São José dos Campos was one of the first settlements of the region. The city has its origin as a Jesuit community, which gave native Indians religion education. It was then called São José village. First, it had a slow growth as it was not located in the most important routes to Minas Gerais State, where gold and precious stones were found. At the end of the 19th century the first factories start to be set up.

However, the city really starts to grow in the 20th century, after Presidente Dutra Highway, CTA (Aerospace Technical Center) and ITA (Aeronautics Technological Institute) got to the city. From that point on, it has become an industrial center, with lots of schools, cultural centers, leisure areas, etc.