Map - Canóvanas, Puerto Rico (Canóvanas Municipio)

Canóvanas is a town and municipality in Puerto Rico, located in the northeastern region, north of Juncos and Las Piedras; south of Loíza; east of Carolina; and west of Río Grande. Canóvanas is spread over 6 barrios and Canóvanas Pueblo (the downtown area and administrative center). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The region of what is now Canóvanas belonged to the Taíno region of Cayniabón, also the native name of the Grande de Loiza River, which stretched from the central eastern region of Puerto Rico to the northeast coast of the island. The region was led by cacique Canobaná, from which the actual name is derived, in the south half, and female Cacica Loaiza in the north (mostly modern day Loíza). During the Spanish colonization, the region of Canóvanas was granted to Miguel Díaz, who turned the Taíno yucayeque into a ranch. It is said that Canóbana, along with Loaiza, were supporters of the Spanish regime and did not join the Taino rebellion of 1511.

Canóvanas was a barrio (district) of the municipality of Loíza for over 400 years. In 1902, the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico approved a law for the consolidation of certain municipalities. As a result, both Canóvanas and Loíza were incorporated into the municipality of Río Grande. However, in 1905 a new law revoked the previous one, returning Canóvanas to its previous state of barrio of Loíza.

In 1909, the Municipal administration of Loíza was transferred to the barrio of Canóvanas, which was more developed than the Loíza region. Also, the construction of the PR-3 facilitated the communication with Canóvanas. As a result of the transfer, land was acquired to build a new city hall, a town square, a slaughterhouse, and a cemetery. A 20 acre plot of land was purchased by Don Luis Hernaiz Veronne, a townhall senator and local farmer. The site location was strategic, to intercept traffic from the PR-3, and from other nearby roads like the PR-185.

However, the transfer was not well received by the residents of the original town of Loíza, then renamed Loiza Aldea. It was not until a law was passed on June 30, 1969, that both municipalities were recognized as having "clearly different population nuclei" recommending the establishment of two separate municipalities. The change was approved in 1970 by Governor Luis A. Ferré.

Like other nearby towns, the proximity of Canóvanas to the capital, San Juan, has allowed extraordinary urban and commercial development in the region. The municipality became renown in the 1990s for popularizing the urban legend of the chupacabras.

Hurricane Maria on September 20, 2017, triggered numerous landslides, and caused catastrophic damages in Canóvanas. Five cases of Leptospirosis were reported in Canóvanas.