San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas Metropolitan Area
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The San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area, most commonly known as the San Juan metropolitan area (
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: ''área metropolitana de San Juan''), is the largest and most populous metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, concentrated in the capital
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
and surrounding municipalities, including Bayamón,
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to ...
, and Carolina, on the northeastern
coastal plain A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area. Formation Coastal plains can f ...
of the main island. One of 6 metropolitan statistical areas in Puerto Rico, it is within the San Juan–Bayamón combined statistical area (CSA), which is one of 3 primary statistical areas in the
archipelago An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands. An archipelago may be in an ocean, a sea, or a smaller body of water. Example archipelagos include the Aegean Islands (the o ...
as defined by the
United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
. As of 2023, the estimated population of the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area is 842,535 in municipalities in the
conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
and 1,193,198 in municipalities outside the
urban core A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms that exist in ...
, making it the fourth largest in the insular
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
.


San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area

Consisting of 40
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in the eastern half of the main island of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area covers 1,438
square miles The square mile (abbreviated as sq mi and sometimes as mi2)Rowlett, Russ (September 1, 2004) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved February 22, 2012. is an imperial and US unit of measure for area. One square mile is equa ...
(3,725 km2) of land. With an estimated population of 842,535 in municipalities in the
conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
and 1,193,198 in municipalities outside the
urban core A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms that exist in ...
, it is the largest and most populous statistical area in Puerto Rico.
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
, Bayamón,
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to ...
, and
Guaynabo Guaynabo (, ) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, east of Bayamón, south of Cataño and San Juan Bay, and north of Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrio ...
are considered to be its
principal cities In the United States, a principal city is the largest incorporated place with a population of at least 10,000 in a core-based statistical area (CBSA) or New England city and town area (NECTA), or if no incorporated place of least 10,000 populatio ...
.www.whitehouse.gov
Office of Management and Budget I The White House - Puerto Rico Metropolitan Statistical Area - Code 41980 - ''Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas as of 2013 Census Bureau''. Retrieved 2015-11-09.
As of 2023, the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area is the 36th most populated in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
territories A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...
, ranked between the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro–Franklin, TN MSA and the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA MSA.


Conurbation

Forming a continuous
conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
on the northeastern
coastal plain A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area. Formation Coastal plains can f ...
of the main island of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, the San Juan metropolitan area (
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 countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
: ''área metropolitana de San Juan''), also simply known as the á''rea metro'' (metro area), is the urban core and greater area of the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area (MSA). This highly urbanized, sprawling zone is concentrated in the capital municipality of
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
, and the surrounding
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
of Bayamón, Carolina,
Guaynabo Guaynabo (, ) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, east of Bayamón, south of Cataño and San Juan Bay, and north of Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrio ...
,
Trujillo Alto Trujillo Alto () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain on the boundary between the Northern Karst Belt and Sierra de Luquillo, it is north of Caguas and Gurabo, southeast of San Juan, and west of ...
, and Cataño. Occasionally, the suburb of
Levittown Levittown is the name of several large suburban housing developments created in the United States (including one in Puerto Rico) by William J. Levitt and his company Levitt & Sons. Built after World War II for returning white veterans and thei ...
in the municipality 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 ...
is included within the urban core, which is also commonly referred to as the ''área metropolitana de Puerto Rico'' (Puerto Rico metropolitan area), as it is the primary urban region in the archipelago and island. However, along with
Aguadilla Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
,
Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a Arecibo barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado, Puerto Rico, Utuado and Ciales, Puerto Rico, Ciale ...
,
Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama (), is a Guayama barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
, Mayagüez, and Ponce, it is only one of six metropolitan areas in Puerto Rico.


