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Courts & Crime Tourist robbed of over $55,000 in jewelry and watches in LoízaWeather San Juan …Water San Juan Bay …Tropics Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias · 25 mph · 1,703 mi from San JuanNext holiday Columbus Day / Día de la Raza · Oct 12 · Hurricane season Day 133 of 183Courts & Crime Two drivers seriously injured in Moca crashCulture Nio García Releases "Sigo Vivo" Video With Footage From September Home RobberyCulture Alex DJ Hosts Seniors from His Las Piedras Center on Puerto Rico GanaCourts & Crime Tourist robbed of over $55,000 in jewelry and watches in LoízaWeather San Juan …Water San Juan Bay …Tropics Post-Tropical Cyclone Isaias · 25 mph · 1,703 mi from San JuanNext holiday Columbus Day / Día de la Raza · Oct 12 · Hurricane season Day 133 of 183Courts & Crime Two drivers seriously injured in Moca crashCulture Nio García Releases "Sigo Vivo" Video With Footage From September Home RobberyCulture Alex DJ Hosts Seniors from His Las Piedras Center on Puerto Rico Gana
San Juan, Puerto Rico

Plan your Puerto Rico trip

The best beaches, things to do, places to eat and stay, plus live weather, sea conditions and island news, all in one place.

Breezy Baldwin / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0
The newsroom

Latest from Puerto Rico

All stories

Compiled by the PuertoRico.com News Desk from several published reports and official statements. Every story lists and links its sources.

Titulares en español · other outlets

Noticias en español
El Nuevo DíaProyectil impacta terminal de pasajeros en aeropuerto Riad
Primera HoraDos heridos en un choque de motoras en Lares
El Nuevo Día“Océano Trump”: El presidente estadounidense sugiere cambiar el nombre del Atlántico o del Pacífico
El Nuevo DíaThe lessons from the Cornell case must be applied urgently
Interactive map

78 municipalities, one map

Tap any municipality to see its 2020 Census population, density and drive time from San Juan, or jump to a destination guide from the pins.

Open the full map Driving distances

Coming up

Holidays on the calendar

Full calendar

Columbus Day / Día de la Raza

Día de la Raza (Descubrimiento de América)
Monday, October 12, 2026

Second Monday in October.

Federal & Puerto Rico

Veterans Day

Día del Veterano
Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Puerto Ricans have served in the U.S. armed forces since World War I.

Federal & Puerto Rico

Discovery of Puerto Rico Day

Día de la Puertorriqueñidad (Descubrimiento de Puerto Rico)
Thursday, November 19, 2026

Columbus reached the island on November 19, 1493, on his second voyage.

Puerto Rico holiday

Thanksgiving

Día de Acción de Gracias
Thursday, November 26, 2026

Fourth Thursday in November; often turkey stuffed with mofongo ("pavochón").

Federal & Puerto Rico
Before you go

Puerto Rico essentials

Short answers to the questions people ask most about Puerto Rico. Each links to a full guide with its sources.

Is Puerto Rico part of the US?

Yes, it is a US territory, not a state. Puerto Ricans have been US citizens since 1917, and US citizens do not need a passport to visit.

US status explained

Money, language and rules

The currency is the US dollar. Spanish and English are both official languages, but Spanish dominates daily life. The drinking age is 18.

Currency · Language · Drinking age

Is Puerto Rico safe?

Yes, for most visitors who take normal precautions. The usual problems for travelers are petty theft, rip currents, heat and mosquitoes.

Safety guide · Tap water

Getting around

Uber and Lyft both operate, and both serve the San Juan airport. Driving the full coastal loop takes about 7 hours without traffic.

Uber and Lyft · Drive times

Weather and hurricanes

It is warm all year. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, so check the tropics before you travel in those months.

Live conditions · Hurricane season

Bioluminescent bays

Puerto Rico has three glowing bays. Mosquito Bay on Vieques is the world’s brightest, according to Guinness World Records. Go near the new moon.

All 3 bio bays · Moon dates

By the numbers

Puerto Rico at a glance

3,285,874residents in the 2020 CensusU.S. Census Bureau
78municipalities, including the island towns of Vieques and CulebraU.S. Census Bureau
3,424 sq miof land, about 8,870 km²Census cartographic boundaries, 2023
4,390 ftCerro de Punta, the highest point (1,338 m)USGS
1917Puerto Ricans became U.S. citizens (Jones–Shafroth Act)Library of Congress
UTC−4Atlantic Standard Time all year, no daylight savingIANA tz: America/Puerto_Rico

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