| Official Name: | Guaynabo |
| Native Name: | Spanish; Castilian: Municipio Autónomo de Guaynabo |
| Native Name Lang: | es |
| Settlement Type: | City and municipality |
| Nicknames: | "Ciudad de los Conquistadores", "Pueblo del Carnaval Mabó", "Primer Poblado de Puerto Rico" |
| Anthem: | "Guaynabo, Pueblo Querido" |
| Mapsize: | 300px |
| Coordinates: | 18.3667°N -66.1°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Sovereign state |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | Commonwealth |
| Subdivision Name1: |  Puerto Rico |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1769 |
| Parts Type: | Barrios |
| Parts: | 10 barrios |
| P1: | Camarones |
| P2: | Frailes |
| P3: | Guaynabo barrio-pueblo |
| P4: | Guaraguao |
| P5: | Hato Nuevo |
| P6: | Mamey |
| P7: | Pueblo Viejo |
| P8: | Río |
| P9: | Santa Rosa |
| P10: | Sonadora |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Edward O'Neill Rosa (PNP) |
| Leader Title1: | Senatorial District |
| Leader Name1: | 1 - San Juan (Half) 2 - Bayamon (Half) |
| Leader Title2: | Representative dist. |
| Leader Name2: | 6 / 9 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 70.2 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 89,780 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Demonym: | Guaynabeño(s) |
| Timezone1: | AST |
| Utc Offset1: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Codes |
| Postal Code: | 00965, 00966, 00968, 00969, 00971, 00970 |
| Area Code: | 787/939 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | Major routes |
| Blank Info Sec1: | |
| Website: | guaynabocity.gov.pr |
| Population Rank: | 6th in Puerto Rico |
Guaynabo (pronounced as /es/, pronounced as /es/) is a city, suburb of San Juan and municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas, south of Cataño, east of Bayamón, and west of San Juan. Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrios and Guaynabo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the suburb). Guaynabo is considered, along with its neighbors – San Juan and the municipalities of Bayamón, Carolina, Cataño, Trujillo Alto, and Toa Baja – to be part of the San Juan metropolitan area. It is also part of the larger San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area, (the largest MSA in Puerto Rico).
The municipality has a land area of 27.13sqmi and a population of 89,780 as of the 2020 census. The municipality is known for being an affluent suburb of San Juan and for its former Irish heritage. The studios of WAPA-TV is located in Guaynabo.
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 it is popularly said to mean in Taíno "Here is another place of fresh water." Irish officer Thomas O'Daly and fellow Irishman Miguel Kirwan settled the area in the late 18th century and developed a farm and sugarcane plantation he named Hacienda San Patricio. The plantation no longer exists but the land on which it was located is now the central business district of Guaynabo and the San Patricio Plaza shopping mall.
On September 20, 2017 Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. In Guaynabo, where 26.9% of the population live below the poverty level, 2800 homes were destroyed.[2] The hurricane triggered numerous landslides in Guaynabo.[3] [4] Then president Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump visited Guaynabo.[5] Due to the municipality's fiscal difficulties, it was not until April 2, 2019, over a year and half later, that the overtime pay owed to municipal workers was paid.[6]
After 24 years as mayor, Héctor O'Neill García resigned in 2017 when allegations surfaced of sexual harassment toward a female municipal employee.[7] He was replaced in a run-off election by Angel Pérez Otero, who in turn was forced out due to his arrest for Federal corruption allegations in 2021.[8] Héctor O'Neill's son Edward O'Neill Rosa won the following run-off election to succeed him as mayor in January 2022.[9]
Guaynabo is on the northern side.[10]
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 Spanish; Castilian: "el pueblo", located near the center of the municipality.[11] [12] [13]
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)[14] are further subdivided into smaller areas called Spanish; Castilian: sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.[15] [16]
See also: Puerto Rico Office for Socioeconomic and Community Development. Spanish; Castilian: 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,[17] and Villa Isleña.[18]
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 Spanish; Castilian: Ruinas de Caparra, Spanish; Castilian: Paseo Tablado, and Spanish; Castilian: Plaza de Los Artistas, as places of interest.[19]
Several businesses have their headquarters or local Puerto Rican branches in Guaynabo. El Nuevo Día,[21] 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.[22]
Carjackings have been an ongoing problem in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico[23] [24] [25] [26] [27] and in 2014 the FBI reported a carjacking that occurred in Camarones.[28]
Guaynabo celebrates its patron saint festival in April. The Spanish; Castilian: 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.[29]
Other festivals and events celebrated in Guaynabo include:
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.
