Carolina, PR: Population, ZIP Codes & Nearby Cities

Carolina, PR is a large unincorporated community, usually a census-designated place located in Carolina Municipio in the state of Puerto Rico. Our data estimates 136,771 residents, places it at 18.405°N, 65.979°W, and lists it in Atlantic time. This page explains its population rank, ZIP codes, nearby cities and distance to big metros.

What are the key facts about Carolina, PR?

What is the population of Carolina, PR?

Carolina has an estimated population of 136,771. That makes it the 3rd largest of 243 places in Puerto Rico, placing it among the state's ten biggest, and the largest place in its county. The typical place in Puerto Rico has about 2,063 residents, so Carolina is many dozens of times larger than a typical place in the state.

Estimates for places of this size carry wider margins of error than those for big cities, so treat the figure as a guide to scale. Our guide to understanding city population numbers explains why sources disagree.

Places in Puerto Rico with a similar population include Bayamón (161,034), Ponce (113,401), Caguas (73,322), Guaynabo (68,024), Mayagüez (61,361). Comparing these pages is a quick way to see how Carolina differs from communities of the same scale.

How dense is Carolina?

Carolina has about 6,604 people per square mile (2,550 per square kilometer), which we classify as an urban core. Within Puerto Rico, it is denser than about 88% of the listed places. Streets at this level typically mix apartment buildings, mixed-use blocks and frequent transit, and many errands can be done on foot. Read how to interpret population density to see how we draw these lines.

What ZIP codes does Carolina use?

The postal data lists 9 ZIP codes for Carolina: 00979, 00987, 00982, 00983, 00985, 00981, 00984, 00986, 00988. A long list like this is typical of a large city, where dozens of delivery areas, PO box codes and institutional codes sit inside the same municipality. Codes beginning with 0 are assigned to the Northeast (New England, New Jersey and Puerto Rico). Learn more in our guide to how ZIP codes work or check any code with the ZIP code lookup.

What time zone is Carolina in?

Carolina is in the Atlantic time zone, which is UTC−4 from Coordinated Universal Time in standard time (IANA zone America/Puerto_Rico). The area does not observe daylight saving time, so its clock stays on standard time all year. The nearest listed place in a different time zone is Key Largo, FL, about 1,035 miles away, which gives a sense of how far the nearest zone boundary may be. Current local time: see the Atlantic time hub. For the rules behind these zones, read US time zones explained.

Where is Carolina located in Puerto Rico?

Carolina lies in the northern part of Puerto Rico, at 18.405° north latitude and 65.979° west longitude. The state capital, San Juan, is about 6 miles to the west. The closest listed place in another state is Key Largo, FL, roughly 1,035 miles to the northwest, which shows how near Carolina is to a state line. For big-city services, the nearest place with more than 100,000 people is San Juan, PR, 6 miles to the west.

Which cities are near Carolina, PR?

The closest listed place to Carolina is Trujillo Alto, PR, 3.7 miles to the southwest. Of the eight nearest places below, 0 are in the same county. Distances are straight-line (great-circle) miles measured between place centers; see how distance is calculated.

Which county is Carolina in?

Carolina is in Carolina Municipio, which has the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) code 72031. The county contains 1 places in our data, 1 of which have their own page here. Codes like this one help separate places that share a name; see the guide to counties and FIPS codes.

How far is Carolina from major US cities?

Among six major hubs, Carolina is closest to Atlanta, GA at about 1,556 miles and farthest from Los Angeles, CA at about 3,385 miles in a straight line. Road distances are usually 10 to 30 percent longer. Try the distance calculator for any other pair.

Are there other places called Carolina?

Yes. Our data lists 3 other places named Carolina: Carolina, RI (803), Carolina, WV (451), Carolina, AL (295). When you search for Carolina, add the state or county so you land on the right one. This page covers the Carolina in Carolina Municipio, Puerto Rico.

Planning a move to Carolina?

If you are weighing Carolina, start with the practical numbers: how far it is from where you live, whether it changes your time zone, and how its size and density compare with your current city. Use the distance calculator to measure the trip from where you live. The radius search tool lists every place within any distance of it. Our checklist for comparing cities explains what to check next.

Where to go next

Population and density come from a compiled dataset and are estimates. They may differ from official Census Bureau counts. Verify important figures at census.gov.