Cruz Alta is a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

[2] The municipality belongs to the Northwest Mesoregion Riograndense and Microregion Cruz Alta.

The location of the city is logistically important, being considered as a major trunk road and rail in the north central part of the state, with the presence of a dry port in the northeast of the city.

Cruz Alta experiences a humid subtropical climate (Köppen: Cfa) with hot summers, mild winters, and ample rainfall throughout the year.

It is the birthplace of writer Érico Veríssimo, of journalist and politician Júlio Prates de Castilhos, and of model and television presenter Luize Altenhofen.