Municipalities

*San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area (MSA) ** Conurbation (6 municipalities) ***
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
Pop: 333,005 *** Bayamón Pop: 180,835 *** Carolina Pop: 150,843 ***
Guaynabo Guaynabo (, ) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, east of Bayamón, south of Cataño and San Juan Bay, and north of Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrio ...
Pop: 89,039 ***
Trujillo Alto Trujillo Alto () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain on the boundary between the Northern Karst Belt and Sierra de Luquillo, it is north of Caguas and Gurabo, southeast of San Juan, and west of ...
Pop: 66,705 *** Cataño Pop: 22,108


Outside urban core

The region outside the San Juan metropolitan area, the conurbation and greater area of the San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area (MSA), is made up of 34
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
, each containing small urban zones, of which the most populous is located in the
principal city In the United States, a principal city is the largest incorporated place with a population of at least 10,000 in a core-based statistical area (CBSA) or New England city and town area (NECTA), or if no incorporated place of least 10,000 populati ...
of
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to ...
on the
Caguas Valley The Caguas Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Caguas''), or the Caguas-Juncos Valley, and popularly referred to as the Turabo Valley (''Valle del Turabo''), is a large valley lying between two mountain subranges of the Cordillera Central, Sierra de Ca ...
in eastern-central Puerto Rico. These urbanized, densely populated commercial and residential zones usually concentrate around the downtown area and administrative center of the municipality, which is categorized as a
barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
and known as a ''
pueblo Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlement ...
.''


Municipalities

*San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area (MSA) **Outside urban core (34 municipalities) ***
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to ...
Pop: 124,608 ***
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 ...
Pop: 71,888 *** Toa Alta Pop: 65,957 *** Vega Baja Pop: 53,527 ***
Humacao Humacao () is a city and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north of Yabucoa; south of Naguabo; east of Las Piedras; and west of Vieques Passage. Humacao is spread over 12 barrios and Humacao Pueblo (the ...
Pop: 49,712 ***
Río Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Me ...
Pop: 45,568 *** Canóvanas Pop: 41,513 ***
Cayey Cayey (), officially Cayey de Muesas, is a mountain town and municipality in central Puerto Rico located on the Sierra de Cayey within the Central Mountain range, north east of Salinas and north of Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east o ...
Pop: 40,525 *** Gurabo Pop: 39,971 *** Cidra Pop: 39,418 *** Manatí Pop: 38,665 ***
San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Villa San Lorenzo, town and municipality in Salta P ...
Pop: 37,264 *** Juncos Pop: 36,684 ***
Dorado Dorado (, ) is a constellation in the Southern Sky. It was named in the late 16th century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name refers to the mahi-mahi (''Coryphaena hippurus''), which is known as ''dorado'' ("golden") in Sp ...
Pop: 35,702 *** Las Piedras Pop: 34,750 *** Vega Alta Pop: 34,638 *** Corozal Pop: 34,348 ***
Fajardo Fajardo () is a Fajardo barrio-pueblo, town and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality part of the San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area, San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area in Puerto Rico. Fajardo is the hub of mu ...
Pop: 31,166 *** Naranjito Pop: 29,282 *** Barranquitas Pop: 29,020 *** Yabucoa Pop: 28,897 ***
Morovis Morovis (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Orocovis, south of Manatí, Vega Baja and Vega Alta; east of Ciales, and west of Corozal. Morovis is spread over 13 barrios and M ...
Pop: 28,197 ***
Aibonito Aibonito () is a small mountain town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the Sierra de Cayey mountain range, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerío; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 ...
Pop: 24,602 *** Aguas Buenas Pop: 23,274 *** Naguabo Pop: 22,838 *** Barceloneta Pop: 22,376 *** Loíza Pop: 22,302 ***
Orocovis Orocovis (, ; from the Taino chief Orocobix) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center of the island. Founded by Juan Rivera de Santiago in 1825. Orocovis is spread over 17 barrios. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guay ...
Pop: 21,204 *** Comerío Pop: 18,601 *** Luquillo Pop: 17,386 *** Ciales Pop: 16,691 ***
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
Pop: 11,525 ***
Ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to Tropics, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to northern Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall ...
Pop: 10,834 *** Maunabo Pop: 10,266


Topography

The San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan area (MSA) varies in topography. While municipalities along the coastline have flat, low-lying terrain, most municipalities are located on elevated, hilly and mountainous terrain.


