Portmore () is a large urban settlement located along the southeastern coast of

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

in Saint Catherine, and a dormitory community for

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the six most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

and

Spanish Town Spanish Town (Jamaican Patois: Spain) is the capital and the largest town in the Parishes of Jamaica, parish of St. Catherine, Jamaica, St. Catherine in the historic county of Middlesex, Jamaica, Middlesex, Jamaica. It was the Spanish and Briti ...

, which neighbour it. On February 11, 2025 the Jamaican House of Representatives voted that Portmore be designated the 15th parish in Jamaica. This parliamentary action was ratified in the senate on February 28, 2025.

Geography

Portmore is on the south coast in the Parish of St. Catherine. It is approximately 15 miles south-west of the capital of Kingston. It is divided into two regions, the plains to the north and the limestone hills of Hellshire to the south. The most densely populated areas are located on low-lying reclaimed lands. Portmore consists of communities such as Old Portmore, Greater Portmore, Braeton and Hellshire. Portmore is one of the largest urban areas in St. Catherine with respect to human settlement, having a population 156,468(2001 census) and an annual growth rate of 4% since 1991. Greater Portmore is the largest housing development in the English-speaking Caribbean. Portmore is built on a generally flat plain facing

Kingston Harbour Kingston Harbour in Jamaica is the seventh-largest natural harbour in the world. It is an almost landlocked area of water approximately long by wide. Most of it is deep enough to accommodate large ships, even close to shore. It is bordered to th ...

with an intricate canal system which prevents flooding. Much of the land is reclaimed swamp. Port Henderson Hill, formerly known as Salt Pond Hill, is visible from neighbouring parishes and was a possible

Arawak The Arawak are a group of Indigenous peoples of northern South America and of the Caribbean. The term "Arawak" has been applied at various times to different Indigenous groups, from the Lokono of South America to the Taíno (Island Arawaks), w ...

grave site because the Arawak buried their dead in caverns, which Port Henderson Hill is riddled with. The most famous cave is named "Twin Sisters". Formed through the amalgamation of various communities the city encompasses areas like Greater Portmore and even iconic destinations like Hellshire Beach. Some of the communities within Portmore include: * Christian Gardens * Caymanas Estate-Christian Pen * Gregory Park * Waterford * Portsmouth * Passage Fort * Independent City * Meadowvale * Cedar Grove * West Cumberland * Cumberland * Westchester * Port Henderson-Fort Augusta * Silverstone * Portmore Pines * Newland * Naggo Head * Southborough * Westmeade * Bridgeport * Edgewater * Bayside * Braeton * Caribbean Estates * Old Braeton * Monza * Daytona * Ascot * Epsom * Kensington * West Aintree * Belmont Park * West Queens Park * East Queens Park * East Chedwin * East Sabina * West Sabina * Hellshire

History

Portmore began as a large area for schematic residential development in the late 1960s,A short history of Portmore
, page 2. as the West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON) organization built thousands of prototype housing units in an effort to alleviate the over-population of Kingston; the first was called Independence City. It has since grown into a suburban city to Kingston; its large population travels into Kingston daily for work, schooling, and many other essential services via the Portmore toll road. Portmore was granted

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' ...

status in 2003 and has its own city council and mayor, following the British-based model of Jamaican local government. It now houses approximately 10% of the population of the Kingston Corporate Area. Currently the mayor of Portmore is His Worship the Mayor Leon Thomas. On February, 2025 the House of Representatives approved a legislative reform which allowed Portmore to obtain the status of Parish.

Greater Portmore

Greater Portmore, in St. Catherine, Jamaica, was developed in the early 1990s to address Kingston's housing crisis. Funded by the San Jose Accord, a Jamaica-Venezuela agreement, it used oil purchase loans to build 10,000 of 14,000 planned housing units in 1991, the largest in the English Speaking Caribbean. Michael Manley, Prime Minister then, secured the Accord, aligning with his social justice goals. The project reclaimed swamp land with canals to prevent flooding. It has amenities like malls and a library, remaining a key housing achievement.

Economy

While Portmore is not marketed as a tourist destination for the millions of incoming travelers to Jamaica every year, there are many places for entertainment, eating, relaxing and enjoyment such as beaches, restaurants, hotels and much more.

Transportation

Portmore is served by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company Limited (JUTC) which provides bus transportation for Portmore residents both locally and into Kingston and Spanish Town. The Portmore Toll Road is the major commuter Highway which connects the city of Kingston and the town, Portmore, via the Hunts Bay Bridge, and Portmore to the old capital of Spanish Town with three lanes in each direction and a speed limit of . The city is served by the

Norman Manley International Airport Norman Manley International Airport , formerly Palisadoes Airport, is an international airport serving Kingston, Jamaica, and is located south of the island away from the centre of New Kingston. It is the second busiest airport in the country ...

with over 130 flights weekly.

Sport

Portmore has a professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team that plays in the top flight Jamaica National Premier League. It was originally Hazard United from

May Pen May Pen is the capital and largest town in the parish of Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, Clarendon in Middlesex County, Jamaica, Middlesex County, Jamaica. It is located on the Rio Minho river, and is a major market centre for the parish. The popula ...

but following its relocation is now called Portmore United F.C. Since 2020, the tightly contested football match known as the Portmore derby involving Portmore United F.C. and Dunbeholden F.C. Horse Racing is popular and all major horse races are run at

Caymanas Park Caymanas Park is Jamaica's only race track.
, Caymanas Track Limited. It was historically a

located in north Portmore.

Notable people

Vybz Kartel Adidja Azim Palmer (born 7 January 1976), better known as Vybz Kartel, is a Jamaican dancehall Toasting (Jamaican music), deejay. Among his various nicknames, he is referred to as Worl' Boss, Teacha and King of Dancehall. As summarized by ''Roll ...

(born 1976), dancehall singer and deejay *

Spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...

(born 1982), dancehall singer and deejay *

Popcaan Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican Toasting (Jamaican music), deejay. In 2008, Popcaan joined Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Cl ...

(born 1988), dancehall singer and songwriter *

Floyd West Floyd West (born 13 December 1980), also known as the Pied Piper, is a contemporary reggae roots singer and songwriter from Jamaica. Born and raised in Portmore Saint Catherine, Floyd started music from an early age singing in a church choir. He ...

(born 1980), contemporary Reggae roots singer and songwriter

References

External links

Aerial view

Portmore Jamaica information

{{Settlements in Jamaica Populated places established in the 1960s Populated coastal places in Jamaica