Passo Fundo is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the north of the southern Brazilian state of
Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande do Sul (, , ; "Great River of the South") is a Federative units of Brazil, state in the South Region, Brazil, southern region of Brazil. It is the Federative_units_of_Brazil#List, fifth-most-populous state and the List of Brazilian st ...
. It is named after its river. It's the twelfth largest city in the state with an estimated population of 204,722 inhabitants living in a total municipal area of 780 km
2.
Passo Fundo is a city well known because of the singer, composer and filmmaker Vitor Mateus Teixeira, better known as
Teixeirinha, he was born in the city of
Rolante in Rio Grande do Sul, and adopted the city of Passo Fundo as his own, the singer liked a lot from the city, in 1960 he composed the song "Gaúcho de Passo Fundo", which was very successful and made Passo Fundo become a known city throughout Brazil. Teixeirinha composed two more songs in homage to the city of Passo Fundo, they are "Saudades de Passo Fundo" (1963) and "Passo Fundo do Coração" (1973), as well as producing and starring in a film set in the city, a film called "O Gaucho de Passo Fundo", released in 1978.
Accessibility
The following highways leave Passo Fundo:
*BR 285: east to west
*BR 153: north to south
*RS 324: northwest to southeast
*RS 135: northeast
The town is served by
Lauro Kurtz Airport
Lauro Kurtz Airport is the airport serving Passo Fundo, Brazil.
It is managed by contract by Infraero.
History
The airport was renovated in 2007. In January 2021 the airport was closed for the renovation of the runway and construction of a ne ...
located on BR-285, São José. Daily flights from Passo Fundo are headed to:
*With Oceanair - Guarulhos, SP
*With Azul - Campinas, SP
*With NHT - Porto Alegre, Santo Ângelo, Pelotas, Rio Grande, Sant'Ana do Livramento/Riveira, Santa Maria, Florianópolis, Curitiba, Santa Rosa, Erechim, Caçador, and Joaçaba.
Distances to other major cities
Distances from Passo Fundo to:
*
Bagé
Bagé () is a city located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. In 2020, its population was 121,335 in a total area of 4,096 km2. It was the seventeenth largest city in the state according to the 2011 census. The city was founded in 18 ...
, RS: 541 km (336 mi).
*
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
, Argentina: 1238 km (769 mi).
*
Caxias do Sul
Caxias do Sul (), is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, situated in the state's mountainous Serra Gaúcha region. It was established by Italian immigrants on June 20, 1890. Today it is the second largest city in the state of Rio Gr ...
, RS: 207 km (129 mi).
*
Chapecó
Chapecó () is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina, in the Southern Region of Brazil. Being a major industrial, financial and educational center, it is a major producer of industrialized food products. Considered a medium city, with a p ...
, SC: 180 km (112 mi).
*
Curitiba
Curitiba () is the capital and largest city in the state of Paraná (state), Paraná in Brazil. The city's population was 1,948,626 , making it the List of cities in Brazil by population, eighth most populous city in Brazil and the largest in ...
, PR: 582 km (362 mi).
*
Florianópolis
Florianópolis () is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina, in the South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as well as part of the mainland. It has a populat ...
, SC: 510 km (317 mi).
*
Montevideo
Montevideo () is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
,
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
: 1026 km (638 mi).
*
Pelotas
Pelotas () is a Brazilian city and municipality (''município''), the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located 270 km (168 mi) from Porto Alegre, the state's capital city, and 130 km (80.8&nb ...
, RS: 561 km (349 mi).
*
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre (, , Brazilian ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of 1,488,252 inhabitants (2020) makes it the List of largest cities in Brazil, twelfth most populous city in the country ...
, RS: 280 km (174 min).
*
Santana do Livramento
Santana do Livramento is a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is located along the border with the city of Rivera, Uruguay, forming together an international city of almost 170,000 inhabitants. Santana do Livramento was founded on J ...
, RS: 591 km (367 mi).
*Santa Maria, RS: 293 km (182 mi).
*
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
, SP : 966 km (600 mi).
*
Uruguaiana
Uruguaiana is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. It is located on the eastern shore of the Uruguay River
bordering Argentina. Opposite to Uruguaiana, and joined to it by a road/railway bridge, lies the Argentine city of P ...
, RS: 562 km (349 mi).
Climate
Lying near
latitude 28° South at an elevation of 690 m (2,263.8 ft), Passo Fundo has a
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
. The annual mean temperature is 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) with highs of 28.4 °C (83.1 °F) in January and 18.3 °C (64.9 °F) in July and lows of 17.7 °C (63.9 °F) in January and 8.8 °C (47.8 °F) in July. Winters can be slightly cool with temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F), frequent frosts and occasional snowfalls. Rainfall is spread out throughout the year with September receiving the highest amount of 183.4 mm (7.2 in) and May receiving the lowest amount of 133.5 mm (5.3 in). Humidity is around 70% every month.
