List of rivers of Puerto Rico facts for kids

Map with highways and waterways in Puerto Rico

List of rivers in Puerto Rico (U.S. Commonwealth), sorted by drainage basin and then alphabetically. There are 47 main rivers and 24 lagoons or reservoirs.

Most of Puerto Rico's rivers originate in the Cordillera Central. There are four slopes through which rainwater flows towards the sea. According to their orientation they are known as the north or Atlantic slope; southern slope or the Caribbean Sea; the east slope of the Virgin Passage and the Sonda de Vieques and the west slope or the Mona Passage. Due to the generally abundant rain and the flow of its water currents, the most important rivers of Puerto Rico slide down the north slope. Taíno and native people normally built their communities near the rivers. During the Spanish colonization era, the same was true with many pueblos being founded near rivers.

There are about 5,385 miles of river in Puerto Rico; 224 rivers and 553 named streams. Only 8.9 miles of Puerto Rico's rivers have the official U.S. Wild and Scenic River Designation.

Note

Sign on the side of PR-435 in San Sebastián indicating there is a quebrada (stream)

A quebrada is a stream. An arroyo or ensenada is a creek. A río is a river. A canal or caño is a channel. A cayo is a cay.

Reservoirs and lagoons

These are also reservoirs and lagoons in Puerto Rico:

By drainage basin

Tanamá in Utuado

Rivers of Puerto Rico listed by drainage basin:

North Coast (Atlantic Ocean)

East Coast (Vieques Passage)

South Coast (Caribbean Sea)

West Coast (Mona Passage)

Alphabetically

A waterway in Puerto Rico

See also

• List of rivers in U.S. insular areas
• List of rivers of Ponce, Puerto Rico
• List of dams and reservoirs in Puerto Rico
• List of cays and islets of Puerto Rico