Taubaté is a medium-sized city in the State of
São Paulo, in southeastern
Brazil. Its strategic location between the two most important Brazilian cities (
São Paulo (123 km) and
Rio de Janeiro (280 km)), connected to both by the
Presidente Dutra Highway, between high, cold mountains and the
Atlantic Ocean has helped the development of the city. It is part of the
Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 302,331 (2015 est.) in an area of 625.00 km². The city has become an
industrial center, seating branches of several companies, including
Volkswagen,
Alstom,
Ford,
LG,
Embraer, among many others.