Itu is an historic municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Sorocaba. The population is 175,568 in an area of 640.72 km². The elevation is 583 m. This place name comes from the Tupi language, meaning big waterfall. Two rivers flow through Itu: Tietê and Jundiaí. Itu has five hospitals, eleven bank agencies and one shopping center, the Plaza Shopping Itu.
Itu was founded in 1610 by Giulia Fruet e 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.