![Estatua do Teixeiriha](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a1/Estatua_do_Teixeiriha.jpg)
Economy
The economy is predominantly based on services, with some light industry and agriculture in the surrounding area. Transformation industries employed 8,731 workers in 2006, with commerce employing 19,287, public administration employing 2,808, education employing 3,374, and health employing 4,624 workers.
In the agricultural sector there was limited cattle-raising activity due to the small area of the municipality. The poultry industry was of some significance. The main crops were corn, soybeans, and wheat. In 2006 there were 887 farms employing around 3,600 workers, most of whom were relatives of the farm owner.
Health and education
Passo Fundo is the third largest medical center in southern Brazil. The city has one of the largest and most modern radiology centers and radiation based at São Vicente de Paulo Hospital.
On the Human Development Index Passo Fundo was given .804 in 2000, ranking 149 out of 467 municipalities in the state and 478 out of 3,527 municipalities in the country. Life expectancy (male and female) was 68.5 and the literacy rate was 94%.
In 2005 there were 72 health establishments, of which 4 were hospitals providing 837 beds (69 public).
*Hospital Beneficente Dr. César Santos,
Endereço: Alcides Moura, 82 - Vila Popular
*Hospital da Cidade de Passo Fundo
Endereço: Tiradentes, 295 - Centro
*Hospital Prontoclínica LTDA
Endereço: Doutor Arthur Leite, 37 - Centro
*Hospital São Vicente de Paulo
Endereço: Teixeira Soares, 808 - Centro
In the educational sector there were 78 primary schools, 8 middle and secondary schools, and 53 pre-primary schools. In 2005 there were 5 institutes of higher education with around 12,000 students.
The schools of higher education are:
* Faculdade de tecnologia SENAC
Endereço: Sete de Setembro, 1045 - Centro
Site:www.senacrs.com.br
*Faculdade Meridional
Endereço: Senador Pinheiro, 304 - Vila Cruzeiro
Site:www.imed.edu.br
*Faplan
Endereço: Paissandu, 1200 - Centro
Site:www.faplan.edu.br
*Portal Faculdades
Endereço: RS-153, 555 - Vila Nossa Senhora Aparecida
Site:www.facportal.com.br
*UPF - Universidade de Passo Fundo
Endereço: BR-285, Km 171 - São José
Site:www.upf.tche.br
National Renown
Passo Fundo is nicknamed "A Terra de Gente Boa", Portuguese for "The Land of Good People or Folks." The city is known as being one of the most
gaúcho
A gaucho () or gaúcho () is a skilled horseman, reputed to be brave and unruly. The figure of the gaucho is a folk symbol of Argentina, Uruguay, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, and the south of Chilean Patagonia. Gauchos became greatly admired an ...
cities in all of Rio Grande do Sul. It is not uncommon to see gaúchos walking the streets of Passo Fundo dressed in their full ''pilcha'' or typical gaúcho costumes. It is also known by the country as the National Capital of Literature, according to the law nº 11.264, because of the many literary events and debates organized in the city, such as the National Journey of Literature and the highest readership in the country (6.5 books per year per inhabitant).
Notable people
Passo Fundo is the home town of
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
coach
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Luiz Felipe Scolari (; born 9 November 1948), also known as Felipão ("Big Phil"), is a Brazilian football manager and former player. He is the current manager of Athletico Paranaense.
Scolari was a defender during his playing days, and no ...
, and also of the philosopher, opera singer, poet and Germanic philologist Henrique García, and the adopted place of
Teixeirinha, a Gaúcho folkloric performer, the modern gaúcho band
Pala Velho, as well as it is known for being Pipe's birthplace. The city is the seat of the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Passo Fundo
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Passo Fundo ( la, Archidioecesis Passofundensis) is an archdiocese located in the city of Passo Fundo. Before being elevated to an archdiocese itself in 2011 it was part of the Ecclesiastical province of Porto Al ...
, elevated from a Diocese in 2011. It is also home of supermodel Letícia Birkheuer and famous volleyball players and brothers Gustavo and Murilo Endres.
In popular culture
*The city was mentioned in the 2002
M. Night Shyamalan science fiction-thriller
''Signs'' as the origin of a video from a child's birthday party, in which an image of an alien was captured.
References
External links
Passo Fundo City HallHotel in Passo FundoPasso Fundo at Google MapsProjeto Passo Fundo (Apoio à cultura)
{{Authority control
Municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul
Populated places established in 1827