Historical Overview

Las Piedras, founded in 1773 in the eastern region of Puerto Rico, takes its name from the large boulders scattered throughout the surrounding landscape. The town's patroness is the Immaculate Conception, reflected in the parish name and the coat of arms, which features the Virgin's monogram, stones representing the town's name, and a Taíno sun honoring the area's indigenous heritage. Catholic parish records date to the town's founding, though pre-1876 records are not yet digitized and must be requested directly from the parish; the FamilySearch Puerto Rico Catholic Church Records collection covers later records. Civil registration began in 1885 and is available through FamilySearch.

Coat of Arms

The coat of arms features the Virgin's monogram representing the Immaculate Conception, the patroness under whose title the parochial church gave origin to the town; stones symbolizing the large boulders scattered throughout the region that give Las Piedras its name; a Taíno sun representing the indigenous heritage of the area and a petroglyph carving found locally; and a three-towered mural crown indicating its status as a municipality.

Barrios

Genealogical records often identify individuals by barrio. Las Piedras has 8 barrios:

• Arenas
• Boquerón
• Ceiba
• Collores
• Montones
• Pueblo
• Quebrada
• Tejas

Neighboring Municipalities

Also check records in neighboring municipalities:

• Canóvanas — Nuestra Señora del Pilar
• Humacao — Dulce Nombre de Jesús
• Juncos — Inmaculada Concepción
• Naguabo — Nuestra Señora del Rosario
• Río Grande — Nuestra Señora del Carmen
• San Lorenzo — Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes
• Yabucoa — Santos Ángeles Custodios

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.

Las Piedras (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: Nuestra Señora de la Inmaculada Concepción

Records from 1773

⬇ Search Catholic Records

Digital Archives

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

Further Reading

• U.S. Census Bureau: Las Piedras Municipio Profile — U.S. Census Bureau Census Data Authoritative 2020 Census profile for Las Piedras, including official barrio list, population data, and geographic boundary information.
• Las Piedras, Puerto Rico Genealogy (FamilySearch Wiki) — FamilySearch Research Guide FamilySearch wiki page for Las Piedras genealogy research. Notes that pre-1876 Catholic records are not yet digitized; researchers should contact the local parish directly for records prior to that date.
• Puerto Rico Catholic Church Records, 1645–1969 — FamilySearch Parish Records Main digitized Catholic records collection for Puerto Rico, including baptisms, marriages, and burials. Browse the catalog for Las Piedras to determine the earliest available dates.
• Puerto Rico Civil Registration, 1885–2001 — FamilySearch Civil Records Civil registration records for Las Piedras covering births, marriages, and deaths from 1885 to 2001.
• Find a Grave: Cementerio Municipal de Las Piedras — Find a Grave Cemetery Records Listings for the Cementerio Municipal de Las Piedras, useful for identifying burial dates and family connections.