Aguadilla-Isabela, PR Metropolitan Statistical Area
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Aguadilla (, ), founded in 1775 by Luis de Córdova, 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 ...
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 ...
located in the northwestern tip of
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 ...
, bordered by the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
to the north and west, north of Aguada, and Moca and west of Isabela. Aguadilla is spread over 15 ''barrios'' and Aguadilla Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is a principal city and core of the Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastián Metropolitan Statistical Area.


Etymology and nicknames

Aguadilla is a shortening of the town's original name ''San Carlos de La Aguadilla''. The name ''Aguadilla'' is a diminutive of '' Aguada'', which is the name of the
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 located to the south. Some of the municipality's nicknames are: ''Jardín del Atlántico'' ("Garden of the
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
"), ''Pueblo de los Tiburones'' ("
Shark Sharks are a group of elasmobranch fish characterized by a cartilaginous skeleton, five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the clade Selachi ...
Town") and ''La Villa del Ojo de Agua'' ("Villa of the
Water Spring A spring is a point of exit at which groundwater from an aquifer flows out on top of Earth's crust (pedosphere) and becomes surface water. It is a component of the hydrosphere. Springs have long been important for humans as a source of fres ...
") after the natural water spring that was used by early settlers and Spanish soldiers as a water source which is now located in El Parterre Square in Aguadilla Pueblo.


History

According to sources, a
Taíno 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 ...
settlement called ''Aymamón'' was located close to the Culebrinas River. The present territory of Aguadilla was originally part of the territory of Aguada. In 1775, the foundation of Aguadilla by Don Luis de Córdova was approved. But it wasn't until 1780 that the territory was properly segregated, making the founding of the town official. Originally, Aguadilla was constituted by the
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...
and Higüey barrios.Aguadilla: Fundación e historia
on Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico
This region was already inhabited and known as Aguadilla before 1770. In 1776,
Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra (1745–1813), born in Estadilla, Spain, was a Benedictine monk and the first historian to extensively document Puerto Rico's history, nationality, and culture. Biography Abbad arrived in Puerto Rico in 1771 at age ...
in his description of the towns of the island, mentioned it as the "new Town of San Carlos de La Aguadilla." Nevertheless, according to Dr.
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 ...
in his ''Foundation of Aguadilla'', it was not until 1780 that the town was officially founded. The construction of a new church and the proceedings to become an independent village began in 1775. The population in the Village of Aguadilla continued to increase constantly mainly due to its excellent port and strategic location in the route of the boats. In 1776, when
Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 ( Distrito Nacional) , webs ...
became independent for the first time, the loyalists of Spanish descent emigrated to Puerto Rico, mainly to Aguadilla, which caused the population to continue increasing significantly. In 1831, according to Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova, the area or "party" of Aguadilla belonged to Aguada. At this time, the territorial organization of Aguadilla was as follows: Pueblo Norte (North Town), Pueblo Sur (South Town), Ceiba Alta, Ceiba Baja, Montaña, Malezas, Aguacate, Dos Palmas, Camaseyes, Plainela, Borinquen, Arenales, Higüey, Corrales, Victoria, and Mangual. Don Pedro Tomás de Córdova mentions the road of Aguadilla formed by Punta Borinquen and San Francisco, as the "anchorage of the ships that travel from Europe to
Havana Havana (; Spanish: ''La Habana'' ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of the La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.
and
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
". He adds that its "port is the most frequented in the Island due to the proportions that it offers to refresh all class of ship." In 1860, Aguadilla was officially declared a village. Several years later, when the island was territorially organized into seven departments, Aguadilla became the head of the third department that included the municipalities of Aguada, Isabela,
Lares Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ''Lar'') were 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 amalgam of these. Lare ...
, Moca, Rincón, and San Sebastián. In January 1841 a Royal Order transferred the judicial party from Aguada to Aguadilla. In 1878, according to Don Manuel Ebeda y Delgado, the territorial organization of Aguadilla had varied a little. At this time Plainela, Higüey, and Mangual barrios are not mentioned. The Dos Palmas barrio appears as Palmar. Also at this time, three new barrios are mentioned: Guerrero, Caimital Alto, and Caimital Bajo. In 1898, even with the change of sovereignty in the island, the territorial organization of Aguadilla is the same to that of 1878. Nevertheless, in the Census of 1899, downtown Aguadilla appears constituted by Higüey, Iglesia, Nueva, Santa Barbara, and Tamarindo barrios. Malezas barrio appears subdivided into Maleza Alta and Maleza Baja. From that time, the territorial organization of Aguadilla did not change, until 1948, when the Puerto Rico Department of Planning prepared the map of the city and its barrios, and following instructions of city authorities, Higüey and parts of Caimital Alto barrios are annexed to Downtown Aguadilla.


