Ourinhos is a Brazilian municipality in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Located west of the state capital, it is approximately 370 km away. Covering an area of , its population according to the 2022 Brazilian census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) was , making it the 76th most populous in São Paulo. It is 994 km from Brasília, the federal capital.
The municipality was emancipated from Salto Grande in the 1910s, and its name refers to the former municipality of Ourinho, now Jacarezinho, in the state of Paraná. Currently, it consists of the city of Ourinhos, with its seat being its only district, further subdivided into approximately 120 neighborhoods. It is also one of the main cities in the region, with commerce as its primary economic activity. In agriculture, the cultivation of sugarcane, soybean, and maize stands out.
The municipality also boasts a rich cultural tradition, encompassing handicrafts, theater, music, and sports. The city is notable for events often organized by the Ourinhos city hall, sometimes in partnership with local businesses. One of the main events is the Ourinhos Agricultural and Industrial Fair, held annually in June and considered one of the largest events of its kind in the country.
History Before emancipation Until the late 19th century, the area that is now the municipality of Ourinhos was a pristine forest, inhabited by the Kaingang Indians. During this period, monocultures of coffee and cotton reached the hinterlands along the Paranapanema River, accompanied by the onset of Italian immigration, which rapidly populated the area. This led Jacinto Ferreira de Sá, originally from Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, to acquire a vast tract of land from Escolástica Melchert da Fonseca. He subdivided the central portion and donated land for the construction of a school, an administrative headquarters, and a Methodist church.
In 1906, a small settlement with a limited number of houses began to form. In 1908, a railway post was established, which, four years later, was transformed into a railway station belonging to the Sorocaba Railway. The station served as a transfer point for passengers heading to the neighboring settlement of Ourinhos (now Jacarezinho, Paraná). From this time onward, the future city’s development was driven by the fertility of its lands and its advantageous geographical position, making it a strategic economic location due to its connection with northern Paraná and its position between Assis and Avaré, key cities in the Paranapanema Valley. The small settlement became a district under Salto Grande de Paranapanema in 1915. Three years later, it was elevated to the status of municipality on 13 December 1918, with its official establishment on 20 March 1919.
Administrative formation and etymology It was elevated to a district under the name Ourinhos by State Law No. 1484 on 13 December 1915, belonging to the municipality of Salto Grande. It was then elevated to municipality status under the same name by Law No. 1618 on 13 December 1918, separated from Salto Grande. It consisted of the seat district, with its establishment occurring on 20 March 1919. By State Decree-Law No. 9073 of 31 March 1938, the Municipality of Ourinhos was part of the sub-district of Salto Grande, within the Salto Grande judicial district. Under the framework established by State Decree No. 9775 of 30 November of the same year, it became the sole sub-district of the Ourinhos judicial district.
The name "Ourinhos" was used even before its political emancipation. A 1908 map shows a city named Ourinho (singular) in Paraná, where Jacarezinho now stands. In fact, the Paraná Ourinho was also called Nova Alcântara, chosen by its founder, Antônio Alcântara da Fonseca, a miner who settled there in 1888. State Law No. 352 of 2 April 1900 established that Nova Alcântara (or Ourinho) and the Jacarezinho police district be incorporated into the Jacarezinho sub-district, with the appointment of a judge and deputy prosecutor. Law No. 525 of 9 March 1904 created the Jacarezinho judicial district, effectively dissolving the Paraná Ourinho, though maps continued to use the old name for some time. The Sorocaba Railway formalized the São Paulo Ourinhos, which inherited the name through oral tradition. Thus, Ourinhos was already referred to by this name regionally, as Ourinho was sometimes called Nova Alcântara, causing confusion among residents who often referred to the current Ourinhos even before its official designation. Like many Brazilian cities, Ourinhos was already a city in practice before its official political emancipation.
After emancipation
With the resumption of the railway and deforestation, fertile lands facilitated coffee cultivation for export, which was highly profitable for landowners at the time. Concurrently, merchants and professionals from various regions arrived, contributing to the municipality’s growth and development. During this period, immigrants from Japan, Italy, and other countries were attracted to Ourinhos, primarily to cultivate lands along the railway. Another railway, the São Paulo-Paraná Railway, built in 1922, connected São Paulo and Paraná, making Ourinhos a significant economic hub and junction.
The city’s urban development required improvements in urban infrastructure. In the 1910s, the first newspaper was published. The Ourinhos Water and Sewage Superintendency (SAE) was established by Law No. 808 on 13 April 1967, during the administration of Mayor Domingos Camerlingo Caló.
Due to the growth of Ourinhos and neighboring cities, the Ourinhos Microregion was created, encompassing Ourinhos and 18 other municipalities, including Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo, Piraju, Fartura, Ipaussu, Chavantes, Taguaí, Bernardino de Campos, Manduri, Salto Grande, São Pedro do Turvo, Tejupá, and Ribeirão do Sul. In 2006, its population was estimated by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics at approximately inhabitants across a total area of 5,568.472 km². Its average HDI was 0.792, and the average GDP per capita was R$9,501.74 in 2003. It is located in the Assis Mesoregion.