Conurbation

Comprising
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
, Bayamón, Carolina,
Guaynabo Guaynabo (, ) is a city and municipality on the northeastern coastal plain of Puerto Rico. Located west of the capital San Juan, east of Bayamón, south of Cataño and San Juan Bay, and north of Aguas Buenas, Guaynabo is spread over 9 barrio ...
,
Trujillo Alto Trujillo Alto () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico. Located on the northeastern coastal plain on the boundary between the Northern Karst Belt and Sierra de Luquillo, it is north of Caguas and Gurabo, southeast of San Juan, and west of ...
, and Cataño, the
conurbation A conurbation is a region consisting of a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which, through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ...
or
urban core A city centre, also known as an urban core, is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms that exist in ...
of the San Juan metropolitan area is generally on the eastern part of the northern
coastal plain A coastal plain (also coastal plains, coastal lowland, coastal lowlands) is an area of flat, low-lying land adjacent to a sea coast. A fall line commonly marks the border between a coastal plain and an upland area. Formation Coastal plains can f ...
of the main island of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. However, of the six municipalities within the urban area, only Cataño is completely situated on the coastal plain. In contrast, only the northern parts of San Juan, Bayamón, Carolina, Guaynabo, and Trujillo Alto are on the coastal plain, as the southern parts of Bayamón and Guayabo are on the hilly terrain of the Northern Karst Belt, and those of Carolina and Trujillo Alto are on the mountainous terrain of the
Sierra de Luquillo The Sierra de Luquillo (English: "Luquillo Mountains") is a steep-sided, high-precipitation, and deeply-forested subrange of the Cordillera Central mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. Separated from the southeastern Sierra de Cayey ...
. Less populated and restricted by rugged
topography Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the landforms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary sci ...
, these outer areas are mostly rural.


