Cayey, Puerto Rico

Cayey
Municipio Autónomo de Cayey
Cayey de Muesas
Cayey mountains, valley and hills with homes
Cayey mountains, valley and hills with homes
Flag of Cayey
Coat of arms of Cayey
Nicknames: 
"Ciudad de las Brumas", "Ciudad del Torito", "Ciudad del Coquí Dorado"
Anthem: "Alma Boricua"
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Cayey Municipality
Map of Puerto Rico highlighting Cayey Municipality
Coordinates: 18°06′42″N 66°09′57″W / 18.11167°N 66.16583°W / 18.11167; -66.16583
Sovereign stateUnited States
CommonwealthPuerto Rico
FoundedAugust 17, 1773
Founded byJuan Mata Vázquez
Barrios
Government
 • MayorRolando Ortíz Velázquez (PPD)
 • Senatorial dist.6 – Guayama
 • Representative dist.29
Area
 • Total50.20 sq mi (130.01 km2)
 • Land50 sq mi (130 km2)
 • Water0.004 sq mi (.01 km2)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Total41,652
 • Rank20th in Puerto Rico
 • Density830/sq mi (320/km2)
DemonymCayeyanos
Time zoneUTC−4 (AST)
ZIP Codes
00736, 00737
Area code787/939
Major routes

Websitewww.agencias.pr.gov/municipio/cayey

Cayey (Spanish pronunciation: [kaˈʝej]), officially Cayey de Muesas,[2] is a mountain town and municipality in central Puerto Rico located on the Sierra de Cayey within the Central Mountain range, north of Salinas and Guayama; south of Cidra and Caguas; east of Aibonito and Salinas; and west of San Lorenzo. Cayey is spread over 21 barrios plus Cayey Pueblo (the downtown area and the administrative center). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Cayey is notable for its surrounding mountains. The city has been actively growing since the 1990s, evidenced by its designation as a Metropolitan Area by the U.S. Census Bureau. It has experienced significant growth in commerce, and many major retailers, such as Wal-Mart have opened stores in the city. Industries in Cayey include sugar, tobacco and poultry. For tobacco there is a well-known company called Consolidated Cigar Corp.[3] A new coliseum and hospital facilities have also been built. Coca-Cola is a major corporation that has a manufacturing facility in the town. Cayey is also host to one of the campuses of the University of Puerto Rico, the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey.

  1. ^ "PUERTO RICO: 2020 Census". The United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  2. ^ "Manual de Información Sobre Cayey" (PDF). PR Gov (in Spanish).
  3. ^ The Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia University Press. 2016 – via Credo.