Sugarcane is an important crop in Brazil. The objective of this work was to evaluate the expansion areas, especially in the state of Goiás, in order to contribute to the understanding of sugarcane agribusiness. In the methodology used, data were obtained from IBGE and from ÚNICA and other sources, from 1980 to 2020. The results showed that in the Cerrado, especially in the states of Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul, there has been an expansion of sugarcane areas since the end of the last century, but that it was optimized in the mid-2000s. These are located predominantly in the southern region of Goiás, particularly in the southwest micro regions; Quirinópolis, Meia Ponte and Vale do Rio dos Bois. One fact to highlight is that the expansion occurs preferably in areas of grain cultivation and supplementary pasture, in fertile soils and with the use of technology.