José Bonifácio is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The population is of 37,366 inhabitants and the area is 859.94 km². The ci…José Bonifácio is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The population is of 37,366 inhabitants and the area is 859.94 km². The city belongs to the Microregion of São José do Rio Preto. The history of José Bonifácio begins in 1906. The founder of the city, José Crescencio de Souza, built the first three houses. In 1910, the brothers Manuel, Justino e Carlos Rodrigues de Sant’Anna donated part of their land to the Catholic Church. The first chapel was built in 1913, and the town received the name of Cerradão.