Sabadell

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Sabadell" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["sabadell", "municipalities-in-vallès-occidental"] topic_path: "general/sabadell" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabadell" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Sabadell
settlement_type	Municipality
official_name
native_name
image_skyline	Sabadell - Eix Macià.jpg
image_caption	Eix Macià business district
image_flag	Flag_of_Sabadell.svg
image_shield	Coat of Arms of Sabadell.svg
image_map
map_caption	Location of Sabadell
image_map1	[[File:Localització de Sabadell respecte del Vallès Occidental.svg
map_caption1	Location in Vallès Occidental county
pushpin_map	Spain Catalonia vegueries#Spain
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	Spain
subdivision_type1	Community
subdivision_name1	Catalonia
subdivision_type2	Province
subdivision_name2	Barcelona
subdivision_type3	Region
subdivision_name3	Barcelona
subdivision_type4	County
subdivision_name4	Vallès Occidental
seat_type
coordinates
elevation_m	190
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	37.53
established_title
population_as_of	2024
population_footnotes
population_total	221564
population_demonym	Sabadellenc, sabadellenca (ca)
Sabadellense (es)
population_density_km2	auto
blank_name_sec1	Official language(s)
blank_info_sec1	Catalan, Spanish
timezone	CET
utc_offset	+1
timezone_DST	CEST
utc_offset_DST	+2
postal_code_type	Postal code
postal_code	08200 to 08208 and 08805
area_code_type	Dialing code
leader_title	Mayor
leader_name	Marta Farrés (2019)
leader_party	PSC
blank_name_sec2	Climate
blank_info_sec2	Cfa
website
::

Sabadell () is a city and municipality in the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain. It is in the south of the comarca of Vallès Occidental, where it is one of the two capitals, the other being Terrassa. It is located on the River Ripoll, 20 km north of Barcelona, 190 m above sea level. With a population of 224,589, it is the 5th-largest city in Catalonia and the 23rd-largest in Spain.

Sabadell pioneered the Industrial Revolution in Catalonia with its textile mills, together with its archrival Terrassa. Thus, in the mid-19th century, it became the most important wool city in Spain, being nicknamed the "Catalan Manchester". Today many mills from that period can still be seen, with most of them having been refurbished as residential buildings or other services. Nowadays, Sabadell is basically a commercial and industrial city; there are no significant agricultural activities.

Sabadell is an important communications point. Two motorways run beside the city: the C-58 (from Barcelona to Manresa) and the AP-7 (from France and Girona to Tarragona, Valencia, and Andalusia), and some roads link Sabadell with nearby cities and towns: Barcelona, Terrassa, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Barberà del Vallès, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Castellar del Vallès, Sant Llorenç Savall, Granollers, Rubí, Sentmenat, and Molins de Rei.

A railroad line crosses the city (the Rodalies Barcelona line from Barcelona to Lleida) and another one terminates in the city (the FGC line from Barcelona to Sabadell via Sant Cugat del Vallès).

History

In Roman times, a little village called Arragone existed near where the church of La Salut now stands. This grew into the town called Arraona or Arrahona in the Middle Ages. Another little village was built just on the other side of the river. This second village, called Sabadell, located on a plain, began to grow and its population was about 600 people (152 houses) in 1378. Sabadell was enclosed by a wall, but due to population growth in the 16th century, some houses were built outside the wall. At that time the first textile industries appeared in the town, devoted especially to woolen clothing. The woolen industry grew over the next centuries, and in 1800 the town's population was about 2000 people.

The 19th century brought two important developments to the town: in 1856 the railway arrived, and in 1877 the town was dubbed a "city". In the 1897 census the population of the city was 23,064 people. The city had become the most important producer of woolen clothing in Spain, and these clothes achieved worldwide fame.

The modernisme movement (related to Art Nouveau) had an important influence in the architecture of the city in the early 20th century and distinctive buildings such as the modernista Hotel Suís (1902), Despatx Lluch (1908), and the Caixa d'Estalvis de Sabadell (1915), as well as the Torre de l'Aigua (1918) and the Mercat Central (1930), were built during the first half of the century.

