Districts of Madrid


, the capital of Spain, is divided into 21 districts, which are further subdivided into 131 administrative wards. Additional neighborhoods exist outside the boundaries of administrative borders. Each district is governed by a body named Junta Municipal de Distrito. Residents of Madrid are typically called Madrileños.

Districts and wards

Data as of 1st January 2017. Source: Área de Gobierno de Economía, Hacienda. Subdirección General de Estadística. Padrón Municipal de Habitantes.

District NumberNameDistrict area
PopulationPopulation density
LocationAdministrative wards
1Centro131928Palacio
Embajadores
Cortes
Justicia
Universidad
Sol
2Arganzuela151965Imperial
Acacias
Chopera
Legazpi
Delicias
Palos de Moguer
Atocha
3Retiro118516Pacífico
Adelfas
Estrella
Ibiza
Jerónimos
Niño Jesús
4Salamanca143800Recoletos
Goya
Fuente del Berro
Guindalera
Lista
Castellana
5Chamartín143424El Viso
Prosperidad
Ciudad Jardín
Hispanoamérica
Nueva España
Castilla
6Tetuán153789Bellas Vistas
Cuatro Caminos
Castillejos
Almenara
Valdeacederas
Berruguete
7Chamberí137401Gaztambide
Arapiles
Trafalgar
Almagro
Ríos Rosas
Vallehermoso
8Fuencarral-El Pardo238756El Pardo
Fuentelarreina
Peñagrande
Pilar
La Paz
Valverde
Mirasierra
El Goloso
9Moncloa-Aravaca116903Casa de Campo
Argüelles
Ciudad Universitaria
Valdezarza
Valdemarín
El Plantío
Aravaca
10Latina233808Los Cármenes
Puerta del Ángel
Lucero
Aluche
Campamento
Cuatro Vientos
Las Águilas
11Carabanchel243998Comillas
Opañel
San Isidro
Vista Alegre
Puerta Bonita
Buenavista
Abrantes
12Usera134791Orcasitas
Orcasur
San Fermín
Almendrales
Moscardó
Zofío
Pradolongo
13Puente de Vallecas227595Entrevías
San Diego
Palomeras Bajas
Palomeras Sureste
Portazgo
Numancia
14Moratalaz94197Pavones
Horcajo
Marroquina
Media Legua
Fontarrón
Vinateros
15Ciudad Lineal212529Ventas
Pueblo Nuevo
Quintana
Concepción
San Pascual
San Juan Bautista
Colina
Atalaya
Costillares
16Hortaleza180462Palomas
Piovera
Canillas
Pinar del Rey
Apóstol Santiago
Valdefuentes
17Villaverde142608Villaverde Alto
San Cristóbal
Butarque
Los Rosales
Los Ángeles
18Villa de Vallecas104421Casco Histórico de Vallecas
Santa Eugenia
Ensanche de Vallecas
19Vicálvaro70051Casco Histórico de Vicálvaro
Valdebernardo
Valderrivas
El Cañaveral
20San Blas-Canillejas154357Simancas
Hellín
Amposta
Arcos
Rosas
Rejas
Canillejas
Salvador
21Barajas46876Alameda de Osuna
Aeropuerto
Casco Histórico de Barajas
Timón
Corralejos
TOTAL3182175

Popular neighbourhoods

Contemporary Madrid came into its own after the death of general Francisco Franco. Reaction against the dictatorial bureaucracy centered in Madrid, and a history of centralism that predated Franco by centuries has resulted in the successful modern movement towards increased autonomy for the regions of Spain, considered autonomous regions under the umbrella of Spain. The modern metropolis is home to over three million people.

Alonso Martínez

This area contains the large Plaza de Colón. This plaza commemorates Christopher Columbus, who was responsible for ushering in the Spanish imperial golden age of the 16th and 17th centuries. It is within walking distance of the main cultural and commercial areas of the city, such as the Prado museum, the expansive Parque del Buen Retiro and the business center on the lower part of the Paseo de la Castellana.

Atocha

covers a large area and is bordered by the Huertas and Lavapiés neighbourhoods. It contains several notable cultural institutions, including the Reina Sofía Museum. Also located here is the central bus terminal and the Atocha Railway Station, one of two main train stations in Madrid, the other being located in Chamartín. This was the main site of the train bombings carried out on March 11, 2004. Atocha was also the site of the 1977 Massacre of Atocha.

