To estimate the prevalence of hypertension (H) and its association with other cardiovascular risk factors in a highly multiracial population.A cross-sectional study carried out in Salvador, Brazil, in a population sample of 1439 adults > or = 20 years of age. All participants completed a questionnaire at home and had the following measurements taken: blood pressure, body weight, height, waist circumference (WC), and serum glucose and lipids. Hypertension was defined as mean SBP > or = 140 and/or DBP > or = 90 mmHg. Hypertension prevalence was estimated with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The associations were measured by the adjusted odds ratio (AOR), using regression analysis.Overall prevalence of HA was 29.9%: 27.4% CI (23.9-31.2) in men and 31.7%, CI (28.5-34.9) in women. Among black men, this prevalence was 31.6%, and among black women, 41.1%. Among white men it was 25.8%, and among white women, 21.1%. Arterial hypertension was significantly associated with age > or = 40, overweight/obesity (aOR = 2.37[1.57-3.60]) for men and 1.62 (1.02-2.58) for women. Among men, HA was associated with a high level of education and among women, with dark brown and black skin, abdominal obesity, aOR = 2.05 CI (1.31-3.21), diabetes aOR = 2.16 CI (1.19-3.93), and menopause.Arterial hypertension predominated among black people of both genders, and in women. Those variables that remained independently associated with AH differed in both genders, except overweight/obesity. Our results suggest the need for an in-depth study of AH among black people and early, continuing educational interventions.