Río Grande, Puerto Rico

Río Grande Municipio de Río Grande
City and municipality
Trees in Mameyes II, Río Grande
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname:  "La Ciudad de El Yunque"
Anthem: "Entre las ondas que juguetean"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Río Grande Municipality
Coordinates: 18°22′49″N 65°49′53″W
Sovereign state	United States
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Settled	1820
Founded	July 16, 1840
Founded by	Don Desiderio Escobar
Barrios	9 barrios Ciénaga Alta Ciénaga Baja Guzmán Abajo Guzmán Arriba Herreras Jiménez Mameyes II Río Grande barrio-pueblo Zarzal
Government
• Mayor	Hon. Angel "Bori" González (PPD)
• Senatorial dist.	8 - Carolina
• Representative dist.	36,37
Area
• Total	89.6 sq mi (232.11 km^2)
• Land	60.7 sq mi (157.28 km^2)
• Water	28.9 sq mi (74.83 km^2)
Elevation [1]	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Total	47,538
• Rank	16th in Puerto Rico
• Density	530/sq mi (200/km^2)
Demonym	Riograndeños
Time zone	UTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Codes	00721, 00745
Area code	787/939
Major routes

Río Grande (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈri.o ˈɣɾande]) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located on the eastern edge of the Northern Coastal Valley, north of Las Piedras, Naguabo and Ceiba; east of Loíza and Canóvanas and west of Luquillo. Río Grande is spread over eight barrios and Río Grande Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. A big portion of El Yunque National Forest, including El Yunque's peak, is located within the municipality.

History

Río Grande was founded on July 16, 1840, by Desiderio and Quilimaco Escobar, with the approval of Governor Miguel López. It was named after the Río Grande and is located where the Río Grande and the Río Espíritu Santo join.

In 1894, there were two sugar cane haciendas and 256 estancias growing minor fruits.^[3]

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Río Grande with the significant amount of rainfall.^[4][5] Infrastructure was destroyed, trees were ripped out of the ground, and rivers were breached causing property losses to approximately 5000 people. Of the Puerto Rican amazon, 230 in captivity did survive.^[6]

Geography

Río Grande is on the northeastern coast of the island north of the Sierra de Luquillo.^[7] A large portion of El Yunque National Forest and some of the highest points of the Sierra de Luquillo are located within Río Grande including El Yunque and El Toro, which at 3,474 feet (1,070 m) is the highest point in eastern Puerto Rico.

Barrios

Subdivisions of Río Grande.

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Río Grande is subdivided into barrios (which mean barrios or boroughs or neighborhoods in Spanish). The municipal buildings, central square and a large Catholic church are located in a small, central barrio called barrio-pueblo or simply Pueblo.^[8][9][10]

1. Ciénaga Alta
2. Ciénaga Baja
3. Guzmán Abajo
4. Guzmán Arriba
5. Herreras
6. Jiménez
7. Mameyes II
8. Río Grande barrio-pueblo^[11]
9. Zarzal

Sectors

Further information: List of barrios and sectors of Río Grande, Puerto Rico

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)^[11] 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.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17]}

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 Río Grande: Sector Montebello and Sector El Hoyo in Malpica, Las Dolores, La Ponderosa, Villa Realidad, Estancias del Sol, and Hong Kong.^[18][19]

Demographics

In 1894, while a Spanish colony, the population of Río Grande was 6,237.^[3] 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 Río Grande was 12,365.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	12,365		—
1910	13,948		12.8%
1920	13,247		−5.0%
1930	14,085		6.3%
1940	16,116		14.4%
1950	16,651		3.3%
1960	17,233		3.5%
1970	22,032		27.8%
1980	34,283		55.6%
1990	45,648		33.2%
2000	52,362		14.7%
2010	54,304		3.7%
2020	47,060		−13.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[20] 1899 (shown as 1900)[21] 1910-1930[22] 1930-1950[23] 1960-2000[24] 2010[9] 2020[25]

