Humacao () is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

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' ...

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 ...

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 downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The region of what is now Humacao belonged to the

Taíno The Taíno are the Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, Indigenous peoples of the Greater Antilles and surrounding islands. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the principal inhabitants of most of what is now The ...

region of Humaka, which covered a portion of the southeast coast of Puerto Rico. The region was led by cacique

Jumacao Jumacao a.k.a. Jumaca (born ''c''. 1480s) was the Taíno people, Taíno Cacique (Chief) of the area in Puerto Rico named after him (now spelt Humacao, Puerto Rico, Humacao). Before and after the arrival of the Conquistadors The Taínos, who lived ...

(also referred to as "Macao"). The Taíno settlement was located on the shores of what is called now the Humacao River. It is believed that the Taíno chief Jumacao was the first "cacique" to learn to read and write in Spanish, since he wrote a letter to the

King of Spain The monarchy of Spain or Spanish monarchy () is the constitutional form of government of Spain. It consists of a Hereditary monarchy, hereditary monarch who reigns as the head of state, being the highest office of the country. The Spanish ...

Charles I complaining about how the Governor of the island wasn't complying with their peace agreement. In the letter, Jumacao argued that their people were virtually prisoners of Spain. It is said that King Charles was so moved by the letter that he ordered the Governor to obey the terms of the treaty."El agua del paraíso (Spanish Edition)"; by: Benito Pastoriza Iyodo; Publisher: Xlibris (April 21, 2008); ; During the early 16th century, the region was populated by cattle ranchers. However, since most of them officially resided in

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 ...

, a settlement was never officially organized. At the beginning of the 18th century, specifically around 1721–1722, the first official settlement was constituted in the area. Most of the residents at the time were immigrants from the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; ) or Canaries are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean and the southernmost Autonomous communities of Spain, Autonomous Community of Spain. They are located in the northwest of Africa, with the closest point to the cont ...

, but due to attacks from Caribs,

pirates Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

, and other settlers, some of them moved farther into the island in what is now Las Piedras. Still, some settlers remained and by 1776, historian

Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra (1745–1813), born in Estadilla, Spain, was a Benedictine monk and the first historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concer ...

visited the area and wrote about the population there. By 1793, the church was recognized as parish and the settlement was officially recognized as town. By 1894, Humacao was recognized as a city. Due to its thriving population, buildings and structures like a hospital, a theater, and a prison were built in the city. In 1899, after the United States invasion of the island as a result of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

, the municipality of Las Piedras was annexed to Humacao. This lasted until 1914, when the

Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico () is the territorial legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, responsible for the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. The Assembly is a bicameral legislature consisting of an uppe ...

voted on splitting both towns again. Puerto Rico was ceded by

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in the aftermath of the

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, was signed by Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States on December 10, 1898, and marked the end of the ...

and became a territory of 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 ...

. 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, als ...

conducted a

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Humacao was 14,313. Humacao was led by mayor Marcelo Trujillo Panisse for over a decade. A basketball star in his early years, Trujillo has pushed for the development of infrastructure facilities for sports and the fine arts in the city. In March 2008, a new

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

diocese was established as the

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 ...

-Humacao diocese. Its first bishop is Monsignor Eusebio 'Chebito' Ramos Morales, a maunabeño who was rector of the Humacao's main parish in the 1990s. In 2019, Luis Raul Sanchez became interim mayor of Humacao after Marcelo Trujillo Panisse died in September 2019. On September 20, 2017

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that affected the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, which accounted for 2,975 of the 3,059 deaths. It is the ...

struck Puerto Rico. Punta Santiago in Humacao saw a six-foot storm surge. The hurricane caused destruction of homes and infrastructure.

Geography

Humacao is located in the southeast coast of

. It is bordered by the municipalities of Naguabo to the north, Yabucoa to the south, and Las Piedras to the west. The Atlantic Ocean borders the city in the east. Humacao is located in the region of the Eastern Coastal Plains, with most of its territory being flat. There are minor elevations to the southwest, like Candelero Hill, and northwest, like Mabú. Humacao's territory covers 45 square miles (117 km²). Two islands belong to Humacao:

Cayo Santiago Cayo Santiago, also known as Santiago Island, Isla de los monos (or Island of the monkeys), is located at , to the east of Punta Santiago, Humacao, Puerto Rico. It is known as the home to approximately 1800 rhesus macaque monkeys, who have bee ...

and Cayo Batata.

