The city was named in honor of Louis IX - King of France who was canonized a Saint for his religious work during the two Crusades he led to the Holy Land in the 13th Century.

In 1624, the Instituto Cientifico y Literario was founded by the Jesuits. This institution is now the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi and is considered to be one of the best in Mexico and Latin America.

Capital of the state with the same name, San Luis Potosi has emerged as an important business center due to its central transportation location in the middle of the country. All major "box" consumer goods companies, both from the U.S. - Costco, Home Depot, etc - and Mexico - Chedraui, Gigante, Superama, etc are found throughout its metropolitan area.