Bayamón (, ) is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

and suburb of San Juan located in the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of

Toa Baja Toa Baja (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the northern coast, north of Toa Alta and Bayamón; east of Dorado; and west of Cataño. Toa Baja is spread over five barrios, including Toa Baja Pueblo (the downtown area and ...

and Cataño; west of

Guaynabo Guaynabo (, ) 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 spr ...

; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 barrios and Bayamón Pueblo (the

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

area and the

administrative center An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or ...

of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area and the second most populous municipality in both the metropolitan area and Puerto Rico.

History

The

Taíno people The Taíno were a historic indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the pri ...

, the indigenous peoples who encountered European explorers and settlers, were the long-time settlers in this area. The Spanish colonist Juan Ramírez de Arellano established Bayamón as a

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

settlement on May 22, 1772. Two theories exist about the origin of the name Bayamón. According to one, it was named after the local Taíno chief, ''Bahamon''. The other theory states the name was derived from the

Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...

word ''Bayamongo'', which is the native name of the

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

that runs across this region, implying that Bayamón is the area around this main river, which later on became the center of the city's development. In 1821,

Marcos Xiorro Marcos Xiorro was the slave name of an enslaved African in Spanish Puerto Rico who, in 1821, planned and conspired to lead a slave revolt against the sugarcane plantation owners and the Spanish Colonial government. Although his rebellion was ...

, an

African African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...

slave Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, planned to lead a revolt against the

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, Perennial plant, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar Sugar industry, production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with ...

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

owners and the Spanish colonial government in Puerto Rico. The slave conspiracy was revealed and suppressed, but Xiorro became a hero among the slaves. He is part of Puerto Rico's folklore. Marco Xiorro was owned by Vicente Andino, a militia captain who owned a

plantation in Bayamón.

Guillermo A. Baralt Guillermo A. Baralt is a Puerto Rican historian. He obtained his bachelor's degree from Duquesne University in 1970. Later he continued his studies in the University of Chicago where he earned his Master's and Doctor's degrees. He is currently ...

, ''Slave Revolts in Puerto Rico: Conspiracies and Uprisings, 1795–1873'', Markus Wiener Publishers; , Puerto Rico was ceded by

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

in the aftermath of the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

under the terms of the

Treaty of Paris of 1898 The Treaty of Peace between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain, commonly known as the Treaty of Paris of 1898 ( fil, Kasunduan sa Paris ng 1898; es, Tratado de París de 1898), was a treaty signed by Spain and the United Stat ...

and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the

United States Department of War The United States Department of War, also called the War Department (and occasionally War Office in the early years), was the United States Cabinet department originally responsible for the operation and maintenance of the United States Army, a ...

conducted a

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Bayamón was 19,940. The city grew considerably during the start of the 20th century. The area became home to numerous factories specializing in textiles, fertilizer, aluminum between 1901 and 1920. During this time the city also became home to financial institutions such as the Puerto Rico Commercial Bank (Banco Comercial de Puerto Rico), the American Colonial Bank, the

First National City Bank of New York Citibank, N. A. (N. A. stands for " National Association") is the primary U.S. banking subsidiary of financial services multinational Citigroup. Citibank was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York, and later became First National City ...

, the

Chase Manhattan Bank JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., doing business as Chase Bank or often as Chase, is an American national bank headquartered in New York City, that constitutes the consumer and commercial banking subsidiary of the U.S. multinational banking and fina ...

and the

Banco Popular de Puerto Rico Popular, Inc., doing business as Banco Popular in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and as Popular Bank in the mainland United States, is a financial services conglomerate that has operated in Puerto Rico for over 125 years and in the mainland ...

. This developed and strengthened Bayamón's economy and turned it into both an industrial and commercial hub. The city's infrastructure also developed with the establishment of a bigger sewer system. The city was also host to some of the events of the VIII Pan American Games in 1979. 171017-F-KA253-0111 (37544294300)

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Saffir–Simpson scale#Category 5, Category 5 Tropical cyclone, hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the wo ...

struck Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, causing large-scale damage and destruction to infrastructure. Numerous landslides occurred in Bayamón as a result of the hurricane's significant amount of rainfall. In Bayamón, around 300 homes were destroyed, and two people were killed by Hurricane María. Many municipal buildings, and the

Goya Foods Goya Foods, Inc. is an American producer of a brand of foods sold in the United States and many Spanish-speaking countries. It has facilities in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Spain. It is under third-generation ownersh ...

factory in Bayamón sustained significant damage.