Water features

Humacao's hydrographic system consists of many rivers and creeks like Humacao, Antón Ruíz, and Candelero. Some of its creeks are Frontera, Mariana, and Del Obispo, among many others. In 2019, updated flood zone maps show that Humacao is extremely vulnerable to flooding, along with Toa Baja, Rincón, Barceloneta, and Corozal. Located where most cyclones enter the island, Humacao is one of the most vulnerable areas of Puerto Rico. Humacao was working on flood mitigation plans and shared that its barrios located on the coast; Antón Ruíz, Punta Santiago,

Río Abajo Río Abajo is a Corregimientos of Panama, corregimiento within Panama City, in Panamá District, Panamá Province, Panama with a population of 26,607 as of 2010. Its population as of 1990 was 33,155; its population as of 2000 was 28,714. It is ...

, Buena Vista and Candelero Abajo barrios, are extremely vulnerable to flooding and destruction.

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Humacao is subdivided into 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. # Antón Ruíz # Buena Vista # Candelero Abajo # Candelero Arriba # Cataño # Collores # Humacao barrio-pueblo # Mabú # Mambiche # Mariana # Punta Santiago #

# Tejas

Sectors

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions) and subbarrios, are further subdivided into smaller areas called (''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. In the EU context, the Euro ...

. 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 Humacao: Antón Ruiz, Obrera neighborhood, Cotto Mabú-Fermina, Buena Vista, Parcelas Aniseto Cruz in Candelero Abajo, Parcelas Martínez in Candelero Abajo, Cataño, Punta Santiago, Verde Mar, and Cangrejos.

Demographics

Tourism

To stimulate local tourism, the

Puerto Rico Tourism Company The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (, or simply ''Turismo'') is the government-owned corporation in charge of tourism matters and regulations in Puerto Rico. The company was created during Governor Luis A. Ferré's administration (1969-1973) to coo ...

launched the ''Voy Turistiendo'' ("I'm Touring") campaign, with a passport book and website. The Humacao page lists , its

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 ...

with historic architecture, and its cuisine, specifically , as places and things of interest. Palmasdelmarplaya

According to a news article by Primera Hora, there are 8 beaches in Humacao including . Beach in Humacao is considered a dangerous beach due to its strong currents. Due to its location on the coast and relative short distance from the capital, Humacao is a frequent stop for tourists. One of the most notable tourist mainstays is the Palmas del Mar resort, which is Puerto Rico's largest resort. This mega-resort is composed of over of land and occupies the entire southeastern portion of Humacao. The resort contains tennis courts, two world-class golf courses, beach access, several restaurants and a riding center. Aside from the beaches at the Palmas del Mar resort, Humacao has other beaches. The most popular ones are Punta Santiago, Buena Vista, Punta Candelero, and El Morrillo. The Candelero Beach Resort, built in 1973, with its 107 rooms, 25 which are suites, was purchased and revitalized by the Suarez family. The Astronomical Observatory at the

University of Puerto Rico at Humacao The University of Puerto Rico-Humacao (, UPRH or UPR-Humacao) is a public college in Humacao, Puerto Rico. It is part of the University of Puerto Rico. Its campus is home to the UPRH Astronomical Observatory and the college graduates more majors ...

, Casa Roig, the Guzmán Ermit, the Humacao Wildlife Refuge, and the Church Dulce Nombre de Jesús may be classed as other places of interest. In the 1980s, the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources established the Humacao Nature Reserve (also called the Punta Santiago Nature Reserve) in the municipality. The Palmas del Mar Tropical Forest is also located in Humacao.

Economy

Burlington in Humacao employs under 100 people and reopened its doors in March 2019. The store had been shuttered since

destroyed it on September 19, 2017.

Culture

Festivals and events

Humacao celebrates its

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

festival in December. The is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. The ''

Breadfruit Breadfruit (''Artocarpus altilis'') is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family ( Moraceae) believed to have been selectively bred in Polynesia from the breadnut ('' Artocarpus camansi''). Breadfruit was spread into ...

Festival'' (''Festival de la Pana'') is celebrated during the first weekend of September. It is organized by the ''Mariana's Recreational and Cultural Association'' (ARECMA), a community organization of the Mariana barrio. Its main theme is about the preparation of dishes whose main ingredient is breadfruit. Typical Puerto Rican music, crafts and foods as well as other cultural and sports activities can also be enjoyed. Most years it has been held at one of the highest elevations within the sector with views to Humacao, Las Piedras, Naguabo,

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 ...

and Yabucoa. is an urban art festival held in November. Other festivals and events celebrated in Humacao include: * Three Kings’ Day- January * Festival of the Cross – May * Flat-bottom Boat Festival – June *

Saint Cecilia Saint Cecilia (), also spelled Cecelia, was a Roman Christian virgin martyr, who is venerated in Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Church, Orthodox, Anglican Communion, Anglican, and some Lutheran churches, such as the Church of Sweden. She became the ...

