Toa Baja Municipio Autónomo de Toa Baja | |
|---|---|
Town andMunicipality | |
 Punta Salinas Beach in Toa Baja | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Nicknames: Ciudad de los Valles del Toa, Ciudad Bajo Aguas, Los Llaneros | |
| Anthem:"Mi Pueblo Es Toa Baja" | |
 Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Toa Baja Municipality | |
| Coordinates:18°26′38″N66°15′35″W / 18.44389°N 66.25972°W /18.44389; -66.25972 | |
| Sovereign state |  United States |
| Commonwealth |  Puerto Rico |
| Settled | 1745 |
| Founded | January 18, 1784 |
| Barrios | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Bernardo Márquez García (PNP) |
| • Senatorial dist. | 2 - Bayamón |
| • Representative dist. | 10 |
| Area | |
• Total | 41.7 sq mi (108.0 km2) |
| • Land | 23.16 sq mi (59.99 km2) |
| • Water | 18.54 sq mi (48.01 km2) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
• Total | 75,243 |
| • Rank | 8th in Puerto Rico |
| • Density | 1,800/sq mi (700/km2) |
| Demonym | Toabajeños |
| Time zone | UTC−4 (AST) |
| ZIP Codes | 00949, 00950, 00951, 00952 |
| Area code | 787/939 |
| Major routes |      |
| Website | www |
Toa Baja (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈtoaˈβaxa]) is atown andmunicipality ofPuerto Rico located in the northern coast, north ofToa Alta andBayamón; east ofDorado; and west ofCataño. Toa Baja is spread over five barrios, includingToa Baja Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). Toa Baja is part of theSan Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area. Toa Baja is located fifteen minutes by car fromSan Juan and two hours fromPonce.
The region of what is now Toa Baja belonged to theTaíno region of Toa and Bayamón, which was located on the north coast of Puerto Rico.[2] The regions were led by cacique Aramana and Majagua respectively. During theSpanish colonization, a farm was settled in the region around 1511 where Spanish settlers tried to learn from the Taínos how to grow fruits and vegetables. Some of the families who settled in the region were Marrero, Salgado, and Martínez, from theCanary Islands.[3]
In 1745, the town was officially organized, with the parish being built in 1749. It was dedicated to Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception). It is said that in 1776 there were six cattle ranches and 12 sugar caneestates in the region. However, rises in the flow of nearby rivers were problematic for the population. Because of this, in 1841 a group of residents requested the settlement to be transferred to what is nowDorado. The municipality of Dorado was officially founded the next year.[4]
Puerto Rico was ceded bySpain in the aftermath of theSpanish–American War under the terms of theTreaty of Paris of 1898 and became a territory of the United States. In 1899, the United States conducted its firstcensus of Puerto Rico, finding that the population of Toa Baja was 4,030.