Ramey Air Force Base

Aguadilla was the site of the U.S. military's
Ramey Air Force Base Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It was named after United States Army Air Forces Brigadier General Howard Knox Ramey. Following its closure, it was redeveloped into Rafael Hernandez Airp ...
for almost five decades. During this period, Aguadilla was home to the Strategic Air Command, equipped with RB-36s and 72d Bombardment Wing, Heavy equipped with
B-52 The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
s, an important strategic facility during the Cold War. Activated in June 1952 as a Strategic Air Command very long-range reconnaissance unit at Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico, but not operational until October 1952. Redesignated as 72d Strategic Reconnaissance Wing and received 3 (60th, 73rd and 301st) squadrons of RB-36D/E/F/H Peacemaker bombers. Also, the 915th Air Rescue Squadron. Conducted global strategic reconnaissance 1953–1955, gradually shifting to a bombardment training mission beginning in 1954, being upgraded to B-36J and B-36J(III) Featherweights by 1955. Redesignated 72d Bombardment Wing in 1958. With the phaseout of the B-36s in 1958, received B-52G Stratofortress intercontinental strategic bombers. Though the infrastructure still exists, the airport was handed over to the
Government of Puerto Rico The government of Puerto Rico is a republican form of government with separation of powers, subject to the jurisdiction and sovereignty of the United States.Puerto Rico Ports Authority The Puerto Rico Ports Authority (PRPA) ( es, Autoridad de los Puertos; AP) is a government-owned corporation of Puerto Rico charged with developing, operating, and overseeing all seaports and airports in Puerto Rico. The Authority is ascribed to ...
and comprise the Rafael Hernández International Airport. The barracks now host the Faro Inn Suites, a 79-room hotel. The Officer's Club now hosts the Faro Conference Center, a meeting facility. The hospital is now the Courtyard by
Marriott Marriott may refer to: People *Marriott (surname) Corporations * Marriott Corporation, founded as Hot Shoppes, Inc. in 1927; split into Marriott International and Host Marriott Corporation in 1993 * Marriott International, international hote ...
Punta Borinquen Resort & Casino, a 150-room hotel with a casino and the first Marriott in Puerto Rico outside of the San Juan Metropolitan Area. Ramey also hosts the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla and the Friedrich Froebel Bilingual School (K-9). The high school became Ramey Job Corps Campus and the elementary school became the Esther Feliciano Mendoza Middle School. Centro de Adiestramiento y Bellas Artes (CABA) since 1979 has been the only public school of arts in Puerto Rico (7–12). Ramey is also the site of the new Ramey Skating Park and a new ''mariposario'' (butterfly farm) and the Ramey Shopping Center. There is still an active part of the base that hosts the
Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...
Borinquen Air Station. There are also other government agencies based at Ramey, including the United States
Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. Its stated missions involve anti-terr ...
, U.S. Customs & Border Protection's
Office of Air and Marine Air and Marine Operations (AMO) is a federal law enforcement component within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). AMO's mission is to protect the American people and na ...
and Office of Border Patrol, the ''Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción'' (United Forces for Rapid Action) of the
Puerto Rico Police Department The Puerto Rico Police Department ( es, Policía de Puerto Rico), officially the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, is a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a division of the Puerto Rico Department ...
and the
Puerto Rico National Guard The Puerto Rico National Guard (PRNG) – es, Guardia Nacional de Puerto Rico– is the national guard of the U.S. Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and s ...
. There is also a post office, the ''Centro de Servicios al Conductor'' (Driver's Services Center), a bakery, and a Banco Popular de Puerto Rico location.