Festival (patron saint of musicians) – November * Catholic Church Community Festival – December

Sports

The ''Grises'' basketball team ('' Humacao Grays''), founded in 2005, belongs to Puerto Rico's National Superior Basketball league. In 2010, they changed their name to the

Caciques de Humacao Caciques de Humacao was a professional basketball team based in Humacao, Puerto Rico Humacao () is a Humacao barrio-pueblo, city and Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in Puerto Rico located in the eastern coast of the island, north ...

. They play at the new Humacao Coliseum. The ''Grises'' is also a Double A class amateur baseball team that has won one championship (1951) and four time runners-up in (1950, 1960, 1965 and 1967).

Government

All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Humacao is former Senator Rosamar Trujillo Plumey, of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD). She was first elected at the 2024 general elections. Trujillo Plumey is the daughter of Marcelo Trujillo, a former mayor of Humacao from 2001 until his death in 2019. The city belongs to the Puerto Rico Senatorial district VII, which is represented by two Senators. In 2024, Wanda Soto Tolentino and Luis Daniel Colón La Santa were elected as District Senators.

FBI satellite office

There is an

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic Intelligence agency, intelligence and Security agency, security service of the United States and Federal law enforcement in the United States, its principal federal law enforcement ag ...

satellite office located in Humacao.

Healthcare

Humacao has three secondary care hospitals HIMA-San Pablo Humacao, Menonita (Hospital Oriente), and Ryder Memorial Hospital.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

It consists of three horizontal stripes: gold that stands for Chief Jumacao's crown, red that symbolizes the coat of arms and the green that represents the arrows used by the Taínos.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms mainly consists of two colors, gold and green but also has gules. The gold represents the sun, Humacao is located in the island were the sun rises. Green symbolizes the native Indian heritage as well as the natural tropical valley where the city is located. The shield itself represents Humacao's native and Indian name origin. The coat of arms was designed by Roberto Brascochea Lota in 1975 and approved by Humacao on November 13, 1975.

Transportation

Humacao's airport is no longer used for daily flights to

and Culebra as it was in the past. It is now used for private flights. Humacao is served by two freeways and one tolled expressway, therefore is one of a few cities in Puerto Rico with good access. Puerto Rico Highway 30, ''Autopista Cruz Ortiz Stella'', serves as the main highway coming from the west (

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 ...

, Las Piedras), while

Puerto Rico Highway 53 Puerto Rico Highway 53 (PR-53) or unsigned Interstate PR3 is a main tollway that is parallel to Puerto Rico Highway 3, which goes from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Fajardo to Salinas, Puerto Rico, Salinas. Some segments are still in planning, but when ...

serves from the north (

, Naguabo) and south ( Yabucoa). Puerto Rico Highway 60, the ''Carretera Dionisio Casillas'', is a short freeway located entirely in Humacao, and has exits serving downtown Humacao and Anton Ruiz. Puerto Rico Highway 3, the main highway bordering the east coastline of Puerto Rico from

, passes through Humacao and has its only alt route in the town, known locally as the ''Bulevar del Rio'' (River Boulevard) where it has access to the main judiciary center of the city, as well as a future theatre that is being built, the ''Centro de Bellas Artes de Humacao'' (Humacao Fine Arts Center). The alt route allows people to pass by the downtown area, as PR-3 enters into the downtown and business center of the town. Puerto Rico Highway 908 is another important highway, which begins at PR-3 and intersects PR-30 and has access to the

, as well as some main schools in the municipality. Humacao, together with San Juan and Salinas, is one of three municipalities in Puerto Rico that has

controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

s leaving its boundaries in all directions (in this case north to Naguabo and south to Yabucoa via

PR-53 Puerto Rico Highway 53 (PR-53) or unsigned Interstate PR3 is a main tollway that is parallel to Puerto Rico Highway 3, which goes from Fajardo to Salinas. Some segments are still in planning, but when finished it will be about in length. Two ...

and west to Las Piedras via PR-30) There are 68 bridges in Humacao.

