Arroyo

According to documents from the Department of Public Works of Puerto Rico, the jurisdictional boundary between Guayama and Arroyo was established in 1855.  Despite this the 1868 edition of the Gaceta de Puerto Rico stated that Arroyo was founded in 1852.  In 1859 the City Council adopted an agreement to build roads, and a year later began construction of a recreation area and a culvert in the street of the village Marina.

Two decades after the town was founded, Arroyo had 5,575 inhabitants.  At that time the town appeared to consist of the districts of Village (East and West), Pitahaya, Yaurel, Ancona, Cuatro Calles, Palms and Guasimas.  In 1898 four rural neighborhood streets appeared as part of the urban area.  The rural area consisted of the neighborhoods of Ancone, Palmas, Guasimas, and Yaurel pitahaya.
In March 1902 the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved the “Law for Consolidation of Certain municipalities of Puerto Rico.”  The Act stipulated that on the first day of July 1902 the municipality of Arroyo (among others) would be abolished and its council, together with the Mayor and municipal employees, and the entire territory of the municipality would be annexed to the Municipality of Guayama.  It was not until March 1905 that the Legislature of Puerto Rico approved a law that repealed the one passed in July 1902.  Thus the municipality of Arroyo was reorganized and again became an independent municipality.  It had the same limits as before being annexed to Guayama and had the same territorial organization.
In 1910 the city of Arroyo, so far consisting of the Four Streets area, was subdivided into the urban neighborhoods Pueblo East, Pueblo West and Four Blocks.  This was the last change that affected the territorial organization of the municipality.  Arroyo currently consists of the urban area, subdivided into the neighborhoods of Four Blocks, Village East and Village West, and the rural areas of Ancona, Palmas, Guasimas, and Yaurel pitahaya.

Arroyo is bordered on the northwest by the municipality of Patillas, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the east by Guayama.