San Antonio

San Antonio village was established in the mid-19th century. It was populated by 60 families. Originally the place where these families were located was known as ''Bajura de Vadi'', the place later to become known as San Antonio. In 1918, as a consequence of the 1918 San Fermín earthquake, the village was completely destroyed by a tsunami. The families suffered the struggles caused by this natural disaster due by the proximity of the village to the shore. The residents of the village decided re-localize the village in a higher area further from shore. The new location was what today is known as Ramey Air Force Base, Ramey. The village's infrastructure started its evolution. Luis R. Esteves and Juan Garcia established the first two theaters in the area. A new was social club form, known as "Luz del Porvenir" (Light of the Future). A new school system was the pride of the village because it offered them the opportunity to give their children an education without having to go south downtown. There was also a new bakery and a post office, among other facilities. At this time, the village also began its Patron Festival. The clothing industry was a major source of employment. In September 1939, some covered by sugar cane, was expropriated for the military at the cost of $1,215,000, in order to build an air base that came to be known as
Ramey Air Force Base Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It was named after United States Army Air Forces Brigadier General Howard Knox Ramey. Following its closure, it was redeveloped into Rafael Hernandez Airp ...
. Since the foundation, the village has suffered three expropriations as a result of expansions to
Ramey Air Force Base Ramey Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. It was named after United States Army Air Forces Brigadier General Howard Knox Ramey. Following its closure, it was redeveloped into Rafael Hernandez Airp ...
. These expropriations delayed and ended the plans to turn San Antonio into a town. Today, the population of San Antonio consists of approximately ten thousand people. It has a modern square, a Puerto Rico Police, Puerto Rico State Police Station, a coliseum, an industrial park, public housing, a baseball park, a public school system, shops, and many other characteristics of a small town. The town also has a flag and an emblem. Roberto Román Acevedo designed the town flag and emblem.


Tragedy on election day in 1944

On the early morning hours of November 7, 1944, Puerto Rico suffered the worst railroad accident in its history.''La Tragedia del 7 de noviembre de 1944'' (The Tragedy of November 7, 1944) by Haydee E. Reichard de Cancio, El Nuevo Dia, Por Dentro Section, Pg. 116, December 7, 1996, retrieved on July 31, 2006 Train No. 3 was traveling from San Juan to Ponce, Puerto Rico, Ponce carrying passengers to their different hometowns for the island general elections to be held that same day. It stopped at the Jiménez Station in Aguadilla for a routine Railroad engineer, engineer and fireman (steam engine), boilerman exchange with Train No. 4 which was heading to San Juan. The engineer assigned to Train No. 3's ride from Jiménez Station to Ponce was José Antonio Román, an experienced freight train engineer who had never worked in passenger travel. When the train left the station at 2:00 am, it was carrying 6 passenger cars with hundreds of commuters and two freight cars. At 2:20 a.m. the train started to descend a hill section known as ''Cuesta Vieja'' (Old Hill) in Aguadilla at, what some witnesses described as, an exaggerated speed. When the train reached the leveling-off point at the bottom of the hill it Derailment, derailed. The steam locomotive crashed into a ditch where it exploded and one of the freight cars crashed into one of the passenger cars, killing many inside. Witnesses described the scene as horrendous, with some accounts stating that parents were throwing their children out the windows to save them from the wreckage. Chief of Police Guillermo Arroyo stated that the locomotive (No. 72), the express car, and three second class passenger cars were completely destroyed. Oscar Valle, an Aguadilla correspondent to ''El Mundo (Puerto Rico), El Mundo'' newspaper, summarized the scene with: "The locomotive suffered a terrible explosion as it derailed, and the impact was so strong that 3 passenger cars were converted into a fantastic mound of wreckage". In the end, 16 passengers lost their lives, including the engineer and the boilerman, and 50 were injured in the crash.


