History

At the end of the 16th century, the areas bordering the Tietê and Sorocaba rivers attracted land allocation officers and squatters in search of good quality land and climate for the cultivation of sugar cane. The first urban centers began, which became consumer centers for manufactured agricultural products.

Trade between villages was carried out by tropeiros who transported their goods on donkeys, thus creating places to rest. Among these places, Pouso do Ribeirão do Laranjal stood out, located between Sorocaba and Botucatu, a place in the shade of some native orange trees, on the banks of the stream with clean, crystalline waters.

It thus became, in addition to a resting place for tropeiros, a place of business, with purchases, sales and bargains. At the end of the 19th century, there was an expansion of coffee cultivation in the central-west region of the State, bringing the railroads to the countryside. In 1886, the Sorocaba Railroad station is established in the District of Laranjal. Also in this period, immigrants arrived in the region, starting small industrial activities and expanding local trade.

In 1906, the settlement is recognized as a village called Vila de São João do Laranjal. In 1914, new Italian and Lebanese immigrants arrive. In 1917, the town of Laranjal is created. And in 1944, it was renamed Laranjal Paulista.

Currently, the city has been classified as a Municipality of Tourist Interest, through Law No. 16,720 of May 15, 2018, sanctioned by Governor Márcio França. It is declared the Toy Capital of the State through Law No. 17,474 of December 16, 2021, sanctioned by Governor João Dória.