
| 1980 | 80,742 | 20.4% | |
| 1990 | 92,886 | 15.0% | |
| 2000 | 100,053 | 7.7% | |
| 2010 | 97,924 | −2.1% | |
| 2020 | 89,780 | −8.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1920-1930 1930-1950 1960-2000 2010 2020 |
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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.
Landmarks and places of interest
- Rancho de Apa (restaurant)
- Centro de Bellas Artes (Guaynabo Performing Arts Center)
- Caparra Ruins
- Caribe Recreational Center
- Iglesia Parroquial de San Pedro Mártir
- La Marquesa Forest Park
- Paseo Tablado
- Mario Morales Coliseum
- San Patricio Plaza
- Caparra Country Club
- Plaza Guaynabo
- Museum of Transportation
- Museo del Deporte
- Fort Buchanan
Economy
Several businesses have their headquarters or local Puerto Rican branches in Guaynabo. El Nuevo Día, 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.
Climate
| Climate data for Guaynabo, Puerto Rico | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 93 (34) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
96 (36) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
92 (33) |
104 (40) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
78 (26) |
84 (29) |
88 (31) |
89 (32) |
90 (32) |
91 (33) |
92 (33) |
92 (33) |
90 (32) |
82 (28) |
79 (26) |
86 (30) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
64 (18) |
67 (19) |
70 (21) |
72 (22) |
75 (24) |
76 (24) |
76 (24) |
75 (24) |
73 (23) |
71 (22) |
67 (19) |
71 (22) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 53 (12) |
52 (11) |
56 (13) |
62 (17) |
66 (19) |
67 (19) |
69 (21) |
69 (21) |
64 (18) |
66 (19) |
61 (16) |
59 (15) |
52 (11) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.89 (48) |
1.51 (38) |
1.52 (39) |
2.39 (61) |
9.36 (238) |
4.35 (110) |
2.42 (61) |
5.50 (140) |
8.34 (212) |
5.57 (141) |
5.28 (134) |
3.74 (95) |
51.87 (1,317) |
| Source: weather.com | |||||||||||||
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.
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.
- Mets de Guaynabo (women's volleyball) - Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino (LVSF)
- Mets de Guaynabo (men's volleyball) - Liga de Voleibol Superior Masculino (LVSM)
- Guaynabo Conquistadores (basketball) - Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN)
- Mets de Guaynabo (basketball) - Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN)
- Mets de Guaynabo (baseball) - Federación de Béisbol Aficionado de Puerto Rico (Béisbol Doble A)
- Guaynabo Fluminense FC (soccer) - Puerto Rico Soccer League (PRSL)
Symbols
The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.
Flag
This municipality has a flag.
Coat of arms
This municipality has a coat of arms.
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.
Notable people
- Iván DeJesús Jr. (born 1987), baseball player who played most for the Cincinnati Reds
- Carlos (born 1965), Oscar (born 1966), and Ricky Meléndez (born 1967), singers (Menudo)
- Tomas Nido (born 1994), baseball catcher for the New York Mets
Education
Guaynabo is home to Atlantic University, 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. It closed in March 2006.
International relations
Guaynabo serves as a host city to four foreign consulates with business in Puerto Rico:
Gallery
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Skyline of Guaynabo
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PR-1 and PR-8834 in Guaynabo
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Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo
See also
In Spanish: Guaynabo para niños
