Fortaleza

For other uses, see Fortaleza (disambiguation). Not to be confused with Hortaleza.

Fortaleza
Municipality
Municipality of Fortaleza Município de Fortaleza
Skyline of Fortaleza with the Meireles Beach Dragão do Mar Center of Art and Culture Theatre José de Alencar English Bridge St. Joseph's Cathedral Castelão Stadium Statue of Iracema
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Fortal Miami Brasileira (Brazilian Miami) Terra da Luz (Land of Light)
Motto:  "Fortitudine" (Latin)
Interactive map of Fortaleza
Fortaleza Location in Brazil Fortaleza Fortaleza (South America)
Coordinates: 03°43′39″S 38°31′39″W
Country	Brazil
Region	Northeast
State	Ceará
Founded	13 April 1726
Named for	"Fort of Our Lady of the Assumption" (Virgin Mary)
Government
• Type	Mayor-council
• Mayor	Evandro Leitão (PT)
• Deputy mayor	Gabriella Aguiar (PSD)
Area
• Municipality	312.353 km2 (120.600 sq mi)
• Metro	7,440.053 km2 (2,872.621 sq mi)
Elevation	16 m (52 ft)
Population  (2024 )
• Municipality	2,574,412
• Rank	4th
• Density	8,654.92/km2 (22,416.1/sq mi)
• Metro	3,903,945
• Metro density	560.21/km2 (1,450.9/sq mi)
Demonym	Portuguese: Fortalezense
GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)
• Year	2023
• Total (Metro)	$39.6 billion
• Per capita	$10,600
Time zone	UTC−3 (BST)
Postal code	60000-001 to 61599-999
Area code	+55 85
HDI (2010)	0.754 – high
Website	fortaleza.ce.gov.br

Fortaleza (/ˌfɔːrtəˈleɪzə/ FOR-tə-LAY-zə ^ⓘ; Brazilian Portuguese: [foʁtaˈlezɐ] ^ⓘ; Portuguese for 'Fortress') is the state capital of Ceará, located in Northeastern Brazil. It is Brazil's 4th largest city—Fortaleza surpassed Salvador in 2024 census with a population of slightly over 2.5 million—and 12th among cities with the highest gross domestic product. It forms the core of the Fortaleza metropolitan area, which is home to almost 4 million people.

Fortaleza is an important industrial and commercial center of Northeast Brazil. According to the Ministry of Tourism, it is the fourth most visited city and tourist destination in the country. The BR-116, the most important highway in the country, starts in Fortaleza. The municipality is part of the Mercosur common market, and vital trade port which is closest to mainland Europe, being 5,608 kilometres (3,485 mi) from Lisbon, Portugal.

To the north of the city lies the Atlantic Ocean; to the south are the municipalities of Pacatuba, Eusébio, Maracanaú and Itaitinga; to the east is the municipality of Aquiraz and the Atlantic Ocean; and to the west is the municipality of Caucaia. Residents of the city are known as Fortalezenses. Fortaleza is one of the three leading cities in the Northeast region together with Recife and Salvador.