Hurricane Maria

Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico on September 20, 2017, causing large-scale damage and destruction to infrastructure. In Aguadilla 10 inches of rain were recorded and its more than 54,000 residents were left with no electrical power. The four radar systems used by the Federal Aviation Administration for flights in and around Puerto Rico were damaged by Hurricane Maria, and it took nearly two weeks to fix them. One of the radar systems is located in Aguadilla.


Geography

Aguadilla is located in the northwest coast of the island of
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 ...
, in the Western Coastal Plains. It is bordered by the
Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
in the north, the municipalities of Isabela on the east, and Moca and Aguada in the south. The area of the municipality is 35.5 square miles. It is mostly plain, with some notable hills being Jiménez (728 feet) and Viñet (689 feet). It has only one river, the Culebrinas River, Culebrinas, which separates Aguadilla from Aguada. Also, Cedro Creek which separates Aguadilla from Isabela in the north.


Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla is subdivided into Barrios of Puerto Rico, barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as , near the center of the municipality. # Aguacate, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Aguacate # Aguadilla barrio-pueblo # Arenales, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Arenales # Borinquen, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Borinquen # Caimital Alto, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Caimital Alto # Caimital Bajo, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Caimital Bajo # Camaceyes, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Camaceyes # Ceiba Alta, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Ceiba Alta # Ceiba Baja, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Ceiba Baja # Corrales, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Corrales # Guerrero, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Guerrero # Maleza Alta, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Maleza Alta # Maleza Baja, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Maleza Baja # Montaña, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Montaña # Palmar, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Palmar #
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...


Sectors

Barrios (which are roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (which means ''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. 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 Aguadilla: , and .


Temperature of sea


Economy

The city is currently home to a variety of industrial and pharmaceutical plants such sa LifeScan, Symmetricom, Honeywell, and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. Most of them are located at San Antonio Technological Park. The airport has Lufthansa Technik, while others like Suiza Dairy, Lockheed Martin and Productos La Aguadillana are located in Camaseyes Industrial Park. Other industries that are based in Aguadilla are rubber, plastics, leather, textiles, steel, wood, machinery, and food processing. The retail sector is another source of economy in Aguadilla. Shopping malls like Aguadilla Mall, Aguadilla Shopping Center, Aguadilla Town Center, and others are some of the main commercial and retail centers of the city. In 2019, Aguadilla received the City Livability Award from the United States Conference of Mayors and honored the efforts spearheaded by Carlos Méndez Martínez. Specifically mentioned was "Pintalto", a project where Cerro Cabrero area, in the Aguadilla barrio-pueblo, downtown area of Aguadilla was painted in rich, lively colors.


Tourism

Aguadilla is part of the Porta del Sol touristic region in Puerto Rico. The Porta del Sol website highlights Aguadilla's beaches for surfing. According to the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Aguadilla has the most beaches on the island, with nineteen in total. Some of the beaches are considered among the best for surfing, like Surfer's Beach, Gas Chambers, Crash Boat Beach, Crash Boat, Wilderness, among others. Because of this, Aguadilla has served as host to surfing competitions, like the International Surfing Association, ISA World Championship in 1988. Other attractions of the town are Las Cascadas, Las Cascadas Water Park and the Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena, which is the only ice skating complex in the Caribbean.