Outside urban core

Roughly covering the eastern half of the main island of Puerto Rico, the topography of the 34 municipalities outside the urban core of the San Juan metropolitan area varies between the eastern and southern coastal plains, the
Caguas Valley The Caguas Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Caguas''), or the Caguas-Juncos Valley, and popularly referred to as the Turabo Valley (''Valle del Turabo''), is a large valley lying between two mountain subranges of the Cordillera Central, Sierra de Ca ...
, the Yabucoa Valley, the North Karst Belt, and the
Cordillera Central Central Cordillera refers to the New Guinea Highlands. Cordillera Central, meaning ''central range'' in Spanish, may refer to the following mountain ranges: * Cordillera Central, Andes (disambiguation), several mountain ranges in South America ** ...
,
Sierra de Cayey The Sierra de Cayey ( English: "Cayey Mountains") is one of three subranges of the Cordillera Central mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is demarcated from the eponymous main subrange of ''Cordillera Central'' by the San Cristà ...
, and
Sierra de Luquillo The Sierra de Luquillo (English: "Luquillo Mountains") is a steep-sided, high-precipitation, and deeply-forested subrange of the Cordillera Central mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. Separated from the southeastern Sierra de Cayey ...
mountain subranges. *Outside urban core **Northern coastal plain and Northern Karst Belt *** Barceloneta, Manatí, Vega Baja, Vega Alta, Corozal,
Dorado Dorado (, ) is a constellation in the Southern Sky. It was named in the late 16th century and is now one of the 88 modern constellations. Its name refers to the mahi-mahi (''Coryphaena hippurus''), which is known as ''dorado'' ("golden") in Sp ...
, Toa Alta, and
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 ...
**Northern Karst Belt and Cordillera Central *** Ciales,
Morovis Morovis (, ) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Orocovis, south of Manatí, Vega Baja and Vega Alta; east of Ciales, and west of Corozal. Morovis is spread over 13 barrios and M ...
, and Naranjito **Northern Karst Belt ***
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
**Cordillera Central ***
Orocovis Orocovis (, ; from the Taino chief Orocobix) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center of the island. Founded by Juan Rivera de Santiago in 1825. Orocovis is spread over 17 barrios. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guay ...
, Barranquitas, Comerío, Aguas Buenas, and Cidra **Northern coastal plain and Sierra de Luquillo *** Canóvanas, Loíza,
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...
, and Luquillo **Eastern coastal plain and Sierra de Luquillo ***
Fajardo Fajardo () is a Fajardo barrio-pueblo, town and a Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality part of the San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area, San Juan-Caguas-Fajardo Combined Statistical Area in Puerto Rico. Fajardo is the hub of mu ...
,
Ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to Tropics, tropical and Subtropics, subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to northern Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall ...
, and Naguabo **Caguas Valley and Sierra de Luquillo *** Gurabo, Juncos, and Las Piedras **Caguas Valley and eastern coastal plain ***
Humacao Humacao () is a city and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north of Yabucoa; south of Naguabo; east of Las Piedras; and west of Vieques Passage. Humacao is spread over 12 barrios and Humacao Pueblo (the ...
**Caguas Valley and Sierra de Cayey ***
Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality in central eastern Puerto Rico. Located in the eponymous Caguas Valley between the Sierra de Cayey and Sierra de Luquillo of the Central Mountain Range, it is bordered by San Juan and Trujillo Alto to ...
and
San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Villa San Lorenzo, town and municipality in Salta P ...
**Sierra de Cayey ***
Aibonito Aibonito () is a small mountain town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the Sierra de Cayey mountain range, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerío; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 ...
and
Cayey Cayey (), officially Cayey de Muesas, is a mountain town and municipality in central Puerto Rico located on the Sierra de Cayey within the Central Mountain range, north east of Salinas and north of Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east o ...
**Sierra de Cayey and southern coastal plain *** Maunabo **Caguas Valley, Sierra de Cayey, and Yabucoa Valley *** Yabucoa Aside from an urbanized, densely populated downtown area and administrative center, categorized as a
barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
and known as a ''pueblo,'' and concentrated urbanized residential areas with large populations, these municipalities are mostly rural, particularly those furtherest way, in
distance Distance is a numerical or occasionally qualitative measurement of how far apart objects, points, people, or ideas are. In physics or everyday usage, distance may refer to a physical length or an estimation based on other criteria (e.g. "two co ...
and
elevation The elevation of a geographic location (geography), ''location'' is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational equipotenti ...
, from the inner urban core around the capital,
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to: * San Juan, Puerto Rico * San Juan, Argentina * San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines San Juan may also refer to: Places Arge ...
. Generally, low-lying areas along or near the shoreline in coastal municipalities, like those found in Vega Baja and
Humacao Humacao () is a city and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north of Yabucoa; south of Naguabo; east of Las Piedras; and west of Vieques Passage. Humacao is spread over 12 barrios and Humacao Pueblo (the ...
, are greatly more urbanized and populated than inland,
karstic Karst () is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble carbonate rocks such as limestone and dolomite. It is characterized by features like poljes above and drainage systems with sinkholes and caves underground. There is some eviden ...
, and mountainous areas, especially in elevated and interior municipalities like
Orocovis Orocovis (, ; from the Taino chief Orocobix) is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the center of the island. Founded by Juan Rivera de Santiago in 1825. Orocovis is spread over 17 barrios. It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guay ...
, which is strictly rural and sparsely populated.


San Juan–Bayamón combined area

The San Juan–Bayamón combined statistical area (CSA) comprises the metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) of San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas,
Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a Arecibo barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado, Puerto Rico, Utuado and Ciales, Puerto Rico, Ciale ...
, and
Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama (), is a Guayama barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
, and the micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) of
Coco Coco or variants may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Coco'' (2009 film), a French comedy film * ''Coco'' (2017 film), an American animated fantasy film * '' Pokémon the Movie: Secrets of the Jungle'' (), a 2020 Japanese anime film ...
, Utuado, and
Lares Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ) were Tutelary deity#Ancient Rome, guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries, or fruitfulness, or an ama ...
. It is the largest and most populous of three combined statistical areas in Puerto Rico.