The United States Postal Service operates two post offices, Guaynabo and Caparra Heights, in Guaynabo.[30] [31]
The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates the Metropolitan Detention Center, Guaynabo in Guaynabo.[32]
Some regions of the city belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district I while others belong to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district II. Both of the Districts are represented by two Senators. In 2016, Henry Neumann and Miguel Romero were elected as Senators for District I, while Migdalia Padilla and Carmelo Ríos have been serving as Senators for District II since being elected in 2004.[33]
| Mayor | Term | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ebenezer Rivera | 1969–1979 | New Progressive Party | |
| Alejandro Cruz Ortiz | 1979–1993 | New Progressive Party | |
| Héctor O'Neill García | 1993–2017 | New Progressive Party | |
| Angel Pérez Otero | 2017–2021 | New Progressive Party | |
| Edward O'Neill Rosa | 2022–Present | New Progressive Party |
| Term | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| 1782 | Cayetano de la Sarna | |
| 1800 | Pedro Dávila | |
| 1812 | Dionisio Cátala | |
| 1816 | Angel Umpierre | |
| 1818 | Juan José González | |
| 1821 | Joaquín Goyena | |
| 1822 | José María Prosis | |
| 1823 | Simón Hinonio | |
| 1825 | José R. Ramírez | |
| 1827 | Antonio Guzmán | |
| 1828 | Genaro Oller | |
| 1836 | Andrés Degal | |
| 1836 | Agustín Rosario | |
| 1840 | Francisco Hiques | |
| 1844 | Martínez Díaz | |
| 1848 | Tomás Cátla | |
| 1849 | Andrés Vega | |
| 1852 | Justo García | |
| 1856 | José Tomás Sagarra | |
| 1857 | Manuel Manzano | |
| 1859 | Juan Floret | |
| 1859 | José Francisco Chiques | |
| 1862 | Segundo de Echeverte | |
| 1862 | José de Murgas | |
| 1869 | Juan J. Caro | |
| 1873 | Benito Gómez | |
| 1874 | Manuel Millones | |
| 1876 | José Otero | |
| 1891 | Juan Díaz de Barrio | |
| 1914 | José Ramón | |
| 1914 | José Carazo | |
| 1919 | Narciso Vall-llobera Feliú | |
| 1924 | Zenón Díaz Valcárcel | |
| 1936 | Dolores Valdivieso | |
| 1944 | Augosto Rivera | |
| 1948 | Jorge Gavillán Fuentes | |
| 1956 | Juan Román | |
| 1964 | José Rosario Reyes |
The Spanish; Castilian: municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[34]
This municipality has a flag.[35]
This municipality has a coat of arms.
Professional Hospital Guaynabo located on Felisa Rincón Avenue (formerly Las Cumbres Avenue), is the newest hospital infrastructure built in Puerto Rico. Guaynabo is the only city in Puerto Rico to have a hospital specialized in advanced vascular surgery.[36] Some of the first and newest procedures performed in Puerto Rico during 2009 were done in Professional Hospital Guaynabo, including the first AxiaLIF surgery for lumbar fusion.[37]
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.[38]
Guaynabo is home to Atlantic University College, 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.[39] It closed in March 2006.[40]
Guaynabo serves as a host city to four foreign consulates with business in Puerto Rico:
