Toa Baja, Puerto Rico

Toa Baja is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico, found along the northern coast. It lies north of Toa Alta and Bayamón, east of Dorado, and west of Cataño. The town is made up of five barrios, with Toa Baja Pueblo serving as the downtown area and administrative center.

Toa Baja is part of the larger San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Combined Statistical Area. It is about twenty-five minutes away from San Juan by car and roughly two hours from Ponce, when there is no heavy traffic. This location makes it a convenient place to live while still being close to bigger cities.

History

The area that is now Toa Baja was home to the Taíno people, led by leaders named Aramana and Majagua. When Spain came to Puerto Rico, settlers arrived around 1511 and learned from the Taíno how to grow food. Some of these families came from the Canary Islands.

The town became official in 1745, and a church was built in 1749 for Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception. Over time, rivers sometimes flooded the area, causing problems. In 2017, Hurricane Maria made the La Plata River rise very high, damaging buildings in Toa Baja.

Puerto Rico became a U.S. territory after the Spanish–American War in 1898. In 1899, the first U.S. census counted 4,030 people in Toa Baja. Later, Toa Baja was briefly joined with another town but became independent again in 1905. By 2010, Toa Baja had grown to one of the ten most populous towns in Puerto Rico, with 89,609 people.

In 2018, work began on a big project to help control flooding from the Río de la Plata river.

Geography

Toa Baja is found on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, in a region called the Northern Karst. It covers an area of 24.0 miles² (62.4 km²). The land here is mostly flat with some areas a bit higher up, especially toward the south.

The northern part of Toa Baja has mangroves and marshes, while the southern part has a special type of landscape called karst. Many rivers run through the area, and almost the whole town is in a place where flooding can happen easily. People there have built their homes a little higher to help protect against flood water.

Water features

There are three main rivers in Toa Baja: Río de la Plata, Río Cocal, and Río Hondo. Río de la Plata is the longest river on the island and passes through the eastern part of Toa Baja. Río Cocal naturally separates Toa Baja from the nearby town of Dorado. Boca Vieja Bay is a bay located in Toa Baja.

Barrios

Like other towns in Puerto Rico, Toa Baja is divided into smaller areas called barrios. The main buildings, such as the town hall and church, are in a barrio known as "el pueblo". The barrios of Toa Baja are:

1. Candelaria
2. Media Luna
3. Palo Seco
4. Sabana Seca
5. Toa Baja barrio-pueblo

Although not counted as a barrio, Levittown is the most populated community in Toa Baja.

Sectors

Barrios are divided into even smaller areas called sectores (sectors in English). These sectors can have different names like urbanización, reparto, barriada, or residencial.

Special Communities

Some communities in Toa Baja face challenges because of social exclusion. In 2014, several areas were listed as special communities, including Sector Villa Hostos (Campanillas), San José, Sector El 26, Toa Ville, and several Villas such as Villa Albizu, Villa Calma, Villa del Sol, Villa Esperanza, Villa Marisol, and Villa Quintero in the Candelaria barrio.

Demographics

Toa Baja had a population of 75,293 in 2020. This is a smaller number than in 2010, when there were 89,609 people. In the year 2000, the population was even larger at 94,085. The number of people in Toa Baja grew slowly over time, starting from just 4,030 in 1899.

Tourism

Landmarks and places of interest

Toa Baja has 22 beautiful beaches for visitors to enjoy. Some of the main attractions in Toa Baja are:

• Cañuelo Fortress
• Central Constancia (a old sugar mill)
• Isla de Cabras
• Hacienda Santa Elena
• Hermana Island
• Nuestra Señora del Carmen Church
• Palo Seco Thermoelectrical Power Station
• Punta Salinas Beach
• San Pedro Apostle Church
• Coliseo Antonio R. Barceló

Culture

Festivals and events

Toa Baja has many lively celebrations throughout the year. In June, the town holds its main festival, the Fiestas Patronales de San Pedro Apostol, to honor Saint Peter. This event includes parades, games, crafts, fun rides, local food, and music.

Other special times include the Fiestas de la Santa Cruz in May, lasting nine nights and focusing on the Holy Cross. In October, there is the Festival de la Zafra featuring traditional music styles like bomba and plena. Additional celebrations happen in March (Artisans Festival), July (Beach Festival), August (Musical Bands Festival), and December (Christmas Festival).

Sports

Though Toa Baja does not have teams in the main men’s sports leagues, it has a women’s volleyball team called the Llaneras de Toa Baja in the Liga de Voleibol Superior Femenino.

The town also hosts two important baseball tournaments each year: the Pee Wee Reese World Series for players aged 12 and under, and the Willie Mays World Series for players aged 10 and under. A local team, the Llaneros de Levittown, competes in the Pee Wee Reese category of baseball.

Economy

For many years, Toa Baja's economy was based on farming, especially growing sugar cane and raising cattle. Important farms like Santa Elena and Central Constancia helped the town grow. In the 1700s, fishing also became very important for the town's economy. Cattle farms produced a lot of milk, and small fruits are still a key product today.

Starting in the 1950s, making things like metal, plastic, and textiles became more important than farming. Today, industry plays a big role in the town's growth, with factories making many different products such as machinery and rum.

Government

Main article: Mayoralty in Puerto Rico

In Puerto Rico, each town is led by a mayor who is chosen by voters every four years. The mayor of Toa Baja now is Bernardo "Betito" Márquez García, who belongs to the New Progressive Party. He began his time as mayor after winning the election in 2016.

Toa Baja is part of Puerto Rico's Senatorial district II, which has two senators representing it. Migdalia Padilla and Carmelo Ríos Santiago have been serving as these senators since 2005.

Symbols

The town of Toa Baja has an official flag and coat of arms.

Flag

Toa Baja's flag has two vertical bands. The left side is green, representing the plains of the Toa River (now called La Plata). The right side is gold, representing the sun. On the green band are two keys, one gold and one silver, crossed over each other. These keys symbolize Apostle Saint Peter, the town's patron saint.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms also shows a green stripe for the Toa River. It includes the same two crossed keys for Saint Peter, the town's patron saint. The letters "F" and "J" stand for Ferdinand II of Aragon and V of Castile, and his daughter, Joanna of Castile, sovereign of Castile and León.

The gold areas above and below the green stripe show the town's wealth. There are also images of yucca, an important crop grown by the Taínos. Two sugar cane stems surround the shield, showing that sugar cane was a major part of Toa Baja's history and economy.

Transportation

Toa Baja is about 25 minutes away from San Juan by car when there is no traffic, but it can take up to 90 minutes during busy times. The main roads to the city are PR-22 and PR-165.

There is a new bus system called Metro Urbano that runs along the José de Diego Expressway (PR-22) in special lanes for buses and cars with many passengers. It goes from Candelaria in Toa Baja to the Bayamón Station for the Tren Urbano metro system.

There are 29 bridges in Toa Baja.

Notable people

Toa Baja has been home to some well-known individuals. Susana Centeno was a dedicated nurse. Edwin Rosario was a famous boxer who won world championships four times and was honored in 2006. Madison Anderson represented Puerto Rico in the Miss Universe contest in 2019, achieving the position of first runner-up.