Cayey, Puerto Rico
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Cayey (), officially Cayey de Muesas, is a mountain
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
and
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 ...
in central
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 ...
located on the
Sierra de Cayey Sierra de Cayey is a mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the southeast section of the island. Its elevations do not exceed 1000 m (3,280 ft.). The Grande de Loíza, which is one of the most important rivers in Puer ...
within the
Central Mountain range The Central Mountain Range is the principal mountain range on the island of Taiwan. It runs from the north of the island to the south. Due to this separation, connecting between the west and east is not very convenient. The tallest peak of th ...
, north of Salinas and
Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama ( es, Municipio Autónomo de Guayama) is a city and municipality on the Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 36,614. It is the c ...
; south of Cidra and
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey. Caguas was founde ...
; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo. Cayey is spread over 21 barrios plus Cayey Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Cayey is notable for its surrounding mountains. The city has been actively growing since the 1990s, evidenced by its designation as a
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 ...
by the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
. It has experienced significant growth in commerce, and many major retailers, such as
Wal-Mart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
have opened stores in the city. Industries in Cayey include sugar, tobacco and poultry. For tobacco there is a well-known company called Consolidated Cigar Corp. A new coliseum and hospital facilities have also been built.
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
is a major corporation that has a manufacturing facility in the town. Cayey is also host to one of the campuses of 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 ...
, the
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey The University of Puerto Rico in Cayey (UPR-Cayey) is a public university in Cayey, Puerto Rico. It is part of the University of Puerto Rico System. It was initially founded as a regional school in 1967 and became a college in 1969. It was awar ...
.


History

Cayey was founded on August 17, 1773, by Juan Mata Vázquez, who became its first mayor. It is popularly said that Cayey derives its name from the Taino Indian word for "a place of waters". It was named Cayey de Muesas in honor of Miguel de Muesas, the then governor of Puerto Rico. The town is located in a valley nestled between Puerto Rico's Cordillera Central mountain range and the
Sierra de Cayey Sierra de Cayey is a mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the southeast section of the island. Its elevations do not exceed 1000 m (3,280 ft.). The Grande de Loíza, which is one of the most important rivers in Puer ...
at roughly the midpoint of routes
PR-1 Puerto Rico Highway 1 (PR-1) is a highway in Puerto Rico that connects the city of Ponce to San Juan. Leaving Ponce, the road heads east and follows a somewhat parallel route along the southern coast of the island heading towards Salinas. At S ...
and
PR-52 Puerto Rico Highway 52 (PR-52), a major toll road in Puerto Rico, is also known as ''Autopista Luis A. Ferré''. It was formerly called ''Expreso Las Américas''. It runs from PR-1 in southwest Río Piedras and heads south until it intersects wit ...
. The routes lead to a popular drive that provides panoramic views of the island from its highest points. 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 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 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 Cayey was 14,442. An education base began in the early to mid-1950s when the
Interamerican University 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 ...
opened a branch in Cayey providing teacher training through a night class scheme. In 1967 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 ...
opened a campus in the former Henry Barracks Military Reservation, and in the early 1980s El Turabo University, subsidiary of the Ana G. Mendez conglomerate opened a campus in the old tobacco factory at the entrance of town. The Interamerican University will be opening a Graduate campus in front of the main town square ( downtown), and there are conversations with a foreign educational concern to open a technology campus using the buildings left over by the Gordonshire Knitting Mills. There are three major private schools: Radians School, the long established Colegio de Nuestra Senora de la Merced and La Milagrosa School. Cayey's health care base expanded in the mid-1960s with the
Mennonite Mennonites are groups of Anabaptist Christian church communities of denominations. The name is derived from the founder of the movement, Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland. Through his writings about Reformed Christianity during the Radic ...
Medical Center and a Municipal Hospital along with laboratories, and urgent care centers that cater to the poor and the elderly. With the construction of the Interstate (
PR-52 Puerto Rico Highway 52 (PR-52), a major toll road in Puerto Rico, is also known as ''Autopista Luis A. Ferré''. It was formerly called ''Expreso Las Américas''. It runs from PR-1 in southwest Río Piedras and heads south until it intersects wit ...
), Cayey has evolved into a "
bedroom community A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many o ...
" with gated housing developments, located just 30 minutes away from San Juan and 45 minutes away from Ponce. With pleasant weather and good private schools, Cayey has become a premium location for the affluent.
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 ...
on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides in Cayey with significant amount of rain and wind. The hurricane destroyed 3,000 homes in Cayey. File:Puerto Rico National Guard (37420248312).jpg, National Guard in Cayey after Hurricane Maria File:Lt. Colin A. Roberts speaks with local civilian employees during an assessment of Centro Medico Menonita de Cayey Hospital’s medical. (37451604851).jpg, Mennonite hospital in Cayey File:Damaged structure over a basketball court in Cayey, Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.jpg, Damaged basketball court File:Map of landslides in Puerto Rico - Hurricane Maria 2017.jpg, Map of landslides in Puerto Rico