Geography

Bayamón lies in the Northern Coastal Plain region of Puerto Rico. It is bordered by the municipalities of

, Cataño, Comerío, Aguas Buenas, Toa Alta, Naranjito, and

. Bayamón has a surface area of 43.5 square miles (113.1 km2). The terrain is mostly flat, but it does include some large hills such as La Peña and Vergaras. Bayamón is Puerto Rico's second-most populous municipality and is part of the large

metropolitan area A metropolitan area or metro is a region that consists of a densely populated urban agglomeration and its surrounding territories sharing industries, commercial areas, transport network, infrastructures and housing. A metro area usually com ...

centered around San Juan. Other cities included in the metropolitan area are

, Cataño,

, Canóvanas, Carolina and

Trujillo Alto Trujillo Alto (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Northern Coastal Plain, on the boundary between the karst zone and Sierra de Luquillo, north of Caguas, and Gurabo; southeast of San Juan, and west of Carolina. Trujil ...

. Bayamón is served by the

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín) is a joint civil-military international airport located in suburban Carolina, Puerto Rico, southeast of San Juan. It is named for Luis Muño ...

. Despite the city's size, it has no weather station.

Water features

The rivers that pass through Bayamón include the Río Bayamón, Río Hondo, Río Minillas, Río Bucarabones and Río Cuesta Arriba.

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Bayamón is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as . #

Bayamón barrio-pueblo Bayamón barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center (seat) of Bayamón, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 4,746. As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called ''pueblo'' whi ...

Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to: Places Canada *Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista” *Buena Vista, Saskatchewan *Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood in ...

# Cerro Gordo # Dajaos # Guaraguao Abajo # Guaraguao Arriba #

Hato Tejas Hato or HATO may refer to: Places * Hato International Airport, Willemstad, Curaçao * Hato, Curaçao, a village and former plantation in Curaçao * Hato, Santander, a town in Santander Department, Colombia * Hato, San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, a barr ...

# Juan Sánchez # Minillas # Nuevo # Pájaros # Santa Olaya

Sectors

Barrios (which are like

minor civil divisions A minor civil division (MCD) is a term used by the United States Census Bureau for primary governmental and/or administrative divisions of a county or county-equivalent, typically a municipal government such as a city, town, or civil township. MCD ...

) and subbarrios, in turn, are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units 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

(Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount of

social exclusion Social exclusion or social marginalisation is the social disadvantage and relegation to the fringe of society. It is a term that has been used widely in Europe and was first used in France in the late 20th century. It is used across discipline ...

. 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 Bayamón: Abra Estrecha, Barriada Vista Alegre, Juan Sánchez, Nuevo, Bda. Cedeño in Pájaros, Collores in Santa Olaya, Corea, Dajaos, El Chícharo, Sector Gandul, El Volcán, La Cambija, La Caridad, La Morenita, Los Viejitos, Papito, Sergio Reyes, Parcelas Sabanas, and Punta Brava.

Tourism

Puente Marqués de la Serna, Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Bayamón is the site of several notable Puerto Rican landmarks and places of interest. Bayamón Central Park is a public park where people gather and relax. Bayamon also hosts the

Braulio Castillo Braulio Castillo Cintrón (March 30, 1933 – February 28, 2015) was a telenovela actor in Latin America. His two sons, Braulio Castillo, Jr. and Jorge Castillo, are also actors. He was born in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Castillo played in the ''O ...

Theater, the

Francisco Oller Francisco Oller (June 17, 1833 – May 17, 1917) was a Puerto Rican painter. Oller is the only Latin American painter to have played a role in the development of Impressionism. One of the most distinguished transatlantic painters of his da ...

Museum, and the

José Celso Barbosa José Celso Barbosa Alcala (July 27, 1857 – September 21, 1921) was a Puerto Rican physician, sociologist and political leader. Known as the father of the statehood movement in Puerto Rico, Barbosa was the first Puerto Rican, and one of the ...

