Agoo derived its name from the “aroo” tree that used to bound along the banks of the small river that traverses the town.
Agoo is now a picture of economic, religious, cultural and political development. The town is now an educational center in this part of the province. Agoo has one state university (Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University), 3 National High School (Elpidio Quirino National High School, DEFEMNHS, and San Manuel National High School); 4 private college school (PCLU) Polytechnic College of La Union, AGOO COMPUTER COLLEGE/PHILS.(ACC/P), CONGRESS COLLEGE, and PCNL of montessory. Privately owned High School (Agoo Academy, Congress College High School, KIDDIE High School, and Saint Mary’s Academy); 23 elementary school and 70 pre-schools. This was further boosted by the establishment of day care centers in almost all of the town’s barangays.
The town is also identifies as trade and commerce center. The accelerating development of trade and commerce could be seen by the fruition of business establishment, banking institutions, industrial and influx of traders and businessman from the neighboring towns.
Considering other resources which contributes in the development of the town such as transportation, communication, tourism and other health services which plays a vital role in the development of the town. For transportation the accessibility of roads to note six (6) major roads the Manila-North National Highway, Marcos Highway, Agoo beach Road, San Julian-Tucoc-Sto. Tomas and San Francisco-Ambitacay road which provides access to the breadth of the Agoo Damortis National Seashore Park from the west and to the periphery of Agoo Katayagan Mountain from the east both of their leading to the municipality of Sto. Tomas, La Union and the Macalva road which connects two towns, Tubao and Aringay, La Union and other farm-to –market roads which have been development to support the economic development of the town.
The municipality now has five (8) banking institutions, more than thirteen (13) drug store, more than eight (8) construction supplies, four (4) gasoline station, eleven (11) tobacco trading centers, ten (11) education and office supplies nineten (19) rice mills, many apartments, boarding houses, one (1) class “AAA” restaurant and eighty-eight (88) other restaurants/canteens/fastfood/carenderias/refreshments, and 423 other different commercial and industrial establishments.
For communication services, Agoo Postal Service Office serve as one transient office of the towns of Aringay., Tubao, Pugo, Sto. Tomas and Rosario, because all mails are being dispatch in Agoo Postal Office, other communication service facilities. With regards to health services, Agoo has the Provincial Hospital which serves the entire province especially the towns in the second district.
