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Founding
Founding of São José do Rio Preto
municipality of São Paulo state, Brazil
- 19 March 1852
- South America
Founding
municipality of São Paulo state, Brazil
Fetching the article from Wikipedia…
São José do Rio Preto (Portuguese pronunciation: [sɐ̃w ʒuˈzɛ du ʁiw ˈpɾetu]) is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is located in the north/northwest region of the state, approximately 445 km (277 mi) from the city of São Paulo and 700 km (430 mi) from Brasília. With a population of 504,166 inhabitants, by the 2025 estimative of the IBGE, it is the 10th largest city in São Paulo and the 48th largest in Brazil. It has an area of 431.30 km2; the urban area, with 124.79 km2, is the 7th largest in the state and the 30th largest in the country. By the 2022 IBGE census, the city had a population of 480,383 inhabitants, with a population density of 1,112.7 people/km2.
The Metropolitan Region of São José do Rio Preto, with 1,010,633 inhabitants in 2025, is the 30th largest metropolitan area in Brazil, according to the IBGE. In 2020, the Mesoregion of São José do Rio Preto had a population of 1,569,220; the Microregion of São José do Rio Preto had a population of 763,534.
The city was founded in 1852 and elevated to municipality in 1894 and has an economic history closely tied to the tertiary sector and the primary sector. São José do Rio Preto celebrates its anniversary on March 19, Saint Joseph's Day.
Prior to the 19th century, the region of São José do Rio Preto was inhabited by the Kaingang indigenous people. Over time, their numbers gradually declined as a result of migration, exploratory expeditions known as "bandeiras" and miscegenation with other groups.
The city was established on March 19, 1852, by João Bernardino de Seixas Ribeiro, a migrant from Minas Gerais. Luiz Antônio da Silveira, a local farmer, generously contributed a portion of his land to establish the new city as a tribute to the patron saint, Saint Joseph.
The municipality of São José do Rio Preto was officially founded in 1894 and the territory ceased to be a part of Jaboticabal; it was a large territory, limited by the rivers Paraná, Grande, Tietê and Turvo, comprising approximately 26,000 km2 of land.
The railway reached the city in 1912, following the expansion of the Araraquarense Railway (Estrada de Ferro Araraquara). After the completion, the railway played a crucial role in the development of the city; it transformed the city into a terminal point of railroad transport, of people abroad and agricultural products of Rio Preto and neighboring cities, turning Rio Preto, in 1929, into a growing urban core with circa 27,800 inhabitants
Between 1906 and 1944, the city was known by the toponym Rio Preto; in 1944, a proposal was made to change the name of the city to Iboruna, meaning "Black River" in the Tupi language, but the proposal was not approved.
In 1943, the Dr. Fernando Costa Municipal Public Library was inaugurated and on July 19, 1944, the Municipal Market was inaugurated, still in operation. In January 1973, the Humberto Sinibaldi Neto Municipal Theater was inaugurated; also in 1973, the construction of the new Cathedral of Saint Joseph began, now the seat of the Archdiocese of São José do Rio Preto.
On July 19, 1980, in the second term of mayor Adail Vetorazzo, the actual building of the Dr. Fernando Costa Municipal Public Library was inaugurated.
The name São José do Rio Preto is derived from the combination of the words "São José" (Saint Joseph) and "Rio Preto" (Black River), which translates literally as "Saint Joseph of the Black River". Saint Joseph is the city's patron saint and the Preto is the major river that runs through the city.
São José do Rio Preto is located in the north/northwest part of the state of São Paulo in a region between the rivers Grande, Paraná and Tietê. The ecological makeup of the region blends elements of the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) with remnants of the Atlantic Forest. In terms of topography, the area is characterized by gently rolling hills, with an average elevation of 489 m (1,604 ft).
The São José do Rio Preto Reservoir Park is located at the eastern part of the city. It was established in 1955 with the aim of enhancing the water supply and conserving the natural environment along the banks of the Rio Preto. In 2011, new walking tracks and bike tracks were added, spanning the entire length of the park. Presently, the park boasts over 10,000 native species of local fauna, as well as kiosks and free outdoor gym equipment.
The city has two educational ecological parks: the Educational Ecological Park “Danilo Santos De Miranda” and the Educational Ecological Park “Dr. Joaquim de Paula Ribeiro”, wooded areas with walking tracks, children's playgrounds, focused on the appreciation and integration of the environment, leisure and[education.
The Municipal Zoo, Zoobotânico Municipal, founded in 1973, counts with a native forest reserve and a zoo with approximately 300 animals of 70 species in an urban area of 14 hectares with remnants of Atlantic Forest and Cerrado vegetation; it safeguards wild animals that are victims of trafficking, run overs and fires, as well as fostering orphaned cubs.
São José do Rio Preto is the third city with the highest urban afforestation rate in Brazil; 97.78% of the city's inhabitants lives on streets with trees, according to the 2022 IBGE census.
The climate in São José do Rio Preto is classified as tropical (Aw), characterized by hot and rainy summers, as well as mild and dry winters.
The average annual temperature is around 23 °C (73 °F). The city typically receives an average annual precipitation ranging from 1,300 to 1,500 mm (51 to 59 in). In 2008, the recorded rainfall reached 1,593 mm (62.7 in).
The tertiary sector is the main sector of the economy of São José do Rio Preto, representing 84,53% of the total income; the secondary sector corresponds to 15,19%. The primary sector have a small portion of the GDP, accounting for less than 1%. The primary agricultural products in the city includes sugarcane, rubber, oranges, and maize.
