Itapecerica da Serra
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Location in São Paulo state
Itapecerica da Serra Location in Brazil
Coordinates: 23°43′2″S 46°50′58″W / 23.71722°S 46.84944°W / -23.71722; -46.84944
Country	Brazil
Region	Southeast Brazil
State	São Paulo
Metropolitan Region	São Paulo
Area
• Total	150.74 km2 (58.20 sq mi)
Elevation	920 m (3,020 ft)
Population  (2020 [1])
• Total	177,662
• Density	1,200/km2 (3,100/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−3 (BRT)

Itapecerica da Serra (Portuguese pronunciation: [itapeˈsɛɾikɐ dɐ ˈsɛʁɐ]) is a municipality in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo.^[2] The population is 177,662 (2020 est.) in an area of 150.74 km² (58.20 sq mi).^[3] It is located 23 miles southwest of São Paulo and at an altitude of 920 m (3,020 ft) above sea level. The name Itapecerica is believed to come from the Tupi language for slippery stone, and da Serra means of the Mountains in Portuguese.

History

Itapecerica da Serra was founded in 1562 by the Jesuit missionaries. It was one of several settlements Christianized indians, established around the Colégio de São Paulo de Piratininga (later to become the city of São Paulo) as a first line of defense against raids by hostile Indians. Besides the local inhabitants, the village incorporated natives from the village of Carapicuíba, brought by bandeirante Afonso Sardinha and priest Belchior Pontes.