In the early 20th century, Sabadell, with Terrassa, was the textile city par excellence, being the driving force of a territory poor in natural resources. The population was multiplied by eight, its industry boosted, particularly textiles and metals, and its economy was modernized in the service sector. Due to this industrial activity, Sabadell received massive waves of immigration in the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970s leading to uncontrolled urban expansion and the creation of some new neighborhoods such as Ca n'Oriac and Torre-Romeu.

There has always been since those days a rivalry between Terrassa and Sabadell, because both of them wanted to be capitals of the Vallés Occidental, as both were pretty relevant while this rise textile industry. Nowadays, still there are some popular sayings: "Sabadell mala pell" (Sabadell bad skin) and "Terrassa mala raça" (Terrassa bad race).

The growth of industry and population favored the emergence of an important workers' movement, and Catalanist, socialist and anarchist parties were very influential up until the upheavals of the Spanish Civil War (1936–39). The victory of the Fascist faction in the war was a step backwards for the city, but in the fifties industry recovered and grew once more. Industries needed workers, and many people came from Andalusia, Murcia, Extremadura, Castile and other parts of Spain to work in the textile and the metal industry. Again, a new workers' and Catalanist movement emerged, this time against Francisco Franco's regime and with the support of the Roman Catholic Church.

Sabadell was the host of some sessions of the Assemblea de Catalunya, a multi-party organization that brought together communists, socialists, Catalan nationalists, Catholics and others against the Franco regime. The 1973 oil crisis and Franco's death in 1975 meant an important change in Spain and, of course, in Sabadell. The economic crisis compelled the city to diversify its economic activities. New commercial and leisure areas (the Eix Macià) appeared next to the traditional industries, leading to important economic development for the city. An ETA car bombing in 1990 killed six police officers.

Geography

Sabadell is located in the middle of the comarca named Vallès Occidental, approximately 20 km from Barcelona. It borders (clockwise, starting from the north) with Castellar del Vallès, Sentmenat, Polinyà, Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, Barberà del Vallès, Badia del Vallès, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Sant Quirze del Vallès, and Terrassa.

The city covers an area of 37.79 km2 and its population density is 5337.57 /km2 as of 2007. The altitude is 200 m.

Climate

Demographics

As of 2024, the population of Sabadell is 221,564, of whom 48.6% are male and 51.4% are female, compared to the nationwide average of 49.0% and 51.0% respectively. People under 16 years old make up 15.7% of the population, and people over 65 years old make up 19.2%, compared to the nationwide average of 14.3% and 20.4% respectively.

As of 2024, the foreign-born population is 43,290, equal to 19.5% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign nationalities are Moroccans (6,741), Colombians (3,469), Ecuadorians (3,218), Bolivians (3,198) and Venezuelans (2,671). ::data[format=table title="Foreign population by country of birth (2024)"]

Country	Population
Morocco	6,741
Colombia	3,469
Ecuador	3,218
Bolivia	3,198
Venezuela	2,671
Honduras	2,057
Peru	2,026
Argentina	1,661
Paraguay	1,452
Dominican Republic	1,445
Romania	1,381
China	1,213
Pakistan	1,149
Brazil	1,068
Cuba	735
::

Main sights

Little church of Sant Nicolau (11th century) is a vestige of the town of Arraona
Casa Duran is a traditional rural house (16th century) placed in the middle of the city
Hotel Suís (Swiss Hotel, 1902)
Caixa d'Estalvis (1915)
Torre de l'Aigua (water tower, 1918)
Mercat Central (Central Market, 1930)
** (1879)

Sports

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/88/Catalonia-Sabadell.jpg" caption="Plaça de Sant Roc in Sabadell"] ::

During the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, Sabadell was one of the cities where the football competition took place. The matches were played in the Nova Creu Alta stadium, which is also home to the main football club in town: Centre d'Esports Sabadell. This local team, currently in the Segunda División, has played 14 seasons in the Primera División (First Division), once in the UEFA Cup and has even reached the final of the Copa del Rey.