Monument. The

Bayamón City Hall Bayamón City Hall is a building in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. As the name suggests, it serves as city hall to that city. It is named after Don Ángel Rivera Rodríguez, who was mayor of Bayamón from 1934 to 1944. Bayamón City Hall was inaugurated ...

building is notable by being built across a major divided highway. While walking through a connecting corridor, right above the road, pedestrians can see passing cars underneath. It is believed to be the only building of its class in the world. One of the most popular attractions in Bayamón is the Parque de las Ciencias. It is a science-themed park with various exhibitions and attractions. It is located in the middle of

karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...

ic hills. An observation building on one of the hills provides a good view of the metropolitan area. The building hosts antennas for government and civil communication.

El parque del tren Rail transport in Puerto Rico currently consists of a passenger metro system in the island's metropolitan area of San Juan. Its history can be traced back to the mid-19th century with the construction of a limited passenger line in Mayagüez. B ...

was a park featuring what was then

's only working train. It featured a

DC-3 The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version ...

, which had been used by

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

. In 2001, the park was dismantled and destroyed in the course of major road construction. What is left of the park is a small plaza for activities and an area for jogging and passive entertainment. The area is now known as "Parque del Nino" or "Children's Park". Shopping is a major tourist activity in Bayamón. Plaza del Sol and

Plaza Rio Hondo Plaza Rio Hondo is a shopping mall in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. It opened in 1982 and is anchored by Marshalls Megastore, Caribbean Cinemas, TJ Maxx, and Best Buy, with one vacant anchor spot last occupied by a Kmart. History The 350,000-square ...

are large commercial centers in the city. Many American restaurant franchises such as

Famous Dave's Famous Dave's of America is a chain of barbecue restaurants primarily located in the Midwestern United States, serving pork ribs, chicken, beef brisket, and several flavors of barbecue sauce. Dave Anderson, an Ojibwe-Choctaw who served as the ...

(replaced by

Red Lobster Red Lobster Hospitality LLC is an American casual dining restaurant chain headquartered in Orlando, Florida. The company has operations across most of the United States (including Puerto Rico, Guam) and Canada, as well as in China, Ecuador, Hong ...

) and

Olive Garden Olive Garden is an American casual dining restaurant chain specializing in Italian-American cuisine. It is a subsidiary of Darden Restaurants, Inc., which is headquartered in Orange County, Florida. As of 2012, Olive Garden restaurants accounted ...

were first inaugurated in Bayamón before expanding to other locations throughout the island. A

suspension bridge A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck (bridge), deck is hung below suspension wire rope, cables on vertical suspenders. The first modern examples of this type of bridge were built in the early 1800s. Simple suspension bridg ...

in Bayamón is a pedestrian-only bridge, at the time it was built, it was believed to be one of only three of its kind in Puerto Rico. To stimulate local tourism during the

COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico The COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico is an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is part of the ongoing COVID-19 pand ...

, the

Puerto Rico Tourism Company The Puerto Rico Tourism Company ( es, Compañía de Turismo de Puerto Rico, or simply ''Turismo'') is the government-owned corporation in charge of tourism matters and regulations in Puerto Rico. The company was created during Governor Luis A. F ...

launched the ''Voy Turistiendo'' (I'm Touring) campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Bayamón passport page lists , over the Bayamón River, and in the , as places of interest. Ron del Barrilito located in the Hacienda Santa Ana is the oldest rum distillery in Puerto Rico. The hacienda features a

nature trail An educational trail (or sometimes educational path), nature trail or nature walk is a specially developed hiking trail or footpath that runs through the countryside, along which there are marked stations or stops next to points of natural, techno ...

Culture

Festivals and events

Bayamón celebrates its

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

festival in May. The 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 Bayamón include: *

Birthday Commemoration – July *

Tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

Lighting Ceremony – November * Caminata por la diabetes (Diabetes Walk) - November

Sports

There are several professional and amateur sports team based in Bayamón. The

Vaqueros de Bayamón The Vaqueros de Bayamón are a Puerto Rican basketball team of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The Vaqueros play their home games at Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Rubén Rodríguez Coliseum, a venue shared with the L ...

are the local basketball team that plays at the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball list of basketball leagues, league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. T ...

league. They are currently the leaders as the team with the most championships in the history of the league (15), the last of which was achieved in 2020. The team's host venue is the

Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez (English: Ruben Rodríguez Coliseum) is an indoor sporting arena in Puerto Rico. The coliseum was dedicated to Rubén Rodríguez (former player of the Vaqueros de Bayamón). It is located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. It ...

