Río Piedras, Puerto Rico facts for kids
Río Piedras is a populous district of San Juan, and former town and municipality of Puerto Rico, which was merged with the municipality of San Juan in 1951. The district today is composed of various barrios (these are the primary legal divisions of municipalities in Puerto Rico) such as Pueblo and Universidad. The historic town was founded in 1714 as El Roble, it was given municipality rights in 1823, and since 1903 it has been the home of the University of Puerto Rico's main campus, earning the popular name of Ciudad Universitaria (similar to college town) today. The downtown and historic center of Río Piedras is officially known as the Pueblo barrio of the municipality of San Juan.
Contents
History
Río Piedras' origins go back to 1714 when a settlement along the shores of the Piedras river was recognized by Governor Juan de Rivera. Originally known as El Roble, it eventually adopted the name of the river that crossed its territory (Río Piedras in Spanish).
During the nineteenth century, most of its territory was used for agricultural and livestock-raising purposes. Sugar cane, cotton and coffee were some of the goods produced during this era at the municipality.
On May 12, 1903, the University of Puerto Rico was founded in Río Piedras. The university was a central part of the development of Rio Piedras, both in housing and economically. Even though the campus covers a very small portion of the territory, it is considered the unofficial symbol of the old town. The Río Piedras Campus is recognized as the main campus in the University of Puerto Rico system. The Botanical Gardens of the university are also located at Río Piedras.
Incorporation into San Juan
The municipality became part of the capital city of San Juan on July 1, 1951, after the approval of Project 177 of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico. Following the annexation of Rio Piedras, the city of San Juan, and its surrounding area now including Rio Piedras, quadrupled its former size. The last mayor of the municipality of Río Piedras was Ángeles Méndez de López Corver.
Symbols
Flag
The flag of Río Piedras consists of a yellow cloth with a wavy blue stripe. The stripe has small white stones crossing it, and symbolizes the river that gave its name to the former town. The yellow background represents the sun, progress, and the future.
Geography
The region is mostly flat due to its location in the Northern Coastal Plains of the island. The highest regions are located at the south, mainly in the Caimito and Cupey barrios. The Río Piedras (or Piedras River) which gives name to the area crosses the region.
| Climate data for Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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) |
105 (41) |
101 (38) |
99 (37) |
104 (40) |
102 (39) |
98 (37) |
92 (33) |
105 (41) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 80 (27) |
81 (27) |
84 (29) |
88 (31) |
89 (32) |
91 (33) |
93 (34) |
93 (34) |
92 (33) |
90 (32) |
86 (30) |
82 (28) |
87 (31) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 66 (19) |
65 (18) |
68 (20) |
70 (21) |
72 (22) |
75 (24) |
78 (26) |
78 (26) |
75 (24) |
73 (23) |
75 (24) |
68 (20) |
72 (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) |
52 (11) |
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 | |||||||||||||
Cityscape
Barrios
Río Piedras is divided into several barrios or districts:
- Caimito
- Cupey
- El Cinco
- Gobernador Piñero
- Hato Rey Central
- Hato Rey Norte
- Hato Rey Sur
- Monacillo
- Monacillo Urbano
- Oriente
- Río Piedras (pueblo)
- Quebrada Arenas
- Sabana Llana Norte
- Sabana Llana Sur
- Tortugo
- Universidad
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1900 | 13,760 | — | |
| 1910 | 18,880 | 37.2% | |
| 1920 | 23,035 | 22.0% | |
| 1930 | 40,853 | 77.4% | |
| 1940 | 68,290 | 67.2% | |
| 1950 | 143,989 | 110.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1899 (shown as 1900) 1910-1930 1930-1950 1960-2000 2010 |
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Transportation
Río Piedras is served by the Tren Urbano metro system with stations at the University of Puerto Rico and Río Piedras in downtown Río Piedras. Even though these two stations are considered the current stations at Río Piedras, most of the stops of the train in the municipality of San Juan are located in areas that were part of the municipality of Río Piedras prior to 1951.
Culture
At the heart of Río Piedras lies the Avenida José de Diego, a one-kilometer pedestrianized street with stores and shops. The Río Piedras Plaza del Mercado (Marketplace) is the largest of its kind on the island and features a series of shops that offer goods and services.
Ponce de León Avenue is popular with bookstores and small theaters and with students, faculty, and intellectuals in the community.
Robert Clemente's house is located in Rio Piedras [1], where a memorial is visible in the back yard.
Education
Río Piedras is perhaps more known for being the site of the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico. Located in downtown Río Piedras, the university has more than 20,000 students enrolled and a faculty of more than 1,000.
Other universities located in what was known as Río Piedras are the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico and the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Metropolitan Campus.
Río Piedras also has several public and private schools distributed through several regions. Public education is handled by the Puerto Rico Department of Education.
Images for kids
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Site of the first University of Puerto Rico building in Río Piedras, 1900–1917
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Iglesia Nuestra Señora del Pilar in Río Piedras Pueblo.
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Historic buildings and TU Río Piedras station entrance in Plaza La Convalecencia across Ponce de León Ave.
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Historic Casa Georgetti in Pueblo.
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Former city hall building.
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Abandoned Creole-style house on Ferrocarril Street.
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See also
In Spanish: Río Piedras (Puerto Rico) para niños