Impact of Henry Barracks Military Reservation

Henry Barracks Military Reservation was a lifeline for the residents of Cayey from 1901 to 1966, when it was declared excess land and passed to the
General Services Administration The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. gover ...
for decommission. The property consisted of 439.92 acres (). The property was divided into three prominent encampments: the Spanish Camp or Campamento Español (15 acres), Camp Henry or Henry Barracks, the Home of the third Battalion of the 65th Inf. Regiment that consisted of 372 acres, and 67 acres the Cayey Naval Radio Station (67 acres)). This reservation is situated in the east of the town of Cayey. The Spanish Reservation containing an area of approximately 15 acres, known as Hospital Hill was set apart by Executive Order of June 30, 1903, under an Act of Congress approved on July 7, 1902. The main army post was located in the northern part of the reservation, initially housing the
Puerto Rico Volunteer Infantry Regiment 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, O ...
. The combined posts had approximately 1,200 men who used the resources provided by the town people. Families moved into Punta Brava and Vieques neighborhoods. A laundry, show shop, and other smaller stores were located right outside the gate. By 1906 about 350 civilians had jobs in the two posts (Camp Henry and The Cayey Navy Radio Station). The
U.S. Department of the Navy The United States Department of the Navy (DoN) is one of the three military departments within the United States Department of Defense, Department of Defense of the United States of America. It was established by an Act of Congress on 30 April ...
submitted a proposal to raise three 620 feet tall masts as part of a global radio communication linkage. In 1916 the Department of the Navy approved a budget of $40,000. At the time 300 men were hired to build the facility for a period of two-year, the project was completed in 1918 On September 11, 1928, a category five hurricane called San Felipe destroyed the temporary buildings at Henry Barracks, and the Navy Radio Station. A radio message was sent from the Cayey Navy Radio Station on September 18, 1928, to follow “All buildings Henry Barracks destroyed by hurricane September 13th”. The Navy left Cayey and moved its station to Isla Grande and Stop 7 in Puerto de Tierra. All the land held by the Navy included Magazine Hill (known in the community as "El Polvorin"), which was taken over by the
U. S. Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
. The 65th Infantry Regiment remained in the north side of the post. The south side was converted into two 1,000 feet shooting ranges The decision was made to reconstruct all building for the regiment in the north side in concrete One hundred and ninety buildings were completed, to include the north side of Henry Barracks. Over 600 men were hired for a period of three years to work in these projects. During this period three large barrack buildings were constructed. The two one company barracks each had its own mess hall and kitchen and was occupied by an infantry company each. The two companies barrack located in the center of the quad occupied the Battalion Headquarters Co. and the Machine Gun Co. By 1953, the
U.S. Department of the Army The United States Department of the Army (DA) is one of the three military departments within the Department of Defense of the U.S. The Department of the Army is the federal government agency within which the United States Army (U.S.) is o ...
had reached the conclusion that Henry Barracks would be closed in the near future. A full complement of maintenance personnel composed of professional, technical, and daily laborers were maintained in the Reservation. The growth of three major housing developments is evidence of the economic impact of the Reservation (Reparto Montellano, El Polvorin, Urbanización Aponte) While the all-Puerto Rican 65th Infantry regiment would never return to its home base, several other initiatives were undertaken, which had a direct impact on the economic development of the town and the region, one such initiatives was the commissioning of the Caribbean Signal Agency in 1959. Over the coming years several tenants occupied the lands comprised by the Henry Barracks Military Reservation, among them: * In the company size building to the west of the quad, the
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
had its Officer Training School in 1965 and 1966. It was later moved to
Camp Santiago Camp Santiago Joint Training Center is a military training installation controlled by the Puerto Rico National Guard on 16,000 acres of land located in Salinas, Puerto Rico. This training facility was named posthumously after Medal of Honor recip ...
in Salinas. The golf course was used as a helicopter landing strip. *
YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
Cuerpos de Paz, and VESPRA (1965–68) had an Administration Building, a swimming pool, a golf course and three houses, which housed the majors and their families. * The
Encampment for Citizenship The Encampment for Citizenship (EFC) is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian organization currently based in California that conducts a residential summer programs with year-round follow-up for young people of widely diverse backgrounds and na ...
held its 1966 six-week encampment in the two-company building in the middle of the quad. One hundred fifty-one young leaders from 56 countries from all over the world meet in Cayey to learn to develop self-government and to perform community development projects. * The Foundation for Community Development moved to the housing is located in the southeastern part of the Post until 1972. Thousands of people received training in community development, and leadership during those years.


