Located on the northwest end of Puerto Rico and measuring 92.12 square kilometers (35.57 square miles), Aguadilla is known popularly as the "city of springs." The nickname comes from the spring or Río Chiquito, known today as the Parterre. Aguadilla is also known as the "town of sharks," the "new garden of the Atlantic" and the place where "even the stones sing." A town of traditions, Aguadilla celebrates a festival in honor of its patron saint, Saint Charles Borromeo, in November.

According to the 2010 census, there are 64,949 Aguadillanos living in Aguadilla, througout its 16 wards. These are:

Economy

In the past, Aguadilla's economy relied mostly on commercial fishing.[citation needed] On a 2012 article by El Nuevo Día, several fishermen criticized the way the mayor Carlos Méndez Martínez has handled the business, and commented that he wanted to "bury the fishing business". Other fishermen said that the mayor had "abandoned" them.

Although there is still commercial fishing in Aguadilla, the economy has now shifted towards the industrial sector. The city is currently home to a variety of industrial and pharmaceutical plants like LifeScan, Symmetricom, Honeywell, and Hewlett Packard. Most of them are located at San Antonio Technological Park, while others like Suiza Dairy, Micron Technology and Productos La Aguadillana are located in Camaseyes Industrial Park. Other industries that are based in Aguadilla are rubber, plastics, leather, textiles, steel, wood, machinery, and food processing.

The retail sector is also another source of economy in Aguadilla. Shopping malls like Aguadilla Mall, Aguadilla Shopping Center, Aguadilla Town Center, and others are some of the main commercial and retail centers of the city.

In the fiscal year of 2010-2011, the city had an operational surplus of $346,176. This represented a dramatic decrease from the surplus the city had in 2009-2010 ($1,227,036) Also, from 2008 to 2009, there have been decreases in the city budget, federal funds, tax income, among others. Also, the public debt of the city is $74,368,454, which represents an increase from the past years

Tourism

Aguadilla is part of the Porta del Sol touristic region in Puerto Rico. The Porta del Sol website highlights Aguadilla's beaches for surfing.

According to the Department of Natural Resources, Aguadilla has the most beaches in the island, with nineteen. Some of the beaches are considered among the best for surfing, like Surfer's Beach, Gas Chambers, Crash Boat, Wilderness, among others. Because of this, Aguadilla has served as host to surfing competitions, like the ISA World Championship in 1988.

Other attractions of the town are Las Cascadas Water Park and the Aguadilla Ice Skating Arena, which is the only ice skating complex in the Caribbean.

Public Safety 

Aguadilla has its own police department, Policía Municipal Aguadilla (Aguadilla City Police Department), located in Aguadilla Pueblo. The A.C.P.D. only has jurisdiction in the municipality of Aguadilla and provide service and protection to local citizens and travelers alike.

Aguadilla also hosts the Puerto Rico Police Department Command for its Region. This region covers Aguada, Aguadilla, Isabela, Moca, Rincón and San Sebastián. It also hosts the PRPD Highway Patrol Division for its region, the FURA Division of the PRPD, the US Army Reserve Center, PR National Guard, and the Border Patrol. It is also served by another PRPD station in San Antonio Village (Precinct 203 Ramey-San Antonio).

Transportation 

Rafael Hernández Airport is located in the city of Aguadilla. In recent years, it has seen a resurgence as an international airport in the island, with several airlines planning flights to the US from Aguadilla. nterstate PR-2 (Rafael Henández Highway). Plans are underway for a new expressway, an expansion to existing Puerto Rico Highway 22 (José de Diego Expressway) from Hatillo and it will probably end at Puerto Rico Highway 111.