Paranapiacaba is a district of the municipality of Santo André in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is located approximately 61 kilometres (38 mi) by road southeast of the centre of the city of São Paulo, and about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) east of Rio Grande da Serra. The word paranapiacaba means "where you will find the sea" in Tupi.
Paranapiacaba was established as a company town for the employees of São Paulo Railway, a privately owned British railway company. A large industrial complex, which the district is known for, lies off the main road from Rio Grande da Serra, on the way into the main village. The growth of this centre was facilitated by the railway, transporting cargo and people from São Paulo Interior to the port of Santos. The village design has been characterized as being panoptic.
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