The leading industrial company is Embraer through a subsidiary, Neiva, that has a multipurpose plant there but primarily manufacture the EMB 202 "Ipanemão" crop spraying aircraft.

The city of Botucatu, herein referred as such for being the seat of an archdiocese, has experienced many changes during a century and a half of existence, the most substantial being the arrival of the state university in 1960.

The modern name Botucatu derives from the old Tupi name "ybytukatu" meaning "good wind", and was applied in 1720 when the land here was parceled up and granted to settlers.

Local legends survive that predate the period of structured settlement, however, relating to the time when Botucatu was the focus of a transit crossing along the route connecting the Atlantic coast with the Peruvian lands.

In the nineteenth century Old Botucatu was a place full of romantic characters such as coffee barons, musicians and poets and hinterland explorers.