Itu is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2004 is 149,758 and the area is 641.68 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language. Itu is linked with the highway numbered the SP-75 and are flowed with two rivers, Tietê and Jundiaí. Itu also contains five hospitals and eleven bank agencies and one shopping center, the Plaza Shopping Itu. Itu was founded by the Portuguese in 1610 by Domingos Fernandes. It became a parish in 1653. In 1657, it was elevated to a town and municipality. It became a part of Brazil in 1822. It became a city in 1843.