In 2021, the GDP of São José do Rio Preto reached R$20.9 billion, with R$14.5 billion from the tertiary sector, R$2.1 billion from the secondary sector, R$64.1 million from the primary sector and R$1.8 billion from public administration. From January to October 2025, exports totaled US$54.9 million (R$300.3 million), a 35% increase compared to 2024.
Being a services and commerce center, São José do Rio Preto has five shopping malls: Riopreto Shopping Center, inaugurated in 1988, Praça Shopping, inaugurated in 1998, Plaza Avenida Shopping, inaugurated in 2007, Shopping Cidade Norte, inaugurated in 2012 and Shopping Iguatemi, inaugurated in 2014.
The industrial complex of the city comprises three industrial districts and thirteen mini-districts, with the primary employers being small and medium-sized businesses.
The Technological Park Vanda Karina Simei Bolçone was inaugurated in 2018 and is specialized in the areas of health, biotechnology, agribusiness and design.
According to the Brazilian Human Development Index (HDI), São José do Rio Preto was classified as having a high level of development in 2010, with a value of 0.797. This ranking places it at the 50th position out of 5,565 municipalities in Brazil, and 27th out of 645 municipalities in the state of São Paulo. In 2025, according to the Firjan Municipal Development Index, São José do Rio Preto was the 8th most developed city in Brazil and the 4th most developed in the state of São Paulo.
According to the IBGE census of 2022, 67.53% of the population was White, 25.67% was Mixed, 5.88% was Black, 0.85% was Asian and 0.06% was Indigenous.
Around 45% of the population of São José do Rio Preto are descendants of Italians who came to the region from the end of the 19th century, around 1880. Since then, the presence of the Italian culture has marked the life of the region and its roots can be seen in the names of streets and neighborhoods, in customs, in language, in religion, in art and the gastronomy.
The city is home to the archdiocese of São José do Rio Preto, created a metropolitan archdiocese by Pope Leo XIV on May 22, 2025. The diocese is a heritage site situated at the same location where the first chapel was built in 1852. The cathedral serves as the epicenter of the city and houses various artworks, including a sculpture of Saint Joseph dating back to the 19th century.
According to the 2010 census, the city's population consists of the following religious affiliations: Roman Catholics (58.7%), Brazilian Protestants (23.79%), Spiritists (6.81%), individuals with no religious affiliation (5.57%), Jehovah's Witnesses (1.47%), Atheists (0.38%), members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (0.18%), Buddhists (0.18%), practitioners of Umbanda and Candomblé (0.17%), Eastern Orthodox Christians (0.07%), and Jews (0.03%).
In 2018, São José do Rio Preto experienced its highest number of homicides in 16 years, with 45 recorded murders compared to 47 in 2002. The following year, in 2019, the number of homicides decreased to 24 but then increased to 30 in the subsequent year. On the other hand, the number of robberies saw a slight decrease in 2020, with 968 reported cases compared to 1,258 in the previous year.
According to the IBGE census of 2022, São José do Rio Preto had 220,173 households with an average number of residents per household of 2.57 people; by the same census, 99.97% of the households had bathrooms, 95.42% had connection to the sewage network, 99.86% had waste collection and 91.38% had Internet access. In 2023, according to a study by the Instituto Trata Brasil, São José do Rio Preto had the best sanitation between de 100 largest cities in Brazil, including 100% of the population with access to treated water. The city treats 100% of the collected sewage.
São José do Rio Preto has no favelas. The city's last substandard settlement was Favela Marte, which was restructured and urbanized through a pioneering project in Brazil that replaced shacks without infrastructure with 239 homes for 743 people and inaugurated in 2024 with complete infrastructure.
The city's main public hospital is the Hospital de Base (Base Hospital), the second largest hospital in the state of São Paulo and one of the largest in Brazil. The hospital complex has 8,800 employees, including 1,082 physicians, 641 residents in 48 specialties, 3,689 nursing professionals and 3,388 professionals from various health, administrative, and support areas. The institution has 1,318 beds, 1,048 of which are in the ward and 268 in the ICU, in addition to the largest surgical center in the interior of São Paulo, with 46 rooms for highly complex procedures and robotic surgeries. Additionally, catering specifically to the healthcare needs of children, the Hospital da Criança e Maternidade (HCM) was established in 2013 and is located next to the Hospital de Base, standing as the largest pediatric hospital in Brazil, with 255 beds. Other public hospitals are the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São José do Rio Preto, the Municipal Hospital Dr. Domingo Marcolino Braile and the State Hospital João Paulo II.
The private hospitals of the city are the Beneficência Portuguesa, that has a heliport, the Austa Hospital, the Hospital Santa Helena and the Hospital Rio Preto Hapvida.
In 2018, primary schools in São José do Rio Preto reported a total enrollment of 48,200 students, while secondary schools recorded 15,335 enrollments. The year 2017 witnessed a total of 27,352 enrollments in higher education institutions.
The city is supported by a network of 36 public schools and 51 private schools, providing education from preschool to secondary levels. Furthermore, the municipality operates 153 public schools, including elementary, middle, and high schools.
São José do Rio Preto is also home to two public universities, UNESP (IBILCE), specialized in biosciences, languages and exact sciences and FAMERP, specialized in medicine and nursing. It has a campus of the FATEC, which offers programs in technology. The city has a campus of the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology. From 2026, São José do Rio Preto will have a campus of the Federal University of São Carlos with nine courses.
Additionally, the city houses a number of private universities, like UNIP, UNIRP, Faceres, UNORTE and UNILAGO.
Text from the Wikipedia article “São José do Rio Preto”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.