Geography

Cayey is located in a valley surrounded by the
Sierra de Cayey Sierra de Cayey is a mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the southeast section of the island. Its elevations do not exceed 1000 m (3,280 ft.). The Grande de Loíza, which is one of the most important rivers in Puer ...
, a branching mountain range of the Cordillera Central where the
Carite Forest Reserve Carite may refer to: *Carites, a people mentioned in the Bible * Carite, Guayama, Puerto Rico, barrio in Puerto Rico * Carite Lake in Puerto Rico *Carite State Forest in Puerto Rico * ARV ''Carite'' (S-11), a Venezuela submarine *Cero (fish) The ...
is located, and the main ranges of the Cordillera Central to the west. Because of its location, Cayey is known for its mountains, its cool weather and its misty mornings, especially in winter. During Spanish colonial rule, Spanish soldiers assigned to Puerto Rico were sent to Cayey. Its cool weather resembled the weather of Spain and soldiers could become acclimated to the tropical weather. In winter, it is not unusual for the temperature to drop into the 50s °F. The
Carite Forest Reserve Carite may refer to: *Carites, a people mentioned in the Bible * Carite, Guayama, Puerto Rico, barrio in Puerto Rico * Carite Lake in Puerto Rico *Carite State Forest in Puerto Rico * ARV ''Carite'' (S-11), a Venezuela submarine *Cero (fish) The ...
*Rivers are:
Río Grande de Loíza The Rio Grande de Loíza (English: ''Great River of Loíza'', ''Grande de Loíza'', or just ''Loíza River'') is a river in the island of Puerto Rico. It is the largest river in Puerto Rico by discharge volume. It is situated on the north coast of ...
, Río Guavate, Río Jájome,
Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (, "river of silver"), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and fo ...
and Río Maton.


Climate

Cayey's climate is humid, rainy and mild compared to lower-elevation areas of the island, the area of the town is nearly high, so the climate is subtropical high. In summer average high Temperatures are around to and to in winter, and low around to in summer and to in winter. The record maximum temperature is and minimum . The average annual rainfall is 100 inches (2,540 mm) and maximum rainfall record in 24 hours is 20.87 inches (530 mm) of rain.