Municipalities

The San Juan–Bayamón combined statistical area includes three metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), three micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs), covering 50 of 78
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in eastern and central of the main island of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. In 2009, the San Juan–Bayamón combined statistical area comprised 68.9% of total population in Puerto Rico. The 2010 census placed the population at 2,728,791, a 4.16% increase over the 2000 census figure of 2,622,876. The 2020 census placed the population at 2,414,593, a 11.51% decrease over the 2010 census figure of 2,728,791. With an estimated population of 2,360,082 as of 2023, the San Juan–Bayamón combined statistical area is the most populous CSA in Puerto Rico and the 32nd most populous CSA in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
between the Raleigh–Durham–Cary, NC CSA and the Nashville-Davidson–Murfreesboro, TN CSA. *Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) ** San Juan–Bayamón–Caguas metropolitan statistical area (40 municipalities) ***'' See municipalities above'' ** Arecibo metropolitan statistical area (4 municipalities) ***
Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a Arecibo barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado, Puerto Rico, Utuado and Ciales, Puerto Rico, Ciale ...
Pop: 85,641 *** Hatillo Pop: 37,950 *** Camuy Pop: 32,625 *** Quebradillas Pop: 23,254 ** Guayama metropolitan statistical area (3 municipalities) ***
Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama (), is a Guayama barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
Pop: 34,765 *** Patillas Pop: 15,347 *** Arroyo Pop: 15,078 *Micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) ** Lares micropolitan statistical area (1 municipality) ***
Lares Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ) were Tutelary deity#Ancient Rome, guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries, or fruitfulness, or an ama ...
Pop: 27,729 ** Utuado micropolitan statistical area (1 municipality) *** Utuado Pop: 27,242 ** Coco micropolitan statistical area (1 municipality) *** Salinas Pop: 27,128


Topography

Comprising
Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a Arecibo barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado, Puerto Rico, Utuado and Ciales, Puerto Rico, Ciale ...
, Hatillo, Camuy, and Quebradillas, the Arecibo metropolitan area is completely situated on the Northern Karst Belt in the northwestern region of the main island of
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
. The 3 municipalities in the
Guayama metropolitan area The Guayama metropolitan area (Spanish: ''área metropolitana de Guayama''), is the smallest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in Puerto Rico, comprising the municipalities of Guayama, Patillas, and Arroyo between the coastal plain and the Sier ...
– Patillas, Arroyo, and
Guayama Guayama (, ), officially the Autonomous Municipality of Guayama (), is a Guayama barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality on the Caribbean Sea, Caribbean coast of Puerto Rico. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 ...
–are situated between the southern coastal plain and the
Sierra de Cayey The Sierra de Cayey ( English: "Cayey Mountains") is one of three subranges of the Cordillera Central mountain range in the main island of Puerto Rico. It is demarcated from the eponymous main subrange of ''Cordillera Central'' by the San Cristà ...
mountain subrange in the southeastern region of the main island. Both the
Lares Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ) were Tutelary deity#Ancient Rome, guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries, or fruitfulness, or an ama ...
and Utuado micropolitan areas are situated between the Northern Karst Belt and the
Cordillera Central Central Cordillera refers to the New Guinea Highlands. Cordillera Central, meaning ''central range'' in Spanish, may refer to the following mountain ranges: * Cordillera Central, Andes (disambiguation), several mountain ranges in South America ** ...
mountain subrange in the western central region of the main island, while the Cocos micropolitan area of Salinas is situated between the southern coastal plain and the Sierra de Cayey mountain subrange in the southeastern region of the main island. All municipalities have an urbanized, densely populated downtown area and administrative center, categorized as a
barrio ''Barrio'' () is a Spanish language, Spanish word that means "Quarter (urban subdivision), quarter" or "neighborhood". In the modern Spanish language, it is generally defined as each area of a city delimited by functional (e.g. residential, comm ...
and known as a ''
pueblo Pueblo refers to the settlements of the Pueblo peoples, Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, currently in New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas. The permanent communities, including some of the oldest continually occupied settlement ...
,'' and concentrated urbanized residential areas with large populations, which lie on low-lying regions along the coastline. The inland and mountainous parts of the municipalities are strictly rural and sparsely populated.


