Alcorcón

Alcorcón (Spanish pronunciation: [alkoɾˈkon]) is a city and municipality of Spain located in the Community of Madrid. As of 2016, it had a population of 167,354.[2]

For the football club, see AD Alcorcón.
Alcorcón
Municipality
Flag
Coat of arms
Alcorcón
Alcorcón
Coordinates: 40°21′0″N 3°50′0″W
CountrySpain
RegionCommunity of Madrid
Founded13th century
Government
 • MayorNatalia de Andrés (PSOE)
Area
 • Total33.7 km2 (13.0 sq mi)
Elevation
711 m (2,333 ft)
Population
 (2018)[1]
 • Total169,502
 • Density5,000/km2 (13,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)alcorconero, -ra (es)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
28921–28925
Area code(s)+34 (ES) + 91 (M)
WebsiteOfficial website

Geography
The city as seen by the European Space Agency's Sentinel-2.

The municipality, largely flat,[3] lies at an average altitude of 711 metres above sea level,[4] with the highest point being El Ventorro del Cano (741 m), located in the north of the municipality.[3]

History

The site appears to have been inhabited since prehistoric times. The name is of Arabic origin, but little is known of Alcorcón before the Reconquista. The first recorded written reference to Alcorcón is in a court document (privilegio rodado) dated on 28 July 1208, in the context of the territorial strife over El Real de Manzanares between the city councils of Madrid and Segovia that took place in the Middle Ages.[5] The parish church of Santa María la Blanca dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries.[3] Alcorcón preserved an urban structure characteristic of a small rural settlement until the 1960s.[3] The centre is surrounded by modern developments, as Alcorcón has grown rapidly since that decade.

As announced in February 2013, Alcorcón was the tentative building site for the Eurovegas casino resort project,[6] officially canceled in December 2013.[7]

Transport

Alcorcón is linked to Madrid by Metro Line 10 and Line 12, Cercanías line C-5 and several buses (511, 512, 513, 514, 516, 518, 536, 541, 545, 546, 547, 548, 551, N501, N502, N504).

Sport
An Alcorcón vs Leganés fixture played at Santo Domingo Municipal Stadium.

The city is home to the football team Agrupación Deportiva de Alcorcón that plays Segunda División. And also Trival Valderas that plays Tercera División. Alcorcón also has an American football team called Alcorcón Smilodons, whose colors are yellow and navy blue.

Health

Alcorcón has two hospitals, the Fundación Hospital de Alcorcón (which is state owned, but run privately), and the Hospital Sur Madrid (a totally private hospital). The Alcorcón campus of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) teaches health-related courses.

City partnerships

People

References
  1. Municipal Register of Spain 2018. National Statistics Institute.
  2. Population Madrid's municipalities (INE)
  3. Arquitectura y Desarrollo Urbano Comunidad de Madrid (zona centro) (PDF). I. Madrid: Dirección General de Arquitectura Consejería de Política Territorial de la Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid & Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos de Madrid. p. 66–91. ISBN 84-451-0296-6.
  4. "Alcorcón (Madrid)". AEMET. 1991.
  5. Rodríguez Iglesias, María Isabel (2017). "Caminos reales, cañadas, veredas y coladas a su paso por Alcorcón" (PDF). In Enrique Escobedo Molinos; Juan Antonio López Cordero; Manuel Cabrera Espinosa (eds.). V Congreso virtual sobre historia de las vías de comunicación: 15 al 30 de septiembre de 2017. p. 7.
  6. "Spain's Alcorcon town chosen for EuroVegas resort". 8 February 2013.
  7. Tobias Buck (Madrid) (13 December 2013). "Sheldon Adelson cancels $30bn Eurovegas project in Spain". Financial Times (London). Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  8. "Alcorcón. Régimen Económico" (PDF). Boletín Oficial de la Comunidad de Madrid (52): 79. 3 March 2009.

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