Landmarks and places of interest

There are nine places in Aguadilla listed on the US National Register of Historic Places: * Old Urban Cemetery * * District Courthouse (Aguadilla, Puerto Rico) * * Punta Borinquen Light * * – Church San Carlos Borromeo * Cardona Residence * López Residence Other places of interest in Aguadilla include: * Aguadilla City Hall – originally built in 1918. Reconstructed after the 1918 San Fermín earthquake, 1918 earthquake. * Banyan Treehouse – wooden house around a banyan tree (none of its parts touch the tree) * , a fountain * Christopher Columbus Monument – a monument which consists of a cross originally made of marble, and had to be rebuilt after the earthquake. * , a park * * Fisherman's Monument * , a square * (The Waterfalls) Water Park (Closed after Hurricane Maria in 2017) * Old Sugar Pier of Aguadilla * * Punta Borinquen Golf Course – an 18-hole golf course, originally built for President Dwight D. Eisenhower. * Punta Borinquen Lighthouse and ruins * Rafael Hernández Monument * Rafael Hernández Square * Ramey Skate Park, a skatepark at the Ramey Military Base * Youth Fountain at Park To stimulate local tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company launched the ''Voy Turistiendo'' ("I'm Touring") campaign in 2021. The campaign featured a passport book with a page for each municipality. The Aguadilla passport page lists Crash Boat Beach, Survival Beach, Rompeolas Beach, and Peña Blanca Beach as places of interest for locals.


Beaches

There are 32 beaches in Aguadilla. Some of the more well-known beaches include: * Balneario Municipal de Aguadilla (GNIS ID 1990599) * Playa La Ruina (GNIS ID 1991881) also called Wilderness Beach or ''Las Ruinas'' ("The Ruins" in English) * Punta Borinquen Beach, Playa Punta Borinquen (GNIS ID 1991891) * Crash Boat Beach * Survival Beach * Surfer's Beach * Rompeolas Beach / Rompeolas Beach North also known as


Culture


Festivals and events

Aguadilla celebrates its Fiestas patronales in Puerto Rico, patron saint festival in October. 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 Aguadilla include: * Velorio de Epiphany (holiday), Reyes – Celebrated mostly in January, they are a religious ceremony held as gratitude to the Biblical Magi, Three Kings for some answered prayer. They usually consist of hymns, prayers, and other religious expressions. * Kite Festival – Held in April, it includes kiosks, music, and kite flying. * Fiestas San Antonio – April * Verbena de Corrales – May * Beach Festival – June * Festival del Tuna, Atún – Celebrated in July, it is a festival dedicated to the fishing of the tuna. * Festival de la Música – July


Sports

Aguadilla is home to several professional and amateur sports teams. The most notable are the Aguadilla Divas of the Female Superior Volleyball League, and the Aguadilla Sharks of the Superior Baseball League (Double-A). The Divas play their home games in the Luis T. Diaz Coliseum, Luis T. Díaz Coliseum in Downtown Aguadilla from January to March, while the Sharks play their home games at Luis A. Canena Marquez Stadium, Luis A. Canena Márquez Stadium from February to May. Aguadilla also had a professional basketball team called the Aguadilla Sharks, that played for the Baloncesto Superior Nacional, BSN league. This team was merged into the Cangrejeros de Santurce (basketball), Cangrejeros de Santurce in 1998. Aguadilla is also a place where many famous baseball players originate from. There are plans for a future ECHL Minor League Hockey franchise for the city.


Communication


Radio

* WABA (AM), WABA WABA La Grande 850AM is located in Aguadilla. * WWNA better known as Radio Una 1340AM is located in Aguadilla. * WVOZ (AM), WVOZ WAPA Radio frequency 1580AM is located in Aguadilla.


Television

* WOLE-TV 12. * WELU is a religious Broadcasting, broadcast company. * WSJP-LD CW 18 is a CW Television Network affiliated station.


Demographics

The 1887 census conducted by Spain showed Aguadilla had a population of 16,140. According to the US 2010 Census, there were 60,949 people in the city. This represents a decrease of more than 3,000 from the 2000 Census. The population density was . The 2020 Census indicated the municipality has 55,101 residents representing a decline of over 5,000 residents. As a whole, Puerto Rico is populated mainly by people from Creole peoples, Creole or Spanish and European descent. Statistics taken from the 2000 census shows that 83.6% of Aguadillanos identify as having Spanish people, Spanish or white people, white origin, 5.0% are black people, black, 0.2% are Amerindian, 0.2% Asian people, Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 8.2% were some other race, and 2.8% two or more races. In March 2012, unemployment was at 16.2%, which is the same percent it was in November 2010.


