A perpendicular magnetic recording head is provided capable of suppressing the magnetic field attributable to the edge write phenomenon and improving resistance to an external magnetic field. The perpendicular magnetic recording head includes a magnetic layer that has a main magnetic pole on a surface facing a recording medium; a return yoke layer that is disposed on the magnetic layer with a nonmagnetic layer disposed therebetween and has a large width in the direction of the main magnetic pole; and a coil layer for applying a recording magnetic field to the magnetic layer. The return yoke layer is provided with such a shape that as seen in the plan view, the return yoke layer is exposed from the medium facing surface with a width not greater than the width in the track width direction of a protrusion region of the return yoke layer that covers the coil layer and the width of the return yoke layer gradually increases as it goes toward the starting point of the height direction.