CE · Northeast · State capital
Population: 2,582,360 (IBGE estimate 2026)
Machine translation of the Portuguese Wikipedia article (November 2026 version).
Fortaleza is the capital of the Brazilian state of Ceará, in the Northeast Region of the country. Located 2,285 km from Brasília, the federal capital, the city developed on the banks of the Pajeú stream, and its toponym alludes to Fort Schoonenborch, built by the Dutch during their second stay on the site, between 1649 and 1654, which gave rise to the municipality. The motto of Fortaleza, present in its coat of arms, is the Latin word Fortitudine, which in Portuguese means “by/with strength, valour, courage”.
It is located on the Atlantic coast, at an average altitude of sixteen metres, with 34 km of beaches. Fortaleza has just over 312 km² of area and 2,428,678 inhabitants according to the 2022 Demographic Census, as well as the highest population density among the country's capitals, at 8,390.76 inhabitants/km². It is the largest city in the North and Northeast regions by population and the fourth in Brazil. The Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza is the sixth most populous in Brazil and the first in the North-Northeast, with 3,903,945 inhabitants in 2022. It is the northeastern city with the largest area of regional influence and has the third largest urban network in Brazil by population, behind only São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Read the full article on Wikipedia (in Portuguese)
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Well-known places within 50 km of the city center, closest first. Source: Wikidata (public domain).
0 to 100, compared with Brazilian municipalities of 100,000+ residents (rent: compared among the 36 cities with rent data).
CE average (9 cities): 37 · All 338 cities: 76
Intentional violent deaths per 100k (police records)
28.46 per 100k residents
Source: Ministério da Justiça – Sinesp VDE (ocorrências por município) · Reference: 2025 · License: Open data
Personal safety (SPI)
38.73 score 0–100
Source: Índice de Progresso Social Brasil · Reference: SPI Brazil 2026 (2024 data) · License: CC BY 4.0 (report)
All 36 cities: 46
Asking rent (BRL/m²)
Lower rent Shown as a band among the 36 cities with rent data (thirds). See the source for exact prices.
Source: Índice FipeZAP de Locação Residencial · Reference: Sep 2026 · License: Proprietary
CE average (9 cities): 19 · All 338 cities: 34
Formal jobs per 1,000 residents
330.67 per 1,000 residents
Source: IBGE – Cadastro Central de Empresas (Cempre) · Reference: 2024 · License: Open data
Average monthly wage of formal jobs (BRL)
3,526.35 BRL/month
Source: IBGE – Cadastro Central de Empresas (Cempre) · Reference: 2024 · License: Open data
CE average (9 cities): 25 · All 338 cities: 34
Hospital beds per 1,000
3.43 per 1,000 residents
Source: CNES / DATASUS (TabNet) · Reference: Sep 2026 · License: Public data
Doctors per 1,000
3.89 per 1,000 residents
Source: CNES / DATASUS (TabNet) · Reference: Sep 2026 · License: Public data
CE average (9 cities): 63 · All 338 cities: 54
Ideb – late grades (9th grade), public schools
5.2 score 0–10
Source: INEP – Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (Ideb) · Reference: 2025 · License: Open data
Ideb – early grades (5th grade), public schools
6.1 score 0–10
Source: INEP – Índice de Desenvolvimento da Educação Básica (Ideb) · Reference: 2025 · License: Open data
CE average (9 cities): 52 · All 338 cities: 65
Fixed broadband per 100 homes
28.06 per 100 households
Source: Anatel – Acessos de Banda Larga Fixa · Reference: Aug 2026 · License: Open data
Home connections at 100 Mbps or faster (%)
95.12 %
Source: Anatel – Acessos de Banda Larga Fixa · Reference: Aug 2026 · License: Open data
CE average (9 cities): 56 · All 338 cities: 60
Distance to intl. airport (km)
5.69 km
Source: ANAC – Voo Regular Ativo e Aeródromos · Reference: Sep 2025–Aug 2026 · License: Open data
International departures within 100 km
1,215 departures in 12 months
Source: ANAC – Voo Regular Ativo e Aeródromos · Reference: Sep 2025–Aug 2026 · License: Open data
Nearest international airport
Pinto Martins (SBFZ), 6 km in a straight line · 1,215 international departures in 12 months
score 0–100 · Source: Índice de Progresso Social Brasil · Reference: SPI Brazil 2026 (2024 data) · License: CC BY 4.0 (report)
Hot Average temperature: 27.5 °C (Average temperature 25 °C (77 °F) or higher)
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg. high (°C) | 31.2 | 31.1 | 30.8 | 30.6 | 30.8 | 30.5 | 30.6 | 31.1 | 31.4 | 31.6 | 31.7 | 31.7 |
| Avg. low (°C) | 24.5 | 24.3 | 23.9 | 23.8 | 23.8 | 23.2 | 22.8 | 22.9 | 23.6 | 24.3 | 24.7 | 24.9 |
| Rain (mm) | 156 | 187 | 337 | 385 | 229 | 130 | 70 | 20 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 37 |
Weather station Fortaleza, 10 km away · climate normals 1991-2020 · Source: INMET Normais Climatológicas · License: Public data
Up to 150 km in a straight line. Scores use your weights.
Topic scores closest to those of Fortaleza. Scores use your weights.
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