In 1902, theLegislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved the consolidation of several municipalities, which resulted in the annexation of Toa Baja to the municipality ofBayamón. However, in 1905 the law was annulled, and Toa Baja regained its status as an independent town.[4]
In 2010, Toa Baja was among the top ten municipalities in Puerto Rico, in terms of population, with 89,609 residents.[5]
TheLa Plata River rose more than 11 feet on September 20, 2017 as a result ofHurricane Maria and caused major infrastructure damage in Toa Baja.[6]
The four radar systems used by theFederal Aviation Administration in Puerto Rico were broken and took almost two weeks to restore. One of the radar systems is located atPunta Salinas in Toa Baja.[7]
In mid 2018, theUnited States Army Corps of Engineers announced it would be undertaking a majorflood control project of theRío de la Plata river, which often causes flooding in Toa Baja.[8]
Toa Baja is located in the Northern Coastal Plains of the island, in theNorthern Karst zone. It has an area of 24.0 miles2 (62.4 km2). The terrain consists mostly of alluvial deposits and clay-like surface as a result of the surrounding waters.[9][10]
The elevations range from 200 to 490 feet (60 to 150 meters) above sea level, with most of its highest parts located in the south. The rest of the area is mostly plain. The northern part of Toa Baja is characterized for itsmangroves andmarshes, while the southern part is classified as typicalkarst area.[9]
Updated flood zone maps (as of 2019) show that Toa Baja is extremely vulnerable to flooding, along withHumacao,Rincón,Barceloneta, andCorozal. For its many rivers, almost the entire municipality of Toa Baja is in the flood zone area.[11] Homes in Toa Baja have historically been built a few feet above ground level to account for flooding. AfterHurricane Maria, architects from theUniversity of Puerto Rico andPolytechnic University of Puerto Rico provided residents of Toa Baja with ideas on how to mitigate flooding.[12]
There are three main rivers in Toa Baja:Río de la Plata,Río Cocal, andRío Hondo. La Plata is the longest river on the island and crosses Toa Baja in the east. Cocal is the natural boundary between Toa Baja and Dorado. Boca Vieja Bay (Spanish:Ensenada Boca Vieja) is a bay located in Toa Baja.[13]
Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, Toa Baja is subdivided intobarrios. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as"el pueblo".[14][15][16][17]
Although not a barrio,Levittown is the most populated community in the municipality of Toa Baja.[18]
Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable tominor civil divisions)[19] are further subdivided into smaller areas calledsectores (sectors in English). The types ofsectores may vary, from normallysector tourbanización toreparto tobarriada toresidencial, among others.[20][21][22]
Comunidades Especiales de Puerto Rico (Special Communities of Puerto Rico) are marginalized communities whose citizens are experiencing a certain amount ofsocial 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 Toa Baja: Sector Villa Hostos (Campanillas), San José, Sector El 26, Toa Ville, Villa Albizu in Candelaria, Villa Calma, Villa del Sol, Villa Esperanza, Villa Marisol, and Villa Quintero.[23][24]
In 2009, an order was given by Governor Luis G. Fortuño to shut off essential services, such as water and electricity, to Villas del Sol, a "Special Community", which consisted of homes built illegally on flood-prone, state land. The Federal Emergency Management Agency bought these homes from the Puerto Rican government in order to keep the land from being used further. In January 2010, the Puerto Rican government began demolishing some of the homes. The village had a large population of Dominicans, including illegal aliens. In 2013, the mayor and the community continued to argue about how to construct in Villas del Sol.[25] By 2016, six years after the community had been promised, by the government of Toa Baja, that it would receive permits for the building of critical infrastructure, it had not.[26] Some families had dispersed, others had constructed humble homes on land obtained from a private donor.[27]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 4,030 | — | |
| 1910 | 6,254 | 55.2% | |
| 1920 | 7,121 | 13.9% | |
| 1930 | 9,865 | 38.5% | |
| 1940 | 11,410 | 15.7% | |
| 1950 | 15,761 | 38.1% | |
| 1960 | 19,698 | 25.0% | |
| 1970 | 46,384 | 135.5% | |
| 1980 | 78,246 | 68.7% | |
| 1990 | 89,454 | 14.3% | |
| 2000 | 94,085 | 5.2% | |
| 2010 | 89,609 | −4.8% | |
| 2020 | 75,243 | −16.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[28] 1899 (shown as 1900)[29] 1910-1930[30] 1930-1950[31] 1960-2000[32] 2010[16]2020[33] | |||
| Race (self-defined) Toa Baja, Puerto Rico – 2010 Census[35] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race | Population | % of Total |
| White | 62,920 | 70.2% |
| Black/African American | 15,074 | 16.8% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 522 | 0.6% |
| Asian | 228 | 0.3% |
| Some other race | 7,787 | 8.7% |
| Two or more races | 3,076 | 3.4% |
In 2020, Toa Baja had a population of 75,293. This represents a decrease of 16% since 2010, when the population was 89,609. In 2000, the population was 94,085. The population in Toa Baja had steadily increased from 1899, when it had 4,030.[36][37]
.jpg)
There are 22 beaches in Toa Baja.[38]Some main attractions of Toa Baja include:
Toa Baja celebrates itspatron saint festival in June. TheFiestas Patronales de San Pedro Apostol is a religious and cultural celebration in honor ofSaint Peter and generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment.[10][39][40]
Fiestas de la Santa Cruz is celebrated in May with the participation of various churches and cultural groups. It is dedicated to the Holy Cross, and lasts nine nights.