Flora and fauna

The golden coquí (''Eleutherodactylus jasperi''; Spanish: ''coquí dorado'') is a rare and possibly extinct leptodactylid frog species endemic to Puerto Rico. Native to the municipality of Caye, golden coquís have only been found in areas of dense bromeliad growth in the
Sierra de Cayey Sierra de Cayey is a mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is located in the southeast section of the island. Its elevations do not exceed 1000 m (3,280 ft.). The Grande de Loíza, which is one of the most important rivers in Puer ...
between 2,123 and 2,575 feet (647 and 785 meters) above sea level. They get their name from the song the male coquis sing at night. It sounds like "cokee, cokee" so that is why they are called coqui in Spanish. The golden coqui is the smallest of the coqui frogs in Puerto Rico. Mature adult coquis are only roughly the size of a dime. Male coquis are more bright yellow where females tend to be more light yellow and brown. The golden coqui is the only frog species in the
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
known to give birth to live young. These frogs are known around the whole island and are considered a symbol of Puerto Rico.


Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Cayey is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as , near the center of the municipality. #
Beatriz Beatriz (, ) is a Spanish, Galician and Portuguese female first name. It corresponds to the Latin name Beatrix and the English and Italian name Beatrice. The name in Latin means 'brings joy' and in other languages also means 'she who brings oth ...
#
Cayey barrio-pueblo Cayey barrio-pueblo is a barrio and the administrative center (seat) of Cayey, a municipality of Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 15,298. As was customary in Spain, in Puerto Rico, the municipality has a barrio called ''pueblo'' which con ...
# Cedro # Cercadillo # Culebras Alto # Culebras Bajo # Farallón # Guavate # Jájome Alto # Jájome Bajo # Lapa # Matón Abajo # Matón Arriba # Monte Llano # Pasto Viejo # Pedro Ávila # Piedras # Quebrada Arriba # Rincón # Sumido # Toita #
Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...


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 Cayey: Parcelas Nuevas in Beatriz, Cantera, Sector Jalda Abajo, Cedro, El Coquí, Jájome Bajo, La Placita, Saint Thomas, San Cristóbal, and La Vega.


Buildings and structures


Telemundo WKAQ TV Tower

Telemundo
WKAQ-TV WKAQ-TV (channel 2) is a television station in San Juan, Puerto Rico, airing programming from the Telemundo and NBC networks. It is Owned-and-operated station, owned and operated by the Telemundo Station Group subsidiary of NBCUniversal. WKAQ-T ...
Tower, situated at 18°6'47"N 66°3'9"W, is a tall guyed mast for FM-/TV-broadcasting. It was built in 1971 and it is the second tallest man-made structure of Puerto Rico.


Pedro Montañez Stadium

The Pedro Montañez Municipal Stadium in Cayey, proceeded by the first Pedro Montañez Municipal Stadium in Cayey, is the home of the Toritos de Cayey Double-A baseball team, and the Benigno Fernandez Garcia Jr. High School's field day competitions.


Cayey Pegasus Broadcasting WAPA-TV Tower

The Cayey Pegasus Broadcasting tower, at coordinates 18°6'33"N and 66°3'2"W is the third-tallest structure in Puerto Rico. It is a guyed mast owned by Hemisphere Media Group with a height of , which was built in 1966.


