town, northeastern Puerto Rico, part of metropolitan San Juan, located about 12 miles (19 km) east of the national capital. Situated on the banks of the Loíza River just above its marshy lowlands near the coast, the town was in 1816 constituted a pueblo, named Trujillo Bajo; in 1857 the barrios (wards) north of the Loíza were separated under a new name, San Fernando de la Carolina, after Charles II of Spain. Under the new name, the town eventually absorbed the remainder of Trujillo Bajo.

Nearby is the site of Isla Verde international airport, the busiest in Puerto Rico. Carolina has pharmaceutical, medical equipment, and chemical manufacturing plants. Pop. (2000) 168,164.