It is often thought that the name came to be because it was a place known for its abundance of oil. In the last century oil was discovered in the area. It has since been almost completely extracted. This has resulted in the decline of oil well exploration and drilling activities, though there are still many oil facilities. The area is tropical, with two beaches within one hour, Tuxpan , and Tecolutla , and one within 40 minutes east, Cazones. Unlike most Mexican cities, it does not have old buildings because it is a new city founded officially on November 20, For that reason it has contemporary architecture with well-lined and designed streets with a modern look.
While the petroleum industry features heavily amongst the industrial landscape in Poza Rica, the city also has a wide variety of other industries with a large middle class. As one of the largest and most populous cities in Veracruz, Poza Rica is an important industrial and commercial center, and a central hub for several road transportation lines.
The city has recently seen a lot of growth, with several shopping malls opening around the city. The city had an official population of , inhabitants and the municipality had , at the census of It has a downtown area which provides a good shopping experience.
It has a high viewing point called "El cerro del abuelo" where it's possible to see the whole city and its "quemadores", big petroleum burners which were used to light the city in the early years.
There are few of them at the present time. Every year there is a holiday called "Desfile del 18 de marzo" March 18 Parade, "Petroleum Day" which commemorates Mexican oil expropriation and has two parades, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
