[3][4][5] Nuevo was in Spain's gazetteers[6] until Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish–American War under the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1898 and became an unincorporated territory of the United States.

In 1899, the United States Department of War conducted a census of Puerto Rico finding that the population of Nuevo barrio was 1,081.

Barrios (which are, in contemporary times, roughly comparable to minor civil divisions)[13] in turn are further subdivided into smaller local populated place areas/units called sectores (sectors in English).

After Hurricane Maria struck the island of Puerto Rico, residents of Nuevo barrio waited 7 to 8 months to have electrical power restored.

Work was completed with FEMA funds in October 2021 to stabilize and make the highway safe.