Portmore began as a large area for schematic residential development in the late 1960s,[3] as the West Indies Home Contractors (WIHCON) organization built thousands of prototype housing units in an effort to alleviate the over-population of Kingston; the first was called Independence City.[3]
Greater Portmore was developed in the early 1990s to address Kingston's housing crisis. Funded by the San Jose Accord, a Jamaica-Venezuela agreement, it used oil purchase loans to build 10,000 of 14,000 planned housing units in 1991, the largest in the English-speaking Caribbean. Michael Manley, then Prime Minister, secured the Accord, aligning with his social justice goals. The project reclaimed swamp land with canals to prevent flooding. It has amenities like malls and a library, remaining a key housing achievement.[4]
Portmore was granted Municipality status in 2003[1] and has its own city council and mayor, following the British-based model of Jamaican local government.[1] It now houses approximately 10% of the population of the Kingston Corporate Area.
On February 11, 2025, the Jamaican House of Representatives voted that Portmore be designated the 15th parish in Jamaica. This parliamentary action was ratified in the senate on February 28, 2025.[5]
Geography
Portmore is on the south coast in the Parish of St. Catherine. It is approximately 15 miles south-west of the capital of Kingston.[6] It is divided into two regions, the plains to the north and the limestone hills of Hellshire to the south.[7]
The most densely populated areas are located on low-lying reclaimed lands. Portmore consists of communities such as Old Portmore, Greater Portmore, Braeton and Hellshire.[6] Portmore is one of the largest urban areas in St. Catherine with respect to human settlement, having a population 156,468(2001 census) and an annual growth rate of 4% since 1991. Greater Portmore is the largest housing development in the English-speaking Caribbean.[6]
Portmore is built on a generally flat plain facing Kingston Harbour with an intricate canal system which prevents flooding.[3] Much of the land is reclaimed swamp.[3] Port Henderson Hill, formerly known as Salt Pond Hill, is visible from neighbouring parishes and was a possible Arawak grave site because the Arawak buried their dead in caverns, which Port Henderson Hill is riddled with. The most famous cave is named "Twin Sisters".[3]
Formed through the amalgamation of various communities the city encompasses areas like Greater Portmore and even iconic destinations like Hellshire Beach. Some of the communities within Portmore include:
Christian Gardens
Caymanas Estate-Christian Pen
Gregory Park
Waterford
Portsmouth
Passage Fort
Independent City
Meadowvale
Cedar Grove
West Cumberland
Cumberland
Westchester
Port Henderson-Fort Augusta
Silverstone
Portmore Pines
Newland
Naggo Head
Southborough
Westmeade
Bridgeport
Edgewater
Bayside
Braeton
Caribbean Estates
Old Braeton
Monza
Daytona
Ascot
Epsom
Kensington
West Aintree
Belmont Park
West Queens Park
East Queens Park
East Chedwin
East Sabina
West Sabina
Hellshire
Economy
While Portmore is not marketed as a tourist destination for the millions of incoming travelers to Jamaica every year, there are many places for entertainment, eating, relaxing and enjoyment such as beaches, restaurants, hotels and much more.
Transportation
Portmore is served by the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC), which provides bus transportation for Portmore residents both locally and into Kingston and Spanish Town.
The Portmore Toll Road is the major commuter highway which connects the city of Kingston and the town, Portmore, via the Hunts Bay Bridge, and Portmore to the old capital of Spanish Town with three lanes in each direction and a speed limit of 110 kilometres per hour (68mph).
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