. The Vaqueros de Bayamón was also the name of the baseball club which played from 1974 through 2003 in the Professional Baseball League of Puerto Rico, and played its home games at

Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Spanish: ''Estadio Juan Ramón Loubriel'') is a soccer-specific stadium located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. It is best known as the former home of the Puerto Rico Islanders of the North American Soccer League and curr ...

. The city also has a female

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...

team, named the

Vaqueras de Bayamón Vaqueras de Bayamón is the professional female volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized ...

, which plays for the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino. Recently, Bayamón has become popular for being the hometown of the

Puerto Rico Islanders Puerto, a Spanish word meaning ''seaport'', may refer to: Places *El Puerto de Santa María, Andalusia, Spain *Puerto, a seaport town in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines *Puerto Colombia, Colombia *Puerto Cumarebo, Venezuela *Puerto Galera, Orient ...

and

Puerto Rico FC Puerto Rico FC was a professional football club based in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Founded in 2015, the team played in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The team debuted in the 2016 fall ...

of the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to: *North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league *North American Soccer League (2011–2017) The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...

. The teams played at

in Bayamón. The city's main soccer team, Bayamón FC, was founded in 1999. They play their home matches at

Bayamón Soccer Complex The Bayamon Soccer Complex is a complex of 2 soccer fields and one 1,000-capacity stadium located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico that is host to several teams of the San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area. Youth, middle school, high school, an ...

. The famous

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

fight between

Alexis Argüello Alexis Argüello (April 19, 1952 – July 1, 2009) was a Nicaraguan professional boxer who competed from 1968 to 1995, and later became a politician. He was a three-weight world champion, having held the WBA featherweight title from 1974 to 19 ...

and

Alfredo Escalera Alfredo "El Salsero" Escalera (born March 21, 1952) is a Puerto Rican who was a world champion boxer. A native of Carolina, his nickname was "Salsero" because he was a fan of Salsa music. Early boxing career Escalera had his first professiona ...

dubbed

The Bloody Battle of Bayamon ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

(their first; their equally legendary rematch was held in Rimini, Italy) was held in Bayamón in 1978. Also, professional boxers Luis Del Valle,

Wilfredo Vazquez Wilfredo is a given name which may refer to: *Wilfredo Alicdan (born 1965), Filipino figurative artist *Wilfredo Alvarado (born 1970), Venezuelan football defender *Willy Caballero (born 1981), Argentine football goalkeeper * Wilfredo Caraballo (bo ...

and Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. are from Bayamón.

International Boxing Hall of Fame The modern International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF), located in Canastota, New York, honors boxers, trainers and other contributors to the sport worldwide. Inductees are selected by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America. The I ...

member

Hector Camacho In Greek mythology, Hector (; grc, Ἕκτωρ, Hektōr, label=none, ) is a character in Homer's Iliad. He was a Trojan prince and the greatest warrior for Troy during the Trojan War. Hector led the Trojans and their allies in the defense o ...

was born in Bayamon. Current boxing prospect Jean "Chapito" Rivera is from the Bayamon.

Recreation

The municipal government of Bayamón manages a wide variety of recreational programs and recreational facilities for public use. The Onofre Carballeira Sports Complex consists of the Juan Ramón Loubriel Soccer Stadium, home of Puerto Rico's only professional soccer team, the Ruben Rodríguez Coliseum, home of the city's male basketball team and female volleyball team, and the

Miguel J. Frau Gymnasium --> Miguel is a given name and surname, the Portuguese and Spanish form of the Hebrew name Michael (given name), Michael. It may refer to: Places *Pedro Miguel, a parish in the municipality of Horta and the island of Faial in the Azores Islands ...

. The Rafael Martínez Nadal Sports Complex's main feature is the Pepín Cestero indoor court, where much of the city's minor league basketball and volleyball major events take place. Also, the Efraín Calcaño Alicea Sports Complex located in the Lomas Verdes community is home to much of the track and field and swimming events in the region. The Honda Tennis Center, inaugurated in 2002, is composed of 16 tennis courts and is used by local tennis clubs as well as visitors. A pioneer in the development of soccer in Puerto Rico, mayor Ramón Luis Rivera Jr. inaugurated the Bayamón Soccer Complex in 2011, which consists of three professional soccer fields located off the PR-5 Highway. The Paseo del Rio (Paseo Lineal) near the