Religion

Most Aguadillanos are Christians, Christian with a majority being Catholic Church, Roman Catholic. Like most cities in Puerto Rico Aguadilla has their Catholic church located on the main square in their downtown. There is also a significant community of Protestantism, Protestants including Pentecostalism, Pentecostals, Adventism, Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses. Aguadilla has an Islam, Islamic community with and Islamic Center located on Puerto Rico Highway 111, PR-111 in Palmar, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Palmar barrio.


Government


City

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Aguadilla is Julio Roldán Concepción, of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD).


State

Most state agencies are based at the Government Center Building with the exception of the ''Corporación del Seguro del Estado'' (State Insurance Agency) and the ''Centro de Servicios al Conductor'' (Driver's Services Center). Most state agencies left their offices after the Senatorial District was taken away from Aguadilla.


Public safety

Aguadilla has its own police department, ''Aguadilla City Police Department, Policía Municipal Aguadilla'' (Aguadilla City Police Department), located in Aguadilla Pueblo. The A.C.P.D. only has jurisdiction in the municipality of Aguadilla and provide service and protection to local citizens and travelers alike. Aguadilla also hosts the
Puerto Rico Police Department The Puerto Rico Police Department ( es, Policía de Puerto Rico), officially the Puerto Rico Police Bureau, is a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It is a division of the Puerto Rico Department ...
Command for its Region. This region covers Aguada, Aguadilla, Isabela, Moca, Rincón and San Sebastián. It also hosts the PRPD Highway Patrol Division for its region, the FURA Division of the PRPD, the US Army Reserve Center, PR National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Border Patrol. It is also served by another PRPD station in San Antonio Village (Precinct 203 Ramey-San Antonio). The city has a single correctional facility, Guerrero Correctional Institution, operated by the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In recent years, Aguadilla has seen an increase in Type I crimes, which include murder, burglary, and theft.


FBI satellite office

There is an Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI satellite office located in Aguadilla.


Mayors


Senate

The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district IV, which is represented by two Senators. In 2016, Evelyn Vázquez and Luis Daniel Muñiz were elected as District Senators.


Symbols

The municipio has an official flag and coat of arms.


Flag

The flag consists of two horizontal stripes of equal size. The upper one is blue and the lower gold, which are the predominant colors in the shield, which is placed in the center of it.


Coat of arms

Based on a design by Alberto Vadi, the coat of arms was organized by Herman Reichard Esteves and José J. Santa-Pinter under the direction of the Aguadilla municipal administration and was approved by the municipal assembly on June 29, 1972.


Education


Public schools

In all of the island's municipalities, public education is overseen by the Puerto Rico Department of Education. Aguadilla hosts the Head Start (education), Head Start Program for Aguadilla, Aguada, Moca, Rincón, and San Sebastián and a number of private institutions. As of 2018-2019 the following public schools were operational in Aguadilla: # Ana M. Javariz is a rural elementary school located in Urb. El Prado offering grades K-6 with about 215 students. # Antonio Badillo Hernández is a rural, elementary school located in Montaña offering grades K–6 with about 327 students. # Homero Rivera Sola is a rural elementary school located in Corrales barrio offering grades K–6 with about 153 students. # José de Diego is a rural elementary school located in Res. José de Diego offering grades K–6 with about 242 students. # Luis Muñoz Rivera is a rural elementary school located in Camaseyes barrio offering grades K–6 with about 206 students. # Antonio Badillo Hernandez is a rural intermediate school located in Montaña barrio offering grades 7–9 with about 336 students. # Ester Feliciano Mendoza is a rural intermediate school offering grades 6–8 with about 416 students. # Benito Cerezo Vázquez is a rural high school located in Borinquen barrio offering grades 10–12 with about 435 students. # Juan Suárez Pelegrina is a rural high school located in Montaña barrio offering grades 10–12 with about 715 students. # Salvador Fuentes is a rural high school located in Ramey base offering grades 10–12 with about 288 students. # Centro de Adiestramiento y Bellas Artes (CABA) is a school that specializes in the arts located in Ramey base. In 2016, it served about 500 students. # Su Conchita Igartua de Suárez is a rural elementary school offering grades PreK–8, with about 768 students.


