Porto Velho

Officially founded on October 2, 1914, Porto Velho was founded by pioneers around 1907, during the construction of the Madeira-Mamoré railroad. After the railroad was completed, the local population was about one thousand inhabitants; its buildings were chiefly the railway's installations and the wooden houses of the Caribbean (mainly Barbadian) workers - hence the name of the town's largest district by then, "Bajan Hill" or "Barbados Town", nowadays called the "Alto do Bode". During the first sixty years, the city's development was directly connected to the railway's activities. The town prospered during the rubber boom; after the discovery of cheap Malaysian rubber made that of the Amazon obsolete, the region's rubber-centered economy ground to a sudden halt. …

Porto Velho features a tropical monsoon climate (climate type Am) under the Köppen climate classification. The temperatures tend to be relatively consistent throughout the course of the year, with average daily temperatures typically between 25 and 26 degrees Celsius. The dry season is short and covers the months of June, July and August. Porto Velho is particularly wet from November through April, averaging roughly 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain per month in each of these months. According to the Brazilian National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), between 1961 and 1990 the lowest temperature recorded in Porto Velho was 7.4 °C or 45.3 °F in July 1975, and the highest reached 40.9 °C or 105.6 °F in August 1969. The Amazon has over half of the planet's remaining rainforests and is the largest and most species-rich tract of tropical rainforest in the world. …

The culture of Porto Velho is marked by a strong Northeastern influence with Bumba Meu Boi, the popular Festa Junina and Pastorinha celebrations, and some influences of south central Brazil. The interpretation of Native American legends, such as the Iara, the Boto and Mapinguari folklore, influenced by migrants. As for handicrafts, there are various exhibitions of indigenous works, utilities and adornment using raw materials like clay, vines, bamboo and rubber. The Artisan's House serves as a support to the initiatives of the genre. The collection of library articles in municipal Porto Velho was waiting for a permanent headquarters for several years until completion of the Municipal Library next to City Hall. The space has two air-conditioned floors in the city center. …

As of 2005, GDP for the city was R$3,656,512,000. The per capita income for the city was R$9,779 for the same year. A 2024 and 2025 report by Trata Brasil ranked Porto Velho last in a public sanitation ranking of Brazil's 100 largest cities, making it, at least, 10 years that this city has been in the last position. The report found that just 41.8% of the city's population has access to municipal drinking water, and just 9.9% were connected to a municipal sewage. Another 2024 study ranking quality of life among Brazil's state capitals found that Porto Velho placed last among them.

Porto Velho International Airport, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the city, has its main access at the Av. Governador Jorge Teixeira de Oliveira, with two lanes. Buses from downtown run to the airport every hour, and there is a fleet of taxis serving only the airport. The airport is served by 98 scheduled flights weekly, most going to other large Brazilian cities. The presence of Porto Velho Air Force Base ensures considerable movement of military aircraft. The local people refer to Porto Velho International as Belmont Airport because it is located in this district. It became an international airport in 2002. It was built as a replacement to Caiari Airport, which was closed on April 16, 1969. Porto Velho Air Force Base - ALA6, one of their most important bases of the Brazilian Air Force, is located in Porto Velho. BR-174 BR-317 BR-319 BR-364 BR-421 BR-425 BR-429 RO-010 RO-101 RO-490