Caruaru

Caruaru
Cidade de Caruaru
City
City of Caruaru
Flag of Caruaru
Official seal of Caruaru
Caruaru is located in Brazil
Caruaru
Caruaru
Coordinates: 08°16′58″S 35°58′33″W / 8.28278°S 35.97583°W / -8.28278; -35.97583
Country Brazil
RegionNortheast
State Pernambuco
Founded1849
Government
 • MayorRaquel Lyra (PSDB)
Area
 • Total920.61 km2 (355.45 sq mi)
Elevation
545 m (1,788 ft)
Population
 (2024 [1])
 • Total401,109
 • Density440/km2 (1,100/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-3 (UTC−3)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-3 (UTC−3)
Postal code
55000-000
Area code+55 81
HDI (2024)0.790 – medium
Websitewww.caruaru.pe.gov.br

Caruaru is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Pernambuco. The most populous city in the interior of the state, Caruaru is located in the microzone of Agreste and because of its cultural importance, it is nicknamed Capital do Agreste (Portuguese for the "capital city of the Agreste region"), Princesinha do Agreste ("Little Princess of Agreste"), and Capital do Forró ("the capital city of forró").

The city is located 140 kilometers (87 miles) from the state capital of Recife, which has an international airport. However, Caruaru has its own airport. Caruaru is renowned for its extensive Festival de São João ("Saint John's Festival"), which takes up the whole month of June, sometimes extending into July. Caruaru had a 2024 resident population of 401,109 inhabitants, living in a land area of 920.61 square kilometers (355.45 square miles).

Caruaru is the hometown, among others, of Álvaro Lins, Brazilian journalist, and Lieutenant Brigadier Reginaldo dos Santos, former dean of the Brazilian Technological Institute for Aeronautics.