Other statistical areas

In addition to the San Juan–Bayamón combined statistical area (CSA), Puerto Rico has two more combined statistical areas: the Mayagüez–Aguadilla CSA and the Ponce–Coamo CSA. The first is divided into two metropolitan statistical areas, the Mayagüez MSA and the Aguadilla MSA, while the second is divided into one metropolitan statistical area, the Ponce MSA, and one micropolitan statistical area, the Coamo μSA. These statistical areas cover 22 of 78
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
.


Municipalities

* Mayagüez–Aguadilla combined statistical area (CSA) ** Aguadilla metropolitan statistical area (MSA) (7 municipalities) ***
Aguadilla Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, is a city and municipality located in the northwestern tip of Puerto Rico, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is s ...
Pop: 53,622 *** Isabela Pop: 42,794 ***
San Sebastián San Sebastián, officially known by the bilingual name Donostia / San Sebastián (, ), is a city and municipality located in the Basque Autonomous Community, Spain. It lies on the coast of the Bay of Biscay, from the France–Spain border ...
Pop: 38,926 *** Aguada Pop: 37,528 *** Moca Pop: 37,325 *** Añasco Pop: 24,815 *** Rincón Pop: 15,425 ** Mayagüez metropolitan statistical area (MSA) (6 municipalities) *** Mayagüez Pop: 69,798 *** Cabo Rojo Pop: 46,665 *** San Germán Pop: 30,996 *** Lajas Pop: 22,872 *** Sabana Grande Pop: 22,210 ***
Hormigueros Hormigueros (, ) is a Hormigueros barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality of Puerto Rico located in the western region of the island, northeast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo; northwest of San Germán, Puerto Ri ...
Pop: 15,336 * Ponce–Coamo combined statistical area (CSA) ** Ponce metropolitan statistical area (MSA) (7 municipalities) *** Ponce Pop: 130,251 ***
Juana Díaz Juana is a Spanish female name. It is the feminine form of ''Juan'' (English ''John''), and thus corresponds to the English names Jane, Jean, Joan, and Joanna. The feminine diminutive form (male equivalent to ''Johnny'') is Juanita (equival ...
Pop: 45,919 *** Yauco Pop: 32,406 *** Villalba Pop: 21,285 *** Peñuelas Pop: 19,563 ***
Adjuntas Adjuntas () is a small mountainside Adjuntas barrio-pueblo, town and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico located in the central midwestern portion of the island on the Cordillera Central, Puerto Rico, Cordillera Central, no ...
Pop: 17,900 *** Guayanilla Pop: 16,813 ** Coamo micropolitan statistical area (μSA) (2 municipalities) *** Coamo Pop: 33,662 *** Santa Isabel Pop: 19,693


No statistical area

As of 2023, there are 6 of 78
municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
with less than 15,000 inhabitants that are not part of any statistical area in Puerto Rico. *No statistical area **Six municipalities ***
Jayuya Jayuya () is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the mountainous center region of the island, north of Ponce; east of Utuado; and west of Ciales. Jayuya is spread over 10 barrios and Jayuya Pueblo (the downtown and administra ...
Pop: 14,435 *** Guánica Pop: 12,415 *** Las Marías Pop: 8,672 ***
Vieques Vieques (; ), officially Isla de Vieques, is an island, town and municipality of Puerto Rico, and together with Culebra, it is geographically part of the Spanish Virgin Islands. Vieques lies about east of the mainland of Puerto Rico, measuri ...
Pop: 7,999 ***
Maricao Maricao () is a town and the second-least populous municipality of Puerto Rico; it is located at the western edge of the Cordillera Central. It is a small town set around a small square in hilly terrain, north of San Germán, Sabana Grande and ...
Pop: 4,523 *** Culebra Pop: 1,761


See also

* Puerto Rico census statistical areas * List of Metropolitan Statistical Areas


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo metropolitan area Metropolitan areas of Puerto Rico