Economy

Cayey's economy was based on growing tobacco, sugarcane and general fruits. Its agricultural economy that evolved starting in the 1950s has diminished considerably. Most of its agricultural products are imported from other islands in the
Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
or
mainland United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...
. During the first half of the 20th century, Cayey was basically an agricultural area of small farmers and local haciendas dedicated to the farming of crops for the local market. During the 1920s and 1930s farmers increasingly lost their land to absentee landowners, mostly American companies, that turned to the cultivation of sugarcane and, to a lesser extent, tobacco for export. In the 1950s and 1960s some manufacturing concerns established plants in Cayey taking advantage of tax incentives offered by
Operation Bootstrap Operation Bootstrap ( es, Operación Manos a la Obra) is the name given to a series of projects which transformed the economy of Puerto Rico into an industrial and developed one. The federal government of the United States together with what i ...
, Puerto Rico's industrialization program. An industrial base, in 1947 Cayey saw the beginning of industrial entrepreneurship. There were three factories in town, the Caribe Flower Co. in the Palo Seco neighborhood, a Baseball Factory in the Toita neighborhood, and a Uniform Factory in the back of the High School. These factories employed mostly females. By 1950 the men that worked agriculture became excess population and began migrating to the United States or join the military. In 1950 with the approval of Fomento Industrial and Operation Bootstrap there was a boom of light factories in Cayey. The Gordonshire Knitting Mill in the Guayama road had twelve large buildings and ran two shifts with more than 1,000 employees, and the Consolidated Cigar Corporation across from the road from the Reparto Montellano neighborhood operated three shifts employing over 2,500 from Cayey and surrounding towns. There is a
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
bottling location in Cayey.


Crime in Cayey

In August 2019,
El Vocero ''El Vocero de Puerto Rico'' is a Puerto Rican free newspaper that is published in San Juan. Published since 1974, ''El Vocero'' was at first the third of the four largest Puerto Rico newspapers, trailing '' El Mundo'' and '' El Nuevo Día'' and ...
newspaper reported there had been three mass shootings, that year, in Cayey.


Tourism

Cayey is a mountainous municipality with many places of interest.


Landmarks and places of interest

There are seven places in Cayey listed on the US
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
: * * Church Nuestra Señora de la Asunción of Cayey *
La Liendre Bridge The La Liendre Bridge, spanning Beatriz Creek, a tributary to the Río de la Plata, between Cayey, Puerto Rico and Cidra, Puerto Rico, was built in 1877 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It is a rare type of brid ...
*
Arenas Bridge The Arenas Bridge is a truss bridge built in 1894 between the municipalities of Cayey and Cidra in Puerto Rico. Also known as Puente Rio La Plata, it was the longest bridge constructed in Puerto Rico during the Spanish colonial period. It cros ...
* Carretera Central * Río Matón Bridge *Carretera No. 4 (today
PR-15 Puerto Rico Highway 15 (PR-15) is a main highway connecting Cayey and Guayama. It takes longer though, than going south to Salinas through PR-52 and taking PR-53 to Guayama, due to it being a rural road. Flamboyan en Carretera 15 en Cayey, Pue ...
) including the Principe Alfonso XII Bridge. Other landmarks, landscapes and places of interest are: *
La Robleda Protected Natural Area LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
*Comsat Station *Ramón Frade Exhibit *Brisas De Cayey *Monumento a Los Tres Reyes Magos * Carite Forest * Lago Carite *Escuela de Bellas Artes *El Salón de La Fama del Deporte *El Faro del Saber *
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey The University of Puerto Rico in Cayey (UPR-Cayey) is a public university in Cayey, Puerto Rico. It is part of the University of Puerto Rico System. It was initially founded as a regional school in 1967 and became a college in 1969. It was awar ...
*Museo de Arte Pio López *Pedro Montañez Municipal Stadium *Teatro Municipal *Banda Municipal de Cayey *Tuna de Cayey *Casino Real


Culture


Festivals and events

Cayey 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 August. 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 Cayey include: *Regional Fair – April *Torito Olympics – April


Demographics


Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Cayey is Rolando Ortíz, of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). He was elected at the 1996 general elections and has remained in office through all intervening elections since. The city belongs to the
Puerto Rico Senatorial district VI Puerto Rico Senatorial District VI, also known as the Senatorial District of Guayama, is one of the eight senatorial districts of Puerto Rico. It is currently represented by Miguel Pereira Castillo and Angel M. Rodríguez (from the Popular Democ ...
, which is represented by two Senators. In 2012,
Miguel Pereira Castillo Miguel A. Pereira Castillo (born September 26, 1947) is a Puerto Rican politician, attorney, and public servant. Throughout his career, he has served in various government positions like Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority, Superintenden ...
and Angel M. Rodríguez were elected as District Senators.


Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.


Flag

The flag derives its design and colors from the coat of arms, which is in the center of the flag encircled by a solid black ring. The centered coat of arms and has four triangles pointing to it, two white and two red.


Coat of arms

The coat of arms has a three tip mountain, a red bull, and a waving blue stripe representing the abundant water in the zone and also in reverence to the primitive matron of the town of Cayey. The shield is topped with the silver lamb symbol of San Juan of Puerto Rico, and a red book.


Transportation

Cayey has direct access to
Puerto Rico Highway 52 Puerto Rico Highway 52 (PR-52), a major toll road in Puerto Rico, is also known as ''Autopista Luis A. Ferré''. It was formerly called ''Expreso Las Américas''. It runs from PR-1 in southwest Río Piedras and heads south until it intersects wit ...
and its downtown/business area is served by
Puerto Rico Highway 14 Puerto Rico Highway 14 (PR-14) is a main highway connecting Cayey, Puerto Rico to Ponce, Puerto Rico. The road runs the same course as the historic Carretera Central. The Coamo-to-Ponce section of PR-14 was built under the direction of Spanish e ...
, which grants access to Aibonito to the west and is the main route to 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 ...
in town, and by
Puerto Rico Highway 15 Puerto Rico Highway 15 (PR-15) is a main highway connecting Cayey and Guayama. It takes longer though, than going south to Salinas through PR-52 and taking PR-53 to Guayama, due to it being a rural road. Flamboyan en Carretera 15 en Cayey, Pu ...
which grants access to south Cayey and Guayama.
Puerto Rico Highway 1 Puerto Rico Highway 1 (PR-1) is a highway in Puerto Rico that connects the city of Ponce to San Juan. Leaving Ponce, the road heads east and follows a somewhat parallel route along the southern coast of the island heading towards Salinas. At ...
Bypass runs through the town's business area. The municipality has good paved roads and is easily accessible from San Juan, being only away, as well as from Ponce, being only away. Due to its proximity to
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey. Caguas was founde ...
and easy access via PR-52, Cayey has seen significant growth in the last years. There are 82 bridges in Cayey many of which travel over
Rio de la Plata Rio or Río is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil. Rio or Río may also refer to: Geography Brazil * Rio de Janeiro * Rio do Sul, a ...
.


Education

The following schools are in Cayey: * Benigno Carrion grades: K – 5 * Benigno Fernandez Garcia grades: 6 – 8 * Benjamin Harrison High School grades: 9 – 12 * Centro Adiest. Vocacional Gabriel Bibiloni * Dr. Ramon Emeterio Betances grades: 6 – 8 * Emerita Leon Elemental grades: PK – 6 * Especializada de Bellas Artes grades: 7 – 12 * Miguel Melendez Muñoz grades: 9 – 12 * Salvador Brau Elemental grades: K – 5 * Su Certenejas II grades: K – 8 * Su Eugenio Maria de Hostos grades: K – 8 * Su Gerardo Selles Sola grades: K – 8 * Virginia Vazquez Mendoza grades: K – 5


Higher education

*
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey The University of Puerto Rico in Cayey (UPR-Cayey) is a public university in Cayey, Puerto Rico. It is part of the University of Puerto Rico System. It was initially founded as a regional school in 1967 and became a college in 1969. It was awar ...
*
University of Turabo A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
at Cayey * Instituto de Banca y Comercio (satellite campus at Cayey) * Liberty Technical College


