Piracicaba is a city located in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. The population in 2004 was 355,039 in an area of 1,371.8 km², at an elevation of 547 m above sea level.

The place name comes from a word in the Tupi language that means "place where the fishes stop". The name is due to the beautiful waterfalls of the Piracicaba River that bisect the city, where the "piracema" (fish swimming upstream to reproduce) or larger fish species such as the dourados can still be observed.

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It is famous for sugarcane plantations, traditional cane spirit production and traditional music. The city houses the oldest agricultural faculty in Brazil, the Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz of the University of Sao Paulo. This faculty is more than 100 years old and is located on a farm with a fantastic collection of trees and plants. Piracicaba is known by the nickname "Noiva da Colina" (the bride of the hills).

Every year Piracicaba is host to the "Festa das Nacoes" (Fair of the Countries), where people can enjoy foods from all over the world, and the "Salao Internacional do Humor" (International Humor Exposition), where many cartoonists from all over the world display their comic drawings.

In 1766, Antonio Correa Barbosa, charged with the task of establishing a settlement on the Piracicaba River’s estuary, opted for a location about 90 km from it. Piracicaba was officially founded in August 1, 1767.

Piracicaba's economy is fueled in part by the rapidly expanding sugar-cane industry. The harvesting of sugar-cane yields many products, such as sugar, oil, and alcohol. Copersucar, a large company that has a research center focusing on the genetic improvement of sugar-cane, helps fuel this growing industry.