Alcobendas () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality' ...
of
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
located in the
Community of Madrid
The Community of Madrid (; ) is one of the seventeen autonomous communities and 50 provinces of Spain, provinces of Spain. It is located at the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and Meseta Central, Central Plateau (); its capital and largest munici ...
.
It forms an urban continuum with the neighbouring municipality of
San Sebastián de los Reyes. The affluent residential area of
La Moraleja lies within the municipal limits, segregated from the main urban nucleus by the
A-1 highway. The municipality features the Valdelatas
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
and a light
industrial estate
An industrial park, also known as industrial estate or trading estate, is an area zoned and planned for the purpose of industrial development. An industrial park can be thought of as a more heavyweight version of a business park or office par ...
. It also houses a basketball museum organised by the
Pedro Ferrándiz
Pedro Ferrándiz González (20 November 1928 – 7 July 2022) was a Spanish basketball coach. He is most famous for coaching Real Madrid basketball club in the 1960s and 1970s. The International Olympic Committee awarded him the Olympic Order ...
Foundation, where the
FIBA Hall of Fame
The FIBA Hall of Fame, or FIBA Basketball Hall of Fame, honors players, coaches, teams, referees, and administrators who have greatly contributed to international competitive basketball. It was established by FIBA in 1991. Originally built in ...
is located.
Once a working-class area, Alcobendas has become one of the most economically affluent municipalities in the
Madrid metropolitan area.
History
The settlement was first documented in a 1208 border delimitation between the lands of
Segovia
Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is located in the Meseta central, Inner Pl ...
and
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
. In 1369, the Castilian Crown gifted the village to the
Mendozas, later passing to control of the Arias Dávila family.
The population boomed after 1960.
Transport
Alcobendas lies within
CRTM's B1 fare zone for passenger transport.
Both Alcobendas and its neighbour city,
San Sebastián de los Reyes are connected with Madrid with buses operated by the 'Interbús' bus company. There are currently eight
bus lines that go to and from different districts of Alcobendas to Plaza de Castilla (the hub for public transport to northern Madrid). Alcobendas also has eight bus lines that connect the different zones of Alcobendas between themselves.
Metro (Underground)
Alcobendas presently has four Metro stations (''La Granja'', ''La Moraleja'', ''Marqués de la Valdavia'' and ''Manuel de Falla'') which are all on ''line 10'' of the
Madrid Metro
The Madrid Metro (Spanish: ''Metro de Madrid'') is a rapid transit system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the 14th longest rapid transit system in the world, with a total length of . Its growth between 1995 and 200 ...
network. These stations were recently opened by
Esperanza Aguirre, former President of the Autonomous Community of Madrid.
Buses
Buses going to and from Plaza de Castilla are:
*151 Madrid (Pza. Castilla) - Alcobendas (FF.CC)
*153 Madrid (Pza. Castilla) - Alcobendas (Rosa Luxemburgo)
*153B a.k.a. B53 Madrid (Pinar de Chamartín) - Alcobendas (Rosa Luxemburgo)
*155 Madrid (Pza. Castilla) - Alcobendas (El Soto de la Moraleja)
*155B a.k.a. B55 Madrid (Pza. Castilla) - Alcobendas (El Encinar de los Reyes)
*157 Madrid (Pza. Castilla) - Alcobendas (Pº de la Chopera)
*157C a.k.a. C57 Madrid (Pza. Castilla) - Alcobendas (Valdelasfuentes)
*159 Madrid (Pza. Castilla) - Alcobendas (Arroyo de la Vega)
Buses connecting different parts of Alcobendas are:
*L-1 Arroyo de la Vega - El Soto de la Moraleja - La Moraleja
*L-2 Alcobendas - La Moraleja
ia Pº Alcobendas*L-3 Arroyo de la Vega - El Soto de la Moraleja - El Encinar de los Reyes
*L-5 San Sebastián de los Reyes - Alcobendas - El Soto de la Moraleja
*L-6 Valdelasfuentes (FF.CC) - Polígono Industrial
*L-9 Alcobendas (FF.CC) - Arroyo de la Vega
Two further circular lines are:
*C10 Valdelasfuentes - Arroyo de la Vega - Valdelasfuentes
*C11 Arroyo de la Vega - Valdelasfuentes - Arroyo de la Vega
Cercanías Train
Alcobendas also has two suburban railway stations (one shared with
San Sebastián de los Reyes):
*Valdelasfuentes and
*Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes.
Both form part of the C-4a Cercanías line and can get to
Sol and
Atocha in half an hour.
Private transport
Multiple motorways are going through and around Alcobendas, making the municipality easily accessible by car. The M-12 motorway connects Alcobendas with the
Canillejas district of
Madrid
Madrid ( ; ) is the capital and List of largest cities in Spain, most populous municipality of Spain. It has almost 3.5 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 7 million. It i ...
and
Barajas International Airport.
List of motorways and main roads that go through Alcobendas:
*A-1-''Autovía del Norte''
*R-2-''Radial 2 (Madrid-Guadalajara)''
*M-50-''Autopista M-50''
*M-12-''Autopista Eje-Aeropuerto''
*M-603-''Carretera de Fuencarral a Alcobendas''
*M-616-''Carretera de El Pardo a Alcobendas''
The availability of parking spaces in Alcobendas varies depending on the district. In the ''Casco'' district it is challenging to find a parking space, but newer districts have more parking infrastructure, making it easier to find a parking space.
Politics
Economy
Air Madrid previously had its head office in Alcobendas until the company ceased operations in 2006.
Education
*
Colegio Suizo de Madrid
* Brains International School
*
International College Spain
*
Kings College (Alcobendas campus)
*
Padre Manyanet School
*
Protestant Faculty of Theology at Madrid (UEBE)
* Saint-Exupéry campus of the
Lycée Français de Madrid
*
Scandinavian School in Madrid
*
Runnymede College
Sport

In 2010, Alcobendas was to be the host city of the
2010 CIRH Women's World Cup, the most important competition in Women's
Roller Hockey
Roller hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using wheeled skates. It can be played with traditional roller skates (quad skates) or with inline skates and use either a ball or puck. Combined, roller hockey is played in nearly 60 cou ...
.
Notable people
*
Penélope Cruz, actress, was born and grew up here. During the
2009 Academy Awards ceremony, after being awarded Best Supporting Actress, she acknowledged the municipality in her acceptance speech.
*
Karla Sofía Gascón, actress, was born and grew up here.
*
Marcos Pérez Jiménez, former Venezuelan dictator. He became a resident here after being exiled from Venezuela, living here until he died in 2001.
*
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...
, American singer. Died here from a heart attack while on a golf course in Alcobendas in October 1977.
*
Alfonso Calderon, activist, survivor of the
Stoneman Douglas High School shooting
On February 14, 2018, a mass shooting occurred when 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz opened fire on students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, part of the Miami metropolitan area, Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 18 ot ...
Climate
The
Köppen Climate Classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
subtype for this climate is "
Csa
" (Mediterranean Climate).
Climate Summary for Alcobendas
/ref>
References
External links
Alcobendas
{{Authority control
Municipalities in the Community of Madrid