Arecibo Municipio Autónomo de Arecibo
Municipality
From top, left to right: Town square and cathedral, Old Tanamá Masonic Lodge, Oliver Building, and city hall in Arecibo Pueblo; Arecibo Observatory
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  "La Villa del Capitán Correa", "Muy Leal", "Ciudad del Cetí", "Diamante del Norte" (Diamond of the North)
Anthem: "Arecibo"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Arecibo Municipality
Coordinates: 18°22′30″N 66°37′30″W / 18.37500°N 66.62500°W / 18.37500; -66.62500
Sovereign state	United States
Commonwealth	Puerto Rico
Founded	May 1, 1616
Barrios	19 barrios Arecibo barrio-pueblo Arenalejos Arrozal Cambalache Carreras Domingo Ruíz Dominguito Esperanza Factor Garrochales Hato Abajo Hato Arriba Hato Viejo Islote Miraflores Río Arriba Sabana Hoyos Santana Tanamá
Government
• Mayor	Carlos (Tito) Ramírez Irizarry (PPD)
• Senatorial dist.	3 – Arecibo
• Representative dist.	13, 14
Area [1]
• Municipality	171.22 sq mi (443.5 km2)
• Land	125.99 sq mi (326.3 km2)
• Water	45.23 sq mi (117.1 km2)
Elevation	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2020)[2]
• Municipality	87,754
• Rank	7th in Puerto Rico
• Density	510/sq mi (200/km2)
• Metro	182,705 (MSA)
• Racial groups (2010 Census)[3]	85.5% White 5.1% Black 0.5% American Indian 0.2% Asian 8.6% mixed or other
Demonym	Arecibeños
Time zone	UTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Codes	00612, 00613, 00614, 00616, 00652, 00688
Area code	787/939
Major routes

Arecibo (/ˌærəˈsiːboʊ/; Spanish pronunciation: [aɾeˈsiβo]) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about 50 miles (80 km) west of San Juan, the capital city. Arecibo is the largest municipality in Puerto Rico by area, and it is the core city of the Arecibo Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the greater San Juan–Bayamón, PR Combined Statistical Area.^[4] It is spread over 18 barrios and Arecibo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). Its population in 2020 was 87,754.

The Arecibo Observatory, which housed the Arecibo telescope, the world's largest radio telescope until July 2016, is located in the municipality. The Arecibo telescope collapsed on December 1, 2020. Arecibo is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Arecibo.

Etymology and nicknames

The name Arecibo comes from the Taíno chief Xamaica Arasibo, cacique of the yucayeque (Taíno settlement) of Abacoa where the Spanish town of Arecibo was settled in 1556. The word Arasibo itself most likely comes from the Taíno words ara, possibly meaning or related to "people", and siba, most likely meaning "rock" or "stone". This name also lends itself to the name of the river which flows through the municipality into the Atlantic Ocean.^[5]

Some of the city's nicknames are: Villa del Capitán Correa ("Villa of Captain Correa"), after Captain Antonio de los Reyes Correa, a Spanish soldier who famously and successfully defended the city from a British invasion; La Muy Leal ("the very loyal ") after the title often granted to Spanish colonial cities; and Diamante del Norte ("Diamond of the North") due to the city's location in the northern coast of the island.^[6]

History

When the Spanish arrived, they found the area occupied by the indigenous Taíno, led by Xamaica Arasibo, Cacique (chief) of the yucayeque (town) then named Abacoa.^[7][8]

Spanish colonists settled Arecibo in 1556, which they named for the cacique. It was their fourth settlement on the island, after Caparra (which later became San Juan), San German, and Coamo.^[9] Arecibo was officially founded as a town^[10] by the Spanish crown on May 1, 1616, under the governorship of Captain Felipe de Beaumont y Navarra, when the King of Spain granted the land (and the Taino living there) to Lope Conchillos.^[7]

For some time the island was competed for by other European powers. On August 5, 1702, Captain Antonio de los Reyes Correa, a member of the Spanish Army, successfully defended Arecibo from a British Navy invasion led by rear-admiral William Whetstone. Commanding two British Navy ships and 40 men, Whetstone tried to take control of the city. Correa ambushed his forces, killing 22 British seamen and driving them off. The Spanish defenders suffered only one death and three wounded soldiers. This gave the city its nickname The Village of Captain Correa (La Villa del Capitan Correa)

In 1778, Arecibo, by royal decree, was awarded the "Villa" status, though it was not integrated as such until 1802. In 1850 it was awarded the "Muy Leal" (very loyal) title.^[11] Over time, large part of its territory became separate municipalities. These include Manati, Barceloneta, Florida, Utuado, Jayuya, Hatillo, Camuy, Quebradillas and Isabela. In 1982, it was promoted to city status, though it continued to be known by its previous nickname.

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, triggered extensive flooding, and damage to infrastructure with over 3,000 people losing their homes. Two hospitals were damaged and the hurricane caused deaths as well.^[12]

Geography

Arecibo is located in the Northern Coastal Plain region of Puerto Rico, extending inland into the Northern Karst region. It lies on the Atlantic Ocean; north of Utuado; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. The city occupies an area of 127 square miles (330 km²), of which, 45.23 sq mi (117.1 km²), is water.^[13][14]

The Rio Grande de Arecibo is the main river in the municipality, running through the middle of it. South of the municipality, in the karst region, it forms the Dos Bocas Lake, a primary source of water for Northern Puerto Rico. Several rivers feed the Rio Grande, including the Tanama River. Caño Santiago is an artificial canal created in the 19th century by partially diverting the Tanama River's waters tobarrios a small temporary stream, to supply water to poor neighborhoods in Arecibo, discharging into the Arecibo River near its own mouth. In the 1950s it was modified to pass slightly more south of the city center. Poor maintenance, sediment and pollution has turned the canal once again into a temporary stream. East of the river lies Caño Tiburones, an important marshland area that provides habitat for many kinds of birds and wildlife.

Arecibo has two forest reserves. Cambalache State Forest is located along the Barceloneta municipal limits, while Rio Abajo State Forest is located between Arecibo and Utuado. Caves include Cueva Ventana, which overlooks the valley formed by the Rio Grande de Arecibo, and Cueva del Indio (Cave of the Indian), where paintings made by prehistoric indigenous peoples have been seen.

Environmental impact studies have been done to consider remedies for flooding that often occurs in Arecibo.^[15]

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Arecibo is subdivided into barrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a small barrio referred to as "el pueblo", near the center of the municipality.^[16][17]

Sectors

Barrios (which for US census purposes, are like minor civil divisions)^[18] in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (sectors in English). The types of sectores may vary, from normally sector to urbanización to reparto to barriada to residencial, among others.^[19][20][21]

Special Communities

Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (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 Arecibo: Animas – Factor 1, Sector Los Muertos in Arrozal, Sector El Jobo in Rio Arriba, Sector El Valle in Rio Arriba, Buenos Aires (Magallanes), Calichoza, Canta Gallo, Carreras, Cruz Roja, El Cerro – Factor 1, Abra San Francisco, El Vigía, Esperanza (Cienagueta), La Planta, Palo Blanco, and Sector Carolina in Sabana Hoyos.^[22]

Climate

Tropical monsoon climate, occasionally also known as a tropical wet climate or tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate in climate classification, is a relatively rare type of climate. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Am". (Tropical Monsoon Climate).^[23]