Health care

*Hospital Menonita de Cayey *Hospital Municipal de Cayey


Notable natives and residents

* Alexis y Fido * Ricardo Aponte, Brigadier General * Raymond Arrieta, comedian *
Hiram Burgos Hiram Burgos (born August 4, 1987) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers. Early life When he was three years old his parents, Hiram Burgos Delgado and Ivette I ...
, pro baseball player, retired pitcher Milwaukee Brewers *
Christian Colón Christian Anthony Colón (born May 14, 1989) is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, and Cincinnati Reds. Career Colón attended Midway Hi ...
, pro baseball player, the hit that won the 2015 World Series * Ramón Frade, visual artist/painter *
Luis Guzmán Luis Guzmán (born August 28, 1956) is a Puerto Rican actor. His career spans over 40 years and includes a number of films and television series. He has appeared in the Paul Thomas Anderson films ''Boogie Nights'' (1997), ''Magnolia'' (1999) an ...
, actor * Jorge López, birthplace of star
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
*
Alberto Mercado Alberto Mercado Monserrate (born January 2, 1961) is a former Jr. Featherweight boxer who was on the verge of fighting for a world title at least twice in his career. Amateur boxing career Mercado started boxing as an amateur at the age of 1 ...
, boxer, resides in Cayey * Pedro Montañez, professional boxer * Joseph O. Prewitt Díaz, psychologist, Recipient of the
APA International Humanitarian Award The APA International Humanitarian Award is an award of the American Psychological Association that "recognizes extraordinary humanitarian service and activism by a psychologist or a team of psychologists, including professional and/or volunteer wor ...
2008 *
Amazing Red Jonathan Figueroa (born April 26, 1982), better known by his ring name Amazing Red, is a Puerto Rican professional wrestler and promoter. He is best known for working for Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), where he is a former three-time ...
, pro wrestler *
Zuleyka Rivera Zuleyka Jerrís Mendoza Rivera (born October 3, 1987) is a Puerto Rican actress, TV host, dancer, model and beauty queen who won Miss Universe 2006 in Los Angeles. She was previously crowned Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006. She made her debut a ...
, Miss Puerto Rico Universe 2006, Miss Universe 2006 * Marcelino Sánchez, actor *
Wisin & Yandel Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and have been together since, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the onl ...
, reggaeton group * José Ortiz Puerto Rican Basketball Legend, Former NBA Player * Lionel Fernández Méndez, Attorney at Law, Juris Doctor Georgetown University, Washington DC, Member Delegate of Cayey and the District of Guayama to the Puerto Rico Constitutional Assembly, Politician and Senator of Cayey and the District of Guayama, UPR ( University of Puerto Rico) Cayey founding member-claiming as Senator for education the land that was the Henry Barracks Army Camp of Cayey. Son of Lcdo. Benigno Fernández García.


Sister cities

*
Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...
* Melilli, Sicily, Italy


Gallery

CAYEY ESTE - panoramio.jpg, Eastern side of Cayey Cultivating tobacco at the vicinity of Cayey, Puerto Rico.jpg, Cultivating tobacco in Cayey in 1941 Cayey landscape from PR-52.JPG, Cayey landscape from PR-52


See also

*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Cayey, Puerto Rico This portion of National Register of Historic Places listings in Puerto Rico is along the central mountain region, from Las Marías and Maricao in the central-west to Juncos in the central-east, including the slopes of the Cordillera. Names of pl ...
*
History of Puerto Rico The history of Puerto Rico began with the settlement of the Ortoiroid people between 430 BC and AD 1000. At the time of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1493, the dominant indigenous culture was that of the Taínos. The Taí ...
* List of Puerto Ricans


References


External links

*
University of Puerto Rico, (UPR) Cayey

Cayey, Puerto Rico
a musical slideshow (YouTube)
Guavate Cayey, PR
Guide to open market {{Authority control Municipalities of Puerto Rico San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area Populated places established in 1773 1773 establishments in North America 1770s establishments in the Spanish West Indies