Demographics
In the 2022 census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the population of the municipality was 103,970 inhabitants, with a population density of 351.47 inhabitants/km².
In the 2010 census, the population was recorded by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) as inhabitants. According to that census, inhabitants were men, and were women. Additionally, inhabitants lived in the urban area, and in the rural area. According to statistics released in 2013, the municipal population was inhabitants, making it the 73rd most populous in the state. Of the total population in 2010, inhabitants (21.29%) were under 15 years old, inhabitants (69.66%) were aged 15 to 64, and people (9.04%) were over 65. The life expectancy at birth was 76.5 years, and the total fertility rate per woman was 1.7.
The Municipal Human Development Index (HDI-M) of Ourinhos is considered high by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with a value of 0.778 (the 145th highest in Brazil). The city has most indicators close to the national average according to the UNDP. The education index is 0.727, the longevity index is 0.859, and the income index is 0.753.
Poverty and inequality According to the IBGE, in 2003, the Gini coefficient, which measures social inequality, was 0.46, where 1.00 is the worst and 0.00 is the best. The incidence of poverty, as measured by the IBGE, was 14.92%, with the lower poverty threshold at 14.56%, the upper at 14.92%, and subjective poverty at 18.12%.
According to IBGE data published by the Ministry of Social Development, Ourinhos has families below the poverty line, or people (3.65% of the population). In March 2013, the municipality had families enrolled in the Bolsa Família Program, representing 65.89% of the estimated total families eligible for the program (65.89% coverage). Of the Bolsa Família beneficiaries, people lived in families with a per capita income below R$70.00 and would be in extreme poverty without the program’s benefits.
Religion
Reflecting the cultural diversity in Ourinhos, the city is home to a variety of religious traditions. While it developed on a predominantly Catholic social foundation, dozens of different Protestant denominations can now be found. The growth of evangelicals has also been notable, reaching nearly 26.00% of the population.
According to the 2010 census conducted by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, the population of Ourinhos consists of: Catholics (67.57%), evangelicals (25.56%), people with no religion (3.76%), Spiritists (1.02%), and 2.16% divided among other religions.
Christianity is present in the city as follows:The term "Christian" (in Greek Χριστιανός, transl. Christianós) was first used to refer to the disciples of Jesus Christ in the city of Antioch (Acts 11:26), around 44 AD, meaning "followers of Christ." The first recorded use of the term "Christianity" (in Greek Χριστιανισμός, Christianismós) was by Ignatius of Antioch, around the year 100. Tyndale Bible Dictionary, pp. 266, 828
Catholic Church Ourinhos is located in the country with the largest Catholic population in absolute numbers. The Catholic Church had its legal status recognized by the federal government in October 2009, although Brazil is currently an officially secular state. The city is the seat of the Diocese of Ourinhos.
Evangelical churches The city is home to a variety of Protestant or reformed denominations, such as: Assembly of God. Christian Congregation in Brazil. Foursquare Church.
Geography According to the regional division in effect since 2017, established by the IBGE, Ourinhos belongs to the homonymous immediate geographic region and the Marília intermediate region. Previously, under the division into microregions and mesoregions, it was part of the Ourinhos microregion, which was included in the Assis mesoregion. It borders the municipalities of São Pedro do Turvo to the north; Jacarezinho, in the state of Paraná, to the south; Santa Cruz do Rio Pardo and Canitar to the east; and Salto Grande to the west. It is intersected east-west by the parallel 49° 52' 15" and north-south by the meridian 22° 58' 44". The municipality’s area is 296.203 square kilometers (km²), representing 0.12% of the São Paulo territory, 0.03% of the Southeast region, and 0.004% of the entire Brazilian territory. The urban perimeter area is km² (2015).
Ourinhos is located within the Paraná River hydrographic basin, at an average altitude of 492 meters, with several sub-basins of small and medium streams playing significant roles in its configuration. Its main rivers are the Paranapanema, Pardo, and Turvo, all of which flow through the city’s urban perimeter. The topography is slightly rugged but predominantly flat.
The native vegetation of the municipality belongs to the Atlantic Forest domain, featuring a variety of fauna and flora species. One of the city’s main environmental reserves is the Biologist Tânia Mara Netto Silva Ecological Park, preserving the last stretch of native Atlantic Forest in the municipality, covering about 122,000 m² of wildlife and native plants.
This park also plays a significant role in municipal tourism, hosting activities such as trail walks, meditation, and various sports. To preserve local fauna and flora and improve air quality in various neighborhoods, tree-planting initiatives are carried out across the municipality, using native species such as aroeira, myrcia oblongata, ipê, and pitanga.
Climate