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Bayamón, Puerto Rico

Bayamón
Flag of Bayamón
Flag
Coat of arms of Bayamón
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): "La Ciudad del Chicharrón" (The Porkrind City), "La Ciudad de Vaqueros" (The City of Cowboys), La Ciudad de las Ciencias ("The City of Science")
Motto: In Hoc Signo Vinces (Latin for: "By this sign you will conquer"
Anthem: "Bayamón, ciudad hermosa"
Location of Bayamón in Puerto Rico
Location of Bayamón in Puerto Rico
Coordinates: 18°22′48″N 66°09′48″W / 18.38000°N 66.16333°W / 18.38000; -66.16333Coordinates: 18°22′48″N 66°09′48″W / 18.38000°N 66.16333°W / 18.38000; -66.16333
Country United States
Territory Puerto Rico
Founded May 22, 1772
Government
 • Mayor Ramón Luis Rivera, Jr. (PNP)
 • Senatorial dist. 2 – Bayamón
 • Representative dist. 7, 8, 9
Area
 • Total 44.53 sq mi (115.34 km2)
 • Land 44.38 sq mi (114.95 km2)
 • Water 0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2)
Elevation 52 ft (16 m)
Population (2015)
 • Total 239,116
 • Density 5,400/sq mi (2,100/km2)
Time zone AST (UTC-4)
Zip code 00956, 00957, 00959, 00961, 00960, 00958
Area code 787
Website municipiodebayamon.com

Bayamón (Spanish pronunciation: [baʝaˈmon]) is a municipality of Puerto Rico located on the northern coastal valley, north of Aguas Buenas and Comerío; south of Toa Baja and Cataño; west of Guaynabo; and east of Toa Alta and Naranjito. Bayamón is spread over 11 wards and Bayamón Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The Taíno people, the historic indigenous peoples who encountered European explorers and settlers, were the long time settlers in this area. The Spanish colonist Juan Ramírez de Arellano established Bayamón as a Spanish settlement on May 22, 1772. Two beliefs exist about the origin of name Bayamón. According to one belief it was named after the local Taíno chief, Bahamon. As per the other belief the name was derived from the Taíno word Bayamongo, which is a river that runs across this region. In turn implying that Bayamón is the area around this main river, which later on became the center of city's development.

In 1821, Marcos Xiorro, an ethnic African slave, planned to lead a revolt against the sugarcane plantation owners and the Spanish Colonial government in Puerto Rico. The slave conspiracy was revealed and suppressed, but Xiorro became a hero among the slaves. He is part of Puerto Rico's folklore. Marco Xiorro was owned by Vicente Andino, a militia captain who owned a sugarcane plantation in Bayamón.


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