Ribeirão das Neves

About Ribeirão das Neves

Ribeirão das Neves is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion Metropolitana de Belo Horizonte and to the microregion of Belo Horizonte. Most residents commute to Belo Horizonte. The city's population in 2025 was 346,971.

Previously called Matas de Bento Pires, its first documents date back to the 18th century, when it was called "Matas de Bento Pires". In 1745, Jacintho Vieira da Costa, then field master, obtained the rights to the lands of Matas de Bento Pires and built a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Snows. Due to this, Matas de Bento Pires became Fazenda das Neves and later Engenho das Neves, in 1946.

Ribeirão das Neves is located on the northwest of Belo Horizonte. Federal Highway 135 passes through it. Its average elevation is 857 meters (2,812 ft) above sea level.

Ribeirão das Neves has a Tropical Savanna Climate (Aw). It receives the most precipitation in December, with 265.5 mm (10.45 in) of average rainfall; and the least precipitation in July, with 5 mm (0.20 in) of average rainfall.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Photography via Wikimedia Commons.