Higher education

Aguadilla hosts the following universities: * Puerto Rico Aviation Maintenance Institute * Aeronautical and Aerospace Institute of Puerto Rico (AAIPR) * University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla * Ana G. Méndez University#Metropolitan University, Metropolitan University, Aguadilla Campus * Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Aguadilla Campus * Automeca Technical College * Puerto Rico Criminal Justice College, Aguadilla Campus (Puerto Rico Police Academy) Ramey Job Corps also serves those who want to attain a higher education.


Aguadilla Library System

There is a library in San Antonio Village and another in Aguadilla barrio-pueblo, downtown Aguadilla (Aguadilla barrio-pueblo).


Health

There are two major medical facilities in Aguadilla. * Hospital Buen Samaritano (Good Samaritan Hospital) * Aguadilla Medical Services * Sala de Urgencias San Francisco (road#2) * Metro Pavia Clinic Aguadilla


Transportation


Air

Rafael Hernández Airport is located in the city of Aguadilla. In recent years, it has seen a resurgence as an international airport in the island, with several airlines planning flights to the Contiguous United States, US from Aguadilla.


Roads

Interstate Interstate Highways in Puerto Rico, PR-2 (Rafael Henández Highway). Plans are underway for a new expressway, an expansion to existing Puerto Rico Highway 22 (José de Diego Expressway) from Hatillo, Puerto Rico, Hatillo and it will probably end at Puerto Rico Highway 111. There are 13 bridges in Aguadilla.


Notable people from Aguadilla


Gallery

Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, near Schoolyards Beach.jpg, Near Schoolyards Beach Aguadilla city hall.jpg, Aguadilla City Hall Aguadilla Banyan Treehouse.jpg, Banyan Treehouse Aguadilla Campanitas de Cristal Fountain.jpg, Campanitas de Cristal Fountain Aguadilla Cathedral San Carlos.jpg, Roman Catholic Parish Church San Carlos Borromeo Aguadilla Columbus Cross.jpg, Columbus Cross Aguadilla El Merendero.jpg, El Merendero Aguadilla El Parterre.jpg, El Parterre Aguadilla Fisherman's Monument.jpg, Fisherman's Monument Aguadilla Jardin del Atlántico Square.jpg, Jardín del Atlántico Sq. Aguadilla Paseo Miguel Garcia Mendez.jpg, Paseo Miguel García Méndez Aguadilla Punta Borinquen Golf Course.jpg, Punta Borinquen Golf Course Aguadilla Punta Borinquen Lighthouse.jpg, Punta Borinquen Lighthouse Aguadilla Punta Borinquen Lighthouse Ruins.jpg, Punta Borinquen Lighthouse Ruins Aguadilla Rafael Hernández Monument.jpg, Rafael Hernández Monument Aguadilla Old Courthouse.jpg, Old Courthouse Aguadilla Board Walk.jpg, Boardwalk Aguadilla Crash Boat Beach.jpg, Crash Boat Beach Cerro Echevarría Sector, Aguadilla barrio-pueblo.jpg, Cerro Echevarría Sector, Aguadilla barrio-pueblo Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena.jpg, Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena


See also

*History of Puerto Rico *List of Puerto Ricans *National Register of Historic Places listings in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico


References


External links


Aguadilla and its barrios, United States Census Bureau

Official Government Page of Municipality of Aguadilla

Aguadilla.com – Portada

Mi Aguadillita Querida

Welcome to Puerto Rico! Aguadilla

Map of Aguadilla Puerto Rico

Porta del Sol: Aguadilla
{{Authority control Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, * Municipalities of Puerto Rico Aguadilla–Isabela–San Sebastián metropolitan area Populated places established in 1775 1775 establishments in the Spanish West Indies 1770s in Puerto Rico