Education

There are various elementary and high school facilities, three of which were recognized by the Middle States Association of Secondary Schools and each has its own

National Honor Society The National Honor Society (NHS) is one of the oldest, largest, and most widely recognized cocurricular student organizations in American high schools, with 1.4 million members. The purpose of the NHS is to create enthusiasm for scholarship, to ...

chapters. These include Colegio San Antonio Abad, founded in 1957 and operated by the

Benedictine The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

s of the Abadía San Antonio Abad. The

, formerly the CUH, educates over 4,000 students and is well known for its sciences, producing many of the island's most skilled microbiologists, marine biologists, wildlife biologists and chemists at the undergraduate level. It also manages an astronomical observatory where many tourists and locals come visit and view the stars and planets and the ''Museo Casa Roig'' where arts expositions and cultural events are celebrated.

Notable natives and residents

Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. With a career spanning eight decades she is known for her roles on stage and screen, and is one of the last remaining stars from t ...

, Academy Award-winning actress * Edwin Núñez, professional baseball player * Luis Rafael Sánchez, novelist and author * Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, member of the

Chicago City Council The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the Law and government of Chicago, government of the Chicago, City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 Wards of the United States, wards to serve four-year t ...

* Eddie Miró, TV personality *

Julio M. Fuentes Julio Manuel Fuentes (born February 16, 1946) is a Senior United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Fuentes is the first Hispanic judge to serve on the Third Circuit. Early life and education Fu ...

, US Circuit Court judge *

Tito Rojas Julio César "Tito" Rojas López (June 14, 1955 – December 26, 2020), also known as "El Gallo Salsero", was a Puerto Rican salsa singer and songwriter. Early years Tito Rojas was born and raised in the town of Humacao, Puerto Rico, which is ...

, salsa singer *

Adamari López Adamari López Torres (born May 18, 1971) is a Puerto Rican actress known for participating in several Puerto Rican and Mexican soap operas. She was a host on the Telemundo morning show '' Hoy Día'' and its predecessor ''Un Nuevo Día'' for 1 ...

, actress * Papulin Moyett, periodista y locutor de radio * Jaquira Díaz, author, journalist *

Cosculluela José Fernando Cosculluela Suárez (born October 15, 1980) is a Puerto Rican rapper, singer and songwriter. In 2018, he was caught up in a controversy after fellow rapper Anuel AA released a diss track. Early life and education Cosculluela ...

, rapper, songwriter * Eladio Carrión, rapper, songwriter *

, Taino Cacique * Benito Pastoriza Iyodo, poet, narrator, and essayist * Carlos Ponce, actor * Luis Antonio "Yoyo Boing" Rivera, actor and comedian *

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is a co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer; a member of the supergroup LSD (group), ...

,comedian * Jerry Rivera, singer and dancer * Junior Ortiz, former Major League Baseball player * Raul Casanova, former Major League Baseball player * Rafael Orellano, former professional baseball player * Jantony Ortiz, professional boxer * José Estrada Jr., former professional wrestler *Ana Otero, Pianist, composer, arranger, conductor, activist. * Jon Z, rapper, songwriter * Luis Enrique Juliá, composer *

Yomo Jose Alberto Torres Abreu (born June 17, 1980 in Chicago), known professionally as Yomo, is an American reggaeton Reggaeton (, ) is a modern style of popular music, popular and electronic music that originated in Panamanian reggaetón, Pa ...

, rapper, singer

Gallery

File:Moon jellyfish off the coast of Humacao, Puerto Rico.jpg, Moon jellyfish off the coast of Humacao File:View of Vieques Island from Humacao, Puerto Rico.jpg, View of Vieques Island from Humacao File:Centro de Arte Angel “Lito” Peña Plaza en Humacao, Puerto Rico.jpg, The in 2020, which used to be the or town hall of Humacao is on the US National Register of Historic Places. File:A beach in Humacao, Puerto Rico.jpg, A beach in Humacao File:Fishing from a pier in Humacao, Puerto Rico.jpg, Fishing from a pier in Humacao File:Large planter and buildings in Humacao barrio-pueblo, Puerto Rico.jpg, Large planter in Humacao barrio-pueblo File:Palmas del Mar beach - Humacao Puerto Rico.jpg, Palmas del Mar Beach File:Plaza de recreo de Humacao, Puerto Rico.jpg, Square in the Pueblo of Humacao File:Underwater scene off the coast of Humacao, Puerto Rico.jpg, Underwater scene off the coast of Humacao

References

External links

Humacao and its barrios, United States Census Bureau
*
Victoria840 news station in Humacao
{{Authority control Municipalities of Puerto Rico Populated places established in 1722 San Juan–Caguas–Guaynabo metropolitan area