Alcobendas, Administrative district in northern Madrid, Spain
Alcobendas is an administrative district in northern Madrid that combines residential neighborhoods, business quarters and industrial parks across roughly 45 square kilometers. It borders the capital directly and is crossed by several major roads and the Madrid ring motorway.
The settlement was first mentioned in writing in 1208 during a border agreement between Segovia and Madrid. Later the Castilian Crown granted it status as an independent community, and from the 1960s onward it grew into a major business hub.
The name comes from the Arabic al-qubba, meaning dome or small fort, pointing to earlier fortifications. Today the center mixes residential blocks and parks, while office complexes and shopping malls with wide parking areas line the outer edges.
Four metro stations on Line 10 and two suburban rail stops connect the different neighborhoods to each other and to central Madrid. Several bus lines run regularly through the area during the day, making it easier to reach the different zones.
Within its boundaries sit headquarters of more than 550 international companies. This makes the district the third Spanish location by business volume after Madrid and Barcelona.
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