In October, the town celebrates theFestival de la Zafra with musical groups ofbomba andplena.
Other festivals and events celebrated in Toa Baja include:
Toa Baja doesn't have a team in the island's main male sports leagues. They do have a femalevolleyball team from theLiga de Voleibol Superior Femenino, theLlaneras de Toa Baja.[41][42]
Each year, Toa Baja hosts both thePee Wee Reese World Series (for baseball players of ages 12 and under) and theWillie Mays World Series (for baseball players of ages 10 and under). The town has a team, theLlaneros de Levittown, in the PeeWee Reese Categorybaseball team from the Pro-Deportes/American Amateur Baseball Congress.[citation needed]
For many years, Toa Baja's economy relied in agriculture, particularlysugar cane andcattle.[43] Because of this, the municipality was the site of many importanthaciendas likeSanta Elena (founded in 1790),Central Constancia (founded in 1867), and Media Luna. In the middle of the 18th century, fishing also became a primary source of Toa Baja's economy. Cattle ranches were also among the best in the island, processing large amounts of milk. The growth of small fruits also continues to be one of Toa Baja's main products.[44]
After the1950s, manufacturing started replacing agriculture as the main economic source. Currently, the industrial sector continues to be one of the most important factors of economic growth in the region. Some of the products manufactured in Toa Baja are metal, plastic, concrete, textile, electrical and electronic machinery, and rum.
All municipalities in Puerto Rico are administered by a mayor, elected every four years. The current mayor of Toa Baja isBernardo "Betito" Márquez García, of theNew Progressive Party (PNP). He was first elected at the2016 general elections.
The city belongs to thePuerto Rico Senatorial district II, which is represented by two Senators.Migdalia Padilla andCarmelo Ríos Santiago have served as District Senators since 2005.[45]
Themunicipio has an official flag and coat of arms.[46]
Toa Baja's official flag features two vertical bands: the left side is green and the right side is gold. The green band represents the plains of the Toa River (now known asLa Plata), and the golden band represents the sun. The green band features two keys, one across the other. One is gold and the other silver, symbolizing theApostle Saint Peter, the patron saint of the city.[47][48]
Toa Baja's coat of arms features a green waving stripe, representing theToa River, one of the first mentioned in the history of Puerto Rico. Like the flag, it features two keys, one across the other, symbolizingSaint Peter,patron saint of the town. The coat has the letters "F" and "J" to each side of the keys, representingFerdinand II of Aragon andV of Castile, and his daughter,Joanna of Castile,sovereign of Castile and León.[48]
The gold fields above and below the green stripe represent the wealth of the city. It also feature handfuls ofyucca, one of the main crops of this area. It constitutes a symbol of theTaínos who cultivated it, and whose main food was cassava or bread of yucca. Two sugar cane stems surround the shield, representing the cultivation and industry ofsugar cane, which was the main source of Toa Baja's economy.[48]
Toa Baja is approximately 25 minutes in non-rush hour fromSan Juan by car, however, it may take up to 90 minutes inrush hour. The main road to the city is thePR-22 andPR-165.[49]
A newbus rapid transit (BRT) system calledMetro Urbano operates in the center ofJosé de Diego Expressway (PR-22) inhigh-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) fromCandelaria in Toa Baja to theBayamón Station of theTren Urbano metro system.[50]
There are 29 bridges in Toa Baja.[51]
Media from Commons
Travel guides from Wikivoyage
Data from WikidataAuthority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
