Historical Overview

Corozal municipality was established on April 27, 1795, when residents petitioned for independence from its mother town of Toa Alta; it attained full town status by 1804 upon completion of its church, government buildings, and civic infrastructure. The parish of La Sagrada Familia (Holy Family), founded alongside the municipality and falling under the Diocese of Arecibo, holds the earliest Catholic records for the area, though these records are not digitized and must be requested directly from the parish for events prior to 1876. Situated at the northern edge of Puerto Rico's Cordillera Central, Corozal was a settlement zone for families from surrounding interior towns, making its baptismal, marriage, and burial registers vital for tracing lineages across the central mountain region. Civil registration began in 1885, providing a complementary documentary record alongside the earlier parish registers.

Coat of Arms

Three corozo palm trees representing the town's name and river margins, mountain peaks reflecting the striking terrain, blue-and-silver waves standing for the Corozal River, gold nuggets recalling historic gold panning, and a mural crown as the civic emblem of the town.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Corozal has 13 barrios:

• Abras
• Cibuco
• Corozal barrio-pueblo
• Cuchillas
• Dos Bocas
• Magueyes
• Maná
• Negros
• Padilla
• Palmarejo
• Palmarito
• Palos Blancos
• Pueblo

Neighboring Municipalities

Also check records in neighboring municipalities:

• Barranquitas — San Antonio de Padua
• Morovis — Nuestra Señora del Carmen
• Naranjito — San Miguel Arcángel
• Orocovis — San Juan Bautista
• Toa Alta — San Fernando Rey
• Vega Alta — Inmaculada Concepción

Historical Maps

Historical maps help identify barrios, boundaries, and communities as they existed in the past. Maps from the 18th and 19th centuries are preferred.

Corozal (2026)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, TIGER/Line Shapefiles

Genealogy Toolkit

Civil Records

Began in 1885

Covers births, marriages, and deaths.

⬇ Search Civil Records

Parish Records

Parish: La Sagrada Familia

Records from 1795

⬇ Search Catholic Records

Digital Archives

• FamilySearch: Corozal Civil and parish records
• FamilySearch: Puerto Rico Genealogy Complete records guide

Further Reading

• U.S. Census Bureau: Corozal Municipio Profile — U.S. Census Bureau Census Data Authoritative 2020 Census profile for Corozal, including official barrio list, population data, and geographic boundary information.
• Corozal, Puerto Rico Genealogy (FamilySearch Wiki) — FamilySearch Research Guide FamilySearch wiki page for Corozal with links to civil registration and Catholic church records; directs researchers to contact the local parish for records prior to 1876.
• Registros civiles de Corozal, 1885-1994 (FamilySearch Catalog) — FamilySearch Vital Records Civil registration catalog for Corozal covering births, marriages, and deaths from 1885 to 1994.
• Puerto Rico, Catholic Church Records, 1645-2021 — FamilySearch Church Records Island-wide Catholic collection including baptisms, confirmations, parish censuses, marriages, deaths, and indexes from parishes across Puerto Rico.
• Municipio de Corozal (Enciclopedia de Puerto Rico) — Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades Municipal History Authoritative overview of Corozal's founding, geographic context, and administrative history, including confirmation that the area was under Toa Alta's jurisdiction before achieving independent town status.
• Find A Grave: Corozal Municipality Cemeteries — Find A Grave Cemetery Records Browse and search burial records across Corozal's cemeteries, including Cementerio Municipal de Corozal, Cementerio Urbano, and Corozal Memorial Park.