Other major sports clubs are Club Natació Sabadell (Waterpolo and Swimming Club), with more than 30,000 members, OAR Gràcia Sabadell (Handball), currently playing in the First National Division (Group C) of the Spanish Handball League, the Unió Excursionista de Sabadell - UES (Hikers Club), with almost 3,000 associates, two basketball teams, the Sabadell Bàsquet and Sant Nicolau, both of them currently playing at EBA League, the Fourth Division of the Spanish Basketball League, and two historical tennis clubs, Cercle Sabadellès 1856 and Club de Tennis Sabadell, with 4,000 and 3,500 associates respectively.

FC Barcelona player Sergio Busquets was born in Sabadell on 16 July 1988.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/01/Sabadell_-_Torre_de_l'aigua_editada.jpg" caption="Torre de l'Aigua at night"] ::

Transport

Sabadell Airport, is located in the city centre but there no scheduled flights to and from airport. Air travel is currently served by Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport which is located 38 km south west of Sababell.

Institutions

Banco Sabadell, a major bank
CE Sabadell FC, a football club

International relations

Sabadell is a member city of the Eurotowns network

Notable people

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Castellers_de_Sabadell_-Primer_2_de_8_amb_folre_carregat-_Festa_Major_de_Sabadell_2011.jpg" caption="First 2 de 8 amb folre carregat by [[Castellers Sabadell]] in the Festa Major in 2011"] ::

Agnès Armengol (1852-1934), writer, pianist, composer
Joan Oliver i Sallarès (1899–1986): Catalan-language poet and playwright, also known as Pere Quart
Aleix Gómez Abello (born 1997): handball player
Ramon Barnils i Folguera (1940–2001): journalist and translator born in Sabadell
Benet Casablancas (1956–): composer and musicologist
Juan Fernández (1930–2020): racing driver
Jordi Gené (1970–): racing driver
Marc Gené (1974–): racing driver and former F1 driver
David Meca (1974–): professional swimmer
Sergio Dalma (1964–): pop singer
Aschwin Wildeboer (1986–): swimmer
Olaf Wildeboer (1983–): swimmer
Bernat Quintana: Actor in El Cor de la Ciutat, Max
Xavier Oriach (1927–): painter
Sergio Busquets (born 1988), footballer
Moisés Hurtado (born 1981), footballer
Miguel Ángel Lozano (born 1978), footballer
Oleguer Presas (born 1980), footballer
Alberto Edjogo-Owono (born 1984), footballer (Equatorial Guinea's international)
Juvenal Edjogo Owono (born 1979), footballer (Equatorial Guinea's international)
Óscar García Junyent (born 1973), former footballer
Roger García Junyent (born 1976), former footballer
Dani Pedrosa (born 1985), Moto GP racer
Kilian Jornet Burgada (born 1987), mountain runner
Jordi Masip (born 1989), footballer
Cristian Tello (born 1991), footballer
Isaías Sánchez (born 1987), footballer
Alfons Borrell i Palazón, painter
Manel Navarro (born 1996), singer, entering Eurovision Song Contest 2017 with 'Do It for Your Lover'
Jimmy Jump, pitch invader
Ricard Zapata-Barrero (born 1965), scholar of migration studies

References

Panareda Clopés, Josep Maria; Rios Calvet, Jaume; Rabella Vives, Josep Maria (1989). Guia de Catalunya, Barcelona: Caixa de Catalunya. (Spanish). (Catalan).

References

"Nomenclátor Geográfico de Municipios y Entidades de Población". National Center for Geographic Information (CNIG).
"Annual population census 2021-2024". [[National Statistics Institute (Spain).
(15 June 2019). "El mapa de las nuevas alcaldías 2019-2023". El Mundo.
Verdaguer, Joaquim. (4 May 2013). ""Terrassa mala raça, Sabadell mala pell" {{!}} La torre del Palau".
link. (7 September 2023)
"ESP BARCELONA – SABADELL".
"INEbase. Alterations to the municipalities in the Population Censuses since 1842". [[National Institute of Statistics (Spain).
"Eurotowns".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::