San Lorenzo (, ; Spanish for "Saint Lawrence") is a town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the eastern central region, north of Patillas and Yabucoa; south of Gurabo; east of Caguas and Cayey; and west of Juncos and Las Piedras. San Lorenzo is spread over twelve barrios and San Lorenzo Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

San Lorenzo is called "The town of the Samaritans" and "Land of Legends." The patron of the municipality is (Our Lady of Mercedes). The surrounding areas produce tobacco and sugar cane.

History

According to Cayetano Coll y Toste, a Puerto Rican historian, San Lorenzo was founded in 1811,

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017 triggered numerous landslides in San Lorenzo with the significant amount of rainfall.

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South Atlantic Division (SAD) USACE in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.jpg|South Atlantic Division (SAD) USACE in San Lorenzo

USACE working in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, 7 months after Hurricane Maria (2017).jpg|USACE working to restore power in San Lorenzo, 7 months after Hurricane Maria

USACE restoring power to San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico.jpg|USACE restoring power to San Lorenzo in April 2018

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Geography

thumb|Subdivisions of San Lorenzo.

San Lorenzo is located in the eastern central region, north of Patillas and Yabucoa; south of Gurabo; east of Caguas and Cayey; and west of Juncos and Las Piedras.

The town is located on a high valley that is formed by the Río Grande de Loíza which flows northwestwards towards the Caguas Valley. The town is located on the San Lorenzo Batholith, which is a mountainous region composed of intrusive igneous rock. It is bordered by the Sierra de Luquillo to the north and by the Sierra de Cayey to the south.

Rivers

  • Río Cayaguás
  • Río Emajagua
  • Río Grande de Loíza
  • Río de las Vegas

Barrios

Like all municipalities of Puerto Rico, San Lorenzo is subdivided into barrios and barrios are further divided into sectors. The municipal buildings, central square and large Catholic church are located in a barrio referred to as .

  1. Cayaguas
  2. Cerro Gordo
  3. Espino
  4. Florida
  5. Hato
  6. Jagual
  7. Quebrada
  8. Quebrada Arenas
  9. Quebrada Honda
  10. Quemados
  11. San Lorenzo barrio-pueblo

Sectors

Barrios (which are like minor civil divisions)

Special Communities

(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 San Lorenzo: Roosevelt neighborhood, El Bosque, La Marina, Parcelas Jagual (Nuevas y Viejas), Parcelas Quemados and Sector Los Oquendo. Between 2013 and until their arrest by the FBI in 2019, dozens of drug traffickers were operating in the Roosevelt neighborhood and near the Lorenzana public housing residential units in San Lorenzo.

Demographics

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

  • Priscilla Flores Theater
  • Santuario de la Virgen del Carmen in Montaña Santa
  • Gallera San Carlos
  • Residencia Machín–Ramos
  • Río Grande de Loíza (its main source is located within municipal boundaries)
  • Iglesia Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes (the church located on the main town square); a historic church built in 1737 and renovated in 1993.
  • Hacienda Muñoz

Economy

;Agriculture

The economy of San Lorenzo was founded on livestock farming and later included the cultivation of sugar cane, which had been processed on steam-driven farms with oxen. Coffee and fruits are also now cultivated in the municipality. Timber production, which was once very prolific, has declined due to the uncontrolled exploitation of forests.

;Industry

Clothing, pharmaceuticals, footwear, electromechanical equipment, industrial and household paints.

Culture

Festivals and events

San Lorenzo celebrates its patron saint festival in September. The is a religious and cultural celebration that generally features parades, games, artisans, amusement rides, regional food, and live entertainment. - National Champions in 1975, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002

  • Agustin Reyes Half Marathon

Government

Like all municipalities in Puerto Rico, San Lorenzo is administered by a mayor. The current mayor is Jaime Alverio Ramos, from the New Progressive Party (PNP). Alverio was first elected at the 2020 general election.

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.

Transportation

There are 49 bridges in San Lorenzo.

Symbols

The has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

The flag of San Lorenzo is divided in four rectangles of equal size, two rectangles are yellow and the other two are striped with red and yellow stripes.

Coat of arms

The grill is the traditional symbol of San Lorenzo, deacon and martyr, patron of the town, because in a grill he underwent the martyrdom, slowly burned to death. The hill or mountain represent the Gregorio Hill, which dominates the San Lorenzo panorama. The cross is one of the heraldic attributes of San Miguel Arcángel.