Tourism

Río Grande is home to one of the largest secluded areas with beach access (Coco Beach) on the entire island. Major hotels in the area include Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Resort and Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve. Every March, Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve plays host to the PGA Tour's Puerto Rico Open.^[27]

Within a ten-minute drive is El Yunque National Forest, the only tropical rain forest within the United States National Forest System.^[28]

Hotels

• The Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort and Spa
• Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve
• St. Regis Bahía Beach Resort & Golf Club

Landmarks and places of interest

There are 27 beaches in Río Grande.^[29] Main attractions of Río Grande are:

• Coco Beach
• El Yunque
• Indio Cave
• Las Picúas Beach

Economy

Flame tree and cows in Río Grande

Agriculture

The municipality has agricultural activity that produces fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants, tobacco, and cattle.^[30]

Business

Local retail stores are aside highway PR-3. There is one large shopping mall located on 65th Infantry expressway and 956th street. The northeastern area of Puerto Rico has attracted hotels, shopping malls, sport venues among others. In 2012 the Puerto Rico Highway 66, which provides easy access to San Juan, was opened which runs along the municipality.

In 2019, volunteers and police who formed a group called Consejo Comunitario de Seguridad de Río Piedras celebrated their 32nd year aiding local businesses with security issues. This group works to ensure the safety and security of business patrons in the downtown area of Río Piedras.^[31]

Culture

Festivals and events

Río Grande celebrates its patron saint festival in July. The Fiestas Patronales de Nuestra Señora del Carmen is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.^[7]

Other festivals and events celebrated in Río Grande include:

• Río Grande Carnival – July
• Stuffed Potato Festival – April
• Las Picúas Festival – September

Sports

Baseball, basketball and handball are popular sports in Río Grande.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Río Grande include:

• Antonio Bachour - Named one of the ten best pastry chefs in America
• Raymond Burgos - Major League Baseball pitcher
• Ovidio de Jesús - Puerto Rican male sprinter who competed at international events
• Luis Pizarro - Puerto Rican boxer who at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow
• Rafael Quintero - Puerto Rican diver who competed in the men's 10 m platform event at the 2016 Summer Olympics

Government

Main article: Mayoralty in Puerto Rico

Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, Río Grande is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is Angel "Bori" González, who was first elected in a special election on September 14, 2014, and has since been re-elected three times, most recently at the 2024 Puerto Rican general elections.^[32]

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VIII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024, Marissa Jiménez and Héctor Joaquín Sánchez Álvarez were elected as District Senators.^[33]

Transportation

There are 48 bridges in Río Grande.^[34]

Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.^[35]

Flag

The Río Grande flag consists of two horizontal stripes of equal size, upper one is green with lower one been blue, and united by a white triangle placed on the side of the mast. On the white triangle is a Puerto Rican parrot.^[36]

Coat of arms

In a silver field, two Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vitatta), accompanied by a waving blue stripe, a green mountain with three peaks. The top portion of the shield is blue, with an opened silver book, accompanied on each side by five gold coins. Topped by a three tower gold crown outlined in black with green openings.^[36]

Gallery

Sites around Río Grande:

• 
  Radar towers atop a mountain at El Yunque rain forest
• 
  Beach in Río Grande
• 
  Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa
• 
  Evening at El Yunque
• 
  Winding road at El Yunque
• 
  Waterfall in El Yunque
• 
  Bridge in Baño Grande
• 
  Waterfall at Baño Grande

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans
• History of Puerto Rico
• Did you know-Puerto Rico?