Bayamón River The Bayamón River ( es, Río de Bayamón) is a river of Puerto Rico beginning at an elevation of approximately 1,476 ft in barrio Beatriz in Cidra, Puerto Rico. It is slightly over 30 miles long and travels through several municipalities: C ...

is a 6-mile stretch shared by joggers, walkers and cyclists. It is divided in two lanes, one for the bicycles and the other for running or walking. The Rio Bayamón Golf Course is located near one of the endpoints of the trail and is home to most golf activity in the region. Julio Enrique Monagas Park has trails used by mountain bikers to train and compete. It also has cliffs where

rappelling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

enthusiasts can practice. Monagas, as the locals refer to it, has

trails A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. The ...

for mountain bike riders of all skill levels. Unpaved roads for beginners, single tracks and very technical single tracks, some of them with downhills. After

, the tracks were lost, yet by 2019, most of them had been repaired and reopened. The city also has many smaller baseball parks, open basketball courts, soccer fields, gymnasiums, and communal centers available to the community.

Economy

Agriculture

The founding of the town of Bayamón is closely tied to the cultivation of

. The products currently grown in Bayamón include

coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...

, sugarcane,

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

and vegetables. Bayamón was also the site where the first hydraulic

sugar mill A sugar cane mill is a factory that processes sugar cane to produce raw or white sugar. The term is also used to refer to the equipment that crushes the sticks of sugar cane to extract the juice. Processing There are a number of steps in pro ...

on the island was built in 1549.

Business

Notable malls are: * Plaza del Sol *

has its Puerto Rico offices in Bayamón.

Demographics

Puerto Rico was ceded by

in the aftermath of the

under the terms of the

and became a territory of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. In 1899, the United States conducted its first

of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Bayamón was 19,940.

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

, elected every four years. The current mayor of Bayamón is Ramón Luis Rivera Jr., of the New Progressive Party (PNP). He was elected at the 2000 general elections, succeeding his father, Ramón Luis Rivera, after 23 years. For a list of all the mayors of Bayamón see "External Links". The city belongs to the

Puerto Rico Senatorial district II Puerto Rico Senatorial District II, also known as the Senatorial District of Bayamón, is one of the eight senatorial districts of Puerto Rico. It is currently represented by Migdalia Padilla and Carmelo Ríos Santiago (both from the New Progres ...

, which is represented by two Senators.

Migdalia Padilla Migdalia Padilla Alvelo is a Puerto Rican politician and Senator. She has been a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 2000. Early years and studies Migdalia Padilla was born in Barranquitas, Puerto Rico. Her parents are Monserrate Alvelo ...

and

Carmelo Ríos Santiago Carmelo Javier Ríos Santiago (born May 21, 1973 in San Juan, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician, lawyer and senator. He has been a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico since 2005. Early years and studies Carmelo Ríos was born on May ...

have served as District Senators since 2005.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

The current flag of Bayamón features the

Nordic cross A Nordic cross flag is a flag bearing the design of the Nordic or Scandinavian cross, a cross symbol in a rectangular field, with the centre of the cross shifted towards the hoist. All independent Nordic countries have adopted such flags in t ...

found in many Scandinavian flags and is colored in blue and yellow over a white field. It was embroidered by Gloria M. León and maintains the design and colors of its coat of arms.

Coat of arms

This shield is a symbol and synthesis of the history and the values which distinguish the city of Bayamón. The main colors of the shield are blue and silver, representing the waters of the

and recalling that it was on these banks that the first hydraulic sugarcane refinery of Puerto Rico was established in 1549. The center contains the Holy Cross (Santa Cruz), patron of the first church of the municipality and the name of the old sugarcane refinery "Santa Cruz", which was the historical origin of the town of Bayamón. The sugarcane flowers (guajanas) allude directly to the sugarcane industry that is of social and economic importance to the origin and development of Bayamón. The five-tower crown, which is used for cities, was assigned to Bayamón as an exception for its extraordinary urban development, the magnitude of its population and for its religious dignity, which will possibly be raised to become Episcopal seat. The motto "IN HOC SIGNO VINCES" makes reference to Emperor

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

when in the 4th century had the vision in which the victory was promised to him if it accepted the cross of Christianity as his banner.