AZCA / Nuevos Ministerios

Located in the Cuatro Caminos ward, AZCA is the financial center of Madrid. The area is populated by skyscrapers, among them Torre Picasso at, Edificio BBVA at and Torre Europa at. The skyscraper Torre Windsor once stood here as well, until it burned completely on the night of 12 February 2005. A large El Corte Inglés department store consisting of three interconnected buildings is also located here. The area is directly linked to Barajas Airport by metro line 8 at the Nuevos Ministerios station. It's the Parkour centre of Madrid.

Cuatro Torres Business Area

The Cuatro Torres Business Area is composed of the four tallest skyscrapers in Madrid. The tallest is Torre Bankia, once known as the Torre Repsol, at. It was designed by Sir Norman Foster, and is the third tallest skyscraper in Europe. Torre de Cristal, or 'Crystal Tower', is only lower than Torre Bankia, at, and was designed by Cesar Pelli. Torre PwC is the third tallest in Madrid, at, and was designed by Enrique Alvarez & Carlos Rubio. The fourth skyscraper is Torre Espacio, or 'Space Tower'. It is tall and it was designed by I.M. Pei. The four skyscrapers were finished in 2008.

Chueca

is well known as a centre of gay culture in Madrid.

Las Cortes

This small area is notable for housing the Congress of Deputies, known as the Congreso de los diputados, the lower house of the Spanish parliament. Other notable sites include the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, the Banco de España, the Café del Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Zarzuela Theater and the Plaza de Cibeles.

Huertas

This neighbourhood, also known as Barrio de las Letras, is west of the Paseo del Prado and north of Calle Atocha. Once the home and popular hangout of writers such as Miguel de Cervantes and Calderon de la Barca, Huertas is now considered Madrid's literary neighbourhood. One prominent landmark is the house where Cervantes died in 1616. It is a popular nightlife spot and tourist destination.

Gran Vía

As the name implies, the Gran Vía area contains one of Madrid's most important avenues, the Gran Vía. First and foremost it is a shopping street; however, it also contains a number of tourist accommodations, plenty of nightlife, many of Madrid's largest movie theaters and live musical shows. It is also a hub for Madrid's red-light district, as it links many side streets. One of these streets, calle Fuencarral, has become a link between the old shopping area of the center of the city, the Bohemian Malasaña, and the hip Chueca district, making of it one of the most cosmopolitan areas of the city.

Lavapiés

One of the poorer neighbourhoods near the city center, Lavapiés has maintained much of true 'Madrileño' spirit of the past. Lavapiés has a high concentration of immigrants, and also tends to attract artists and writers, adding to the cosmopolitan mix. The presence of immigrants has led to a variety of good, cheap shops and restaurants of both local and international food. It's one of the best places to find foreign herbs and spices. It is changing rapidly under the pressures of gentrification.

La Latina

In and around La Latina are the origins of Madrid. Its difficult to put precise boundaries on La Latina, because, like its immediate neighbours, streets are narrow and winding. There are quite a few nightlife spots, though the neighbourhood is best known as having a concentration of tapas bars. There are also a number of attractive churches, including the Church of San Andrés and the San Francisco el Grande Basilica. On Sundays and major holidays, the famous Rastro flea-market begins on the eastern edge, spilling out of the San Millan exit of the La Latina metro stop to the Plaza de Cascorro and all the way to the Ronda de Toledo to the south. Plaza de la Paja is another interesting location here. On its other side, La Latina borders Plaza Mayor and another ancient part of the town, El Madrid de los Austrias, where you can find the beautiful Palacio Real.

Malasaña

is famous for its nightlife, and for having been the main hub of the movida countercultural movement in the 1970s and 1980s. Considered very popular and one of the best´s Madrid´s neighbourhoods with available pubs and bars during night.

Ópera

As the name implies, this area around the Ópera metro stop is the location of Madrid's main Opera Theatre, the Teatro Real. In front of the theatre is the Palacio Real de Madrid, or Royal Palace. The Royal Palace is no longer used as a residence, but it has been kept intact, serving as a cultural monument that is occasionally used for state functions. It's one of largest palaces in Europe, surpassing even the Versailles Palace.

Retiro

Barrio Retiro is a classic neighbourhood surrounding the famous Buen Retiro Park, to the east of the center of the city. It is demographically the oldest neighbourhood in the city, but over the past five years the increasing number of flats for rent has been attracting young people and students to the area in growing numbers. The neighbourhood can be characterized by the style of its three most important areas. In the north, centering on Calle Ibiza, streets are in a grid pattern and buildings, normally 6-10 storeys, are packed closely together, creating a bustling atmosphere of small shops, bars, and restaurants