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Río Grande Municipio
2. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
3. Blanch, José (December 23, 1894). "Directorio comercial é industrial de la isla de Puerto-Rico para 1894. Formado con relaciones oficiales remitidas por los sres. alcaldes municipales de cada localidad" (in Spanish). Puerto-Rico, "La correspondencia" – via Internet Archive.
4. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico". USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
5. "Preliminary Locations of Landslide Impacts from Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico" (PDF). USGS Landslide Hazards Program. USGS. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 3, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
6. "María, un nombre que no vamos a olvidar. El verde de El Yunque, sumido en la oscuridad por María" [Maria, a name we will never forget. El Yunque's greenery submerged in darkness because of Maria]. El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). June 13, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
7. "Río Grande Municipality". enciclopediapr.org. Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (FPH). Archived from the original on October 26, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
8. Gwillim Law (May 20, 2015). Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 through 1998. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-4766-0447-3. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
9. Puerto Rico:2010:population and housing unit counts.pdf (PDF). U.S. Dept. of Commerce Economics and Statistics Administration U.S. Census Bureau. 2010. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 20, 2017. Retrieved December 26, 2018.
10. "Map of Río Grande at the Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 24, 2018. Retrieved December 29, 2018.
11. "US Census Barrio-Pueblo definition". factfinder.com. US Census. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved January 5, 2019.
12. "DESGLOSE DE SECTORES Y CENTROS DE VOTACIÓN PRECINTO ELECTORAL - RÍO GRANDE 101" (PDF). Comisión Estatal de Elecciones Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 15, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 16, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
13. "DESGLOSE DE SECTORES Y CENTROS DE VOTACIÓN PRECINTO ELECTORAL - RÍO GRANDE 102". Comisión Estatal de Elecciones Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 15, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
14. Mari Mut, José A. (August 28, 2013). "Los pueblos de Puerto Rico y las iglesias de sus plazas" (in Spanish). Retrieved June 19, 2020 – via archive.org.
15. "Agencia: Oficina del Coordinador General para el Financiamiento Socioeconómico y la Autogestión (Proposed 2016 Budget)". Puerto Rico Budgets (in Spanish). Retrieved June 28, 2019.
16. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza : Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (Primera edición ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
17. "Leyes del 2001". Lex Juris Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 24, 2019.
18. Rivera Quintero, Marcia (2014), El vuelo de la esperanza:Proyecto de las Comunidades Especiales Puerto Rico, 1997-2004 (First ed.), San Juan, Puerto Rico Fundación Sila M. Calderón, p. 273, ISBN 978-0-9820806-1-0
19. "Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). August 8, 2011. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
20. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
21. "Report of the Census of Porto Rico 1899". War Department Office Director Census of Porto Rico. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
22. "Table 3-Population of Municipalities: 1930 1920 and 1910" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
23. "Table 4-Area and Population of Municipalities Urban and Rural: 1930 to 1950" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
24. "Table 2 Population and Housing Units: 1960 to 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
25. "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
26. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 21, 2017.
27. "Golf resorts being upscaled in Puerto Rico". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 21, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
28. "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2012.
29. "Las 1,200 playas de Puerto Rico [The 1200 beaches of Puerto Rico]". Primera Hora (in Spanish). April 14, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2019.
30. "Mientras el gobierno promueve la agricultura industrial, los pequeños productores agrícolas siembran el cambio". Global Press Journal. March 29, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2021.
31. "Consejo Comunitario de Seguridad de Río Piedras celebra 32 años de lucha y trabajo voluntario • WIPR". December 11, 2019. Archived from the original on December 13, 2019. Retrieved December 13, 2019.
32. [https://elecciones2024.ceepur.org/Escrutinio_General_121/index.html#es/default/ALCALDES_Rio_Grande.xml
33. Elecciones Generales 2024: Escrutinio General Archived 2024-12-30 at elecciones2024.ceepur.org (Error: unknown archive URL) on CEEPUR
34. "Río Grande Bridges". National Bridge Inventory Data. US Dept. of Transportation. Archived from the original on February 21, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
35. "Ley Núm. 70 de 2006 -Ley para disponer la oficialidad de la bandera y el escudo de los setenta y ocho (78) municipios". LexJuris de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). Retrieved June 15, 2021.
36. "RIO GRANDE". LexJuris (Leyes y Jurisprudencia) de Puerto Rico (in Spanish). February 19, 2020. Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.

Further reading

• Mapa de municipios y barrios - Río Grande - Memoria Núm. 73 (PDF). University of Puerto Rico: Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, Oficina del Gobernador, Junta de Planificacion, Santurce, Puerto Rico. 1955.

External links

• Río Grande and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
• Puerto Rico Government Directory - Rio Grande