town, northeastern Puerto Rico, part of the metropolitan area of San Juan (10 miles 【16 km】) northeast) and the island's second most populous city. Puerto Rico's first settlement, Caparra, was founded in the area in 1508 by the Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. Bayamón was established as a town in 1772. It manufactures clothing, furniture, automotive parts, metal products, firearms, household goods, and food products. Bayamón Central University was founded in 1970, and the town has a regional college of the University of Puerto Rico. It is linked to San Juan by a freeway and is on the main highway to Arecibo. The statesman José Celso Barbosa (1857–1921) was born there. Pop. (2000) 203,499.