Carolina
Carolina's 1955 airport became the only privatized US airport processing 13.2M passengers in 2024—Q3 2025's 1.1% growth tests whether international arrivals (up 11.7%) can offset flat domestic traffic.
Carolina exists because Spanish colonists founded Trujillo Bajo in 1816 on the northeastern coastal plain—and because mid-20th century planners selected this flat, accessible terrain for Puerto Rico's international gateway. The municipality was renamed San Fernando de la Carolina in 1857, honoring Charles II of Spain, then shortened to Carolina. Today it is the archipelago's third-most populated municipality, inextricably linked to the airport that defines its economy and identity.
The transformation came through aviation infrastructure. In 1945, the Committee of Airports of the Planning Board identified Isla Verde as the optimal site for a new international airport. Construction began in 1947; on May 22, 1955, the Puerto Rico International Airport opened on 1,718 acres with a six-story terminal, control tower, 7,800-foot runway, and hotel—a $22 million investment in connectivity. In 1983, it was renamed Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport after Puerto Rico's first freely-elected governor, the architect of Operation Bootstrap who understood that islands survive through connection.
Present-day Carolina hosts the busiest airport in the insular Caribbean. In 2024, Luis Muñoz Marín processed 13.2 million passengers—a record year that earned it CAPA's Medium Airport of the Year award and recognition for sustainable development. The airport is the only privatized one in the United States and its territories, an experiment in commercial management of public infrastructure. Along Isla Verde, hotels line the beach, serving the 7.5 million visitors who generated $11.6 billion in direct tourism spending across Puerto Rico in 2024.
The municipality's economy extends beyond tourism. Pharmaceutical manufacturing, medical equipment production, and chemical plants employ thousands. Carolina is part of the San Juan metropolitan statistical area, 30 minutes from Old San Juan but distinct in its orientation toward global connectivity rather than historic preservation.
By 2026, Carolina will navigate slowing growth—Q3 2025 saw only 1.1% passenger increase, with domestic traffic essentially flat. International arrivals soared 11.7%, suggesting the future lies in foreign visitors rather than mainland connections. The airport that made Carolina prosperous now determines whether it can sustain that prosperity.