Education

Like all municipalities, public education is administered by

Puerto Rico Department of Education The Puerto Rico Department of Education (PRDOE; ) is one of the statewide public education system in the United States, with (Hawaii being the other). The PRDOE is the state education agency in charge of managing public schools in Puerto Rico as ...

. Due to its population and location within the San Juan metropolitan region, Bayamón is home to many public and private schools. During the 2014–2015 academic year, over 150 public schools ranging from elementary school to high school were located in the Bayamón school region. On the other hand, the city is also home to numerous private schools of which most have a religious affiliation. Some of the better known religious private schools include

Colegio De La Salle Colegio De La Salle is a Lasallian educational institution located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. It is the only De La Salle institution open on the island. The other was located in Añasco but it is now closed. Established at the Riverview suburb ...

, Academia Santo Tomás de Aquino, Academia Santa Rosa, Colegio Beato Carlos Manuel Rodríguez, and Academia Discípulos de Cristo (non-Catholic). Non-religious schools in the city include Bayamón Military Academy and the American School. Bayamón also has many higher-learning institutions such as the

University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón The University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón (UPRB or UPR-Bayamón) is a public university in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. It is part of the University of Puerto Rico System (UPR) and is better known as CUTB from its previous name of ''Colegio Universitar ...

, which is one of the eleven campuses that comprise the

University of Puerto Rico The University of Puerto Rico ( es, Universidad de Puerto Rico, UPR) is the main public university system in the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a government-owned corporation with 11 campuses and approximately 58,000 students and 5,3 ...

public university system. Furthermore, the city is also home to some of the most recognized private universities in the island, such as the

Interamerican University of Puerto Rico The Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Spanish: ''Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico''; often abbreviated to ''UIPR'' or ''Inter'') is a private Christian university with its main campus in San Germán, Puerto Rico. It also has c ...

and its School of Optometry,

Bayamón Central University The Bayamón Central University—or Universidad Central de Bayamón (UCB) in Spanish—is a private, Catholic university in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Its predecessor began in 1961 by the Dominican Order as a community college of the Cathol ...

American University of Puerto Rico The American University of Puerto Rico (AUPR) is a private university in Puerto Rico with campuses in Bayamón and Manatí. The university was founded in 1963 as the American Business College, and offers undergraduate studies in arts, business ...

Universidad Central del Caribe The Universidad Central del Caribe is a private university in Bayamón, Puerto Rico that focuses on graduate studies and professional certifications in the health sciences. It was founded in 1976 in the municipality of Cayey Cayey (), offic ...

, and some community colleges. In addition, the Metropolitan University (Universidad Metropolitana), better known as UMET, has a campus in downtown Bayamón.

Colleges / schools / universities

* Escuela de Quiropráctica de la Universidad Central del Caribe (UCC)

Transportation

The lone line of the

Tren Urbano The ''Tren Urbano'' (English language, English: Urban Train) is a List of automated urban metro subway systems, fully-automated rapid transit system that serves the municipalities of San Juan, Puerto Rico, San Juan, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, Gua ...

of the San Juan metropolitan area ends at

Bayamón station Bayamón is a rapid transit station in the San Juan agglomeration, Puerto Rico. It is the western terminus of the Tren Urbano system, located after Deportivo station. The station is located in Bayamón, just outside of its downtown ( Bayamón P ...

, and three of its stops are located within the city. The

Deportivo station Deportivo is a rapid transit station in San Juan agglomeration, Puerto Rico. It is located between Bayamón and Jardines on the sole line of the Tren Urbano system, in Bayamón, just outside of its downtown ( Bayamón Pueblo). The trial servi ...

, located off the

PR-2 Puerto Rico Highway 2 (PR-2) is a road in Puerto Rico that connects the cities of San Juan and Ponce. At 156 miles (230 km) long, it is Puerto Rico's longest singled-signed highway. The road runs counter-clockwise from San Juan to Ponce. ...

Highway, is near the Santa Rosa Mall, the Bayamón Court of First Instance, and the Onofre Carballeira Sports Complex which contains the

and the Ruben Rodríguez Coliseum. The city also has a trolley service with regular routes within Downtown Bayamón. There are 77 bridges in Bayamón.

Diplomacy

Bayamón serves as the host city for foreign consular representation in Puerto Rico for the following nations: *

Notable natives and residents

Raymond Acevedo Ramón Enrique Acevedo Kerkadó (born December 21, 1971 in Bayamon, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican pop music singer, actor, and visual artist who was a member of the Puerto Rican boy band Menudo. He now lives in New York. He was a soloist when i ...

