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Uberaba () is a municipality in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is located in the Brazilian Highlands at an elevation of 823 metres (2,700 ft) above sea level on the Uberaba River, and is situated 418 kilometres (260 mi) from the state capital, Belo Horizonte. The city was granted its status in 1856 and derives its name from the Tupi language, meaning "bright water". As of 2021, the population was 340,277 inhabitants.
Initially a part of the Captaincy of Goias, the territory of Uberaba was incorporated into the Captaincy of Minas Gerais in 1816. It gained recognition as a parish in 1820 and was officially designated as a city in 1856.
In 1889, the inaugural railway station was established due to the expansion of the Mogiana Railway from the neighboring municipality of Sacramento. The introduction of the railway system boosted the economy of Uberaba in the subsequent years.
Currently, Uberaba is known for its lively livestock and agribusiness events. As an industrial hub, the city functions as a regional center for culture, commerce, and entertainment, hosting a diverse array of institutions, markets, and entertainment venues.
The municipality includes the rural district of Peirópolis, known for its paleontological site. This area features the Paleontological Research Center Llewellyn Ivor Price and a museum dedicated to local fossil discoveries.
On 27 March 2024, Uberaba gained recognition from UNESCO as a global geopark.
Precipitation occurs on an average of 86 days per year, with the highest amount in December and the lowest in July.
In 2021, the Immediate Geographic Region of Uberaba comprised 10 municipalities spanning an area of 14,281.652 km2 (5,514.17 sq mi).
The service sector employs slightly over half of the city's population, followed by the manufacturing industry, and agriculture ranking third. The industrial sector encompasses various fields such as agribusiness, food processing, textile manufacturing, steel production, mining, chemical manufacturing, electronic devices, home appliances, and more.
The chemical manufacturing sector is concentrated in the local industrial park, with processing plants operated by chemical companies, including Mosaic, FMC Corporation, Sipcam Nichino (UPL), and Yara. In 2021, the city ranked 62nd among the 100 largest economies in Brazil, with a GDP of Brazilian real 20.3 billion and a GDP per capita of R$ 59,943.
In 2011, Petrobras selected Uberaba as the site for its UFN-5 (Nitrogen Fertilizer Unit 5), which was designed to connect to the GASBOL pipeline and produce 1,500 metric tons of ammonia daily. Construction of UFN-5 began in 2014 as part of the PAC-2, but was suspended in 2015 at 30% completion due to Petrobras' financial crisis, influenced by Operation Car Wash, and the company's redirection of resources to Pre-salt layer oil fields. After listing the site for sale without a successful auction, the Government of Minas Gerais transferred it back to Uberaba in 2021 under a 20-year lease. In 2022, Atlas Agro signed a letter of intent to establish a sustainable nitrogen fertilizer facility at the location.
The first paleontological discoveries in the territory were made by chance in 1945 when workers in the rural district of Peirópolis accidentally came across well-preserved fossils. Subsequently, paleontologist Llewellyn Ivor Price, associated with the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), conducted extensive scientific research in the region from 1947 until 1974, with Peirosaurus being one of Price's early findings in the area of the Serra da Galga Formation. The specimens collected during this period were later transferred to the Museum of Earth Sciences in Rio de Janeiro.
In 1991, it was established in Peirópolis, the Paleontological Research Center Llewellyn Ivor Price, locally known as the Centro de Pesquisas Paleontológicas Llewellyn Ivor Price. Currently, the research center collaborates with various national and international research institutions, and serves as a hub for paleontology in Brazil, focusing on understanding the fossil fauna and environments of the Late Cretaceous in the region, maintaining its own technical team for fossil preservation. As an integral part of the Research Center, The Dinosaur Museum aims to disseminate paleontological knowledge to the general public through interactive and educational exhibitions. The museum attracts an average of 100,000 visitors annually.
In 2022, a geological survey identified 31 Geoheritage and sites in Uberaba. Across the territory, over 10,000 prehistoric animal fossils have been documented, which includes Sauropoda, Theropoda, and Velociraptor, along with various other specimens such as fishes, frogs, Crocodyliformes, turtles, birds, mammals, mollusks, and the presence of Trace fossil. Among the most notable discoveries is the Uberabatitan, unearthed in 2004.
The railway system is managed by VLI Multimodal S.A., which operates the rail network linking the local intermodal terminal to the southeastern corridor of Ferrovia Centro-Atlântica. The corridor ultimately leads to the Port of Santos.
Air access is provided by Uberaba Airport.
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