- Singer, actor, former member of Menudo *

Javier Báez Ednel Javier Báez (born December 1, 1992), nicknamed "El Mago" (Spanish for "The Magician"), is a Puerto Rican professional baseball shortstop for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cu ...

- Professional baseball player for the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

José Berríos José Orlando Berríos (born May 27, 1994), nicknamed "La Makina" (Spanish for "The Machine"), is a Puerto Rican professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Minnesota Twins, ...

- Professional baseball player for the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

Héctor Camacho Héctor Luís Camacho Matías (May 24, 1962 – November 24, 2012), commonly known by his nickname "Macho" Camacho, was a Puerto Rican professional boxer and entertainer. Known for his quickness in the ring and flamboyant style, Camacho compet ...

- Former professional boxer *

- Actor * Virgilio Dávila - Poet and former mayor of Bayamón (1905–1910) *

Rubén Díaz Sr. Rubén Díaz (born April 22, 1943) is a Puerto Rican politician from New York City and an ordained Pentecostal minister. He represented the 18th district of the New York City Council from 2018 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Día ...

- New York State Senator *

Nina Flowers Jorge Luis Flores Sánchez (born February 22, 1974), better known as Nina Flowers, is a Puerto Rican drag queen, DJ, activist, professional make-up artist, and reality television personality who has been performing since 1993. He is best known ...

- Drag queen and disc jockey *

Yadier Molina Yadier Benjamín Molina (; born July 13, 1982), nicknamed "Yadi", is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher who played his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Widely considered one of the great ...

- Professional baseball player * Felipe López - Professional baseball player * Ramón Luis Rivera - Former mayor * Ramón Luis Rivera Jr. - Present mayor *

Agustín Stahl Dr. Agustín Stahl (January 21, 1842 – July 12, 1917) was a Puerto Rican medical doctor and scientist with diverse interests in the fields of ethnology, botany, and zoology. He advocated Puerto Rico's independence from Spain. Early years ...

- Medical doctor and botanist *

- Professional boxer *

Melissa Mark-Viverito Melissa Mark-Viverito (born April 1, 1969) is an American Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician and former speaker of the New York City Council from 2014 to 2017, as well as councilmember for the New York City's 8th City Council ...

- Speaker of the New York City Council *

Omar Rodríguez-López Omar Alfredo Rodríguez-López (born September 1, 1975) is an American guitarist and songwriter. He has formed or played in several bands, including the Mars Volta, At the Drive-In, Antemasque, and Bosnian Rainbows. He was the bassist for the ...

- Composer, guitarist, and filmmaker * Braulio Dueño Colón - Musician and composer *

José Antonio Dávila Dr. José Antonio Dávila (October 7, 1898 – December 4, 1941) was a postmodern Puerto Rican poet. Life and career Dávila (birth name: José Antonio Dávila Morales ) was born and raised in Bayamon, Puerto Rico into a literary family; ...

Postmodern Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...

poet *

Pilar Barbosa Pilar Barbosa de Rosario This name uses Spanish marriage naming customs; the first is the maiden family name '' "Barbosa"'' and the second or matrimonial family name is ''de "Rosario"''. (July 4, 1898 – January 22, 1997) was an educator, histor ...

- Historian, educator and political activist * Rene Farrait- singer and actor, former member of boy band Menudo *

Xavier Serbia Xavier or Xabier may refer to: Place * Xavier, Spain People * Xavier (surname) * Xavier (given name) * Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint ** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation) * St. Xavier (disambiguation) * Xavier (footballer, born ...

- singer, actor, show host and economical analyst, former member of boy band Menudo *

Farruko Carlos Efrén Reyes Rosado (born May 2, 1991), better known by his stage name Farruko, is a retired Puerto Rican singer and rapper. He rose to fame collaborating with Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Don Omar, and J Álvarez. He came to prominence in 201 ...

- singer, songwriter

References

Bibliography

External links

Bayamón and its barrios, United States Census Bureau

City of Bayamón official website (in Spanish)

Welcome to Puerto Rico - Bayamón
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bayamon, Puerto Rico Municipalities of Puerto Rico San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area Populated places established in 1772 1772 establishments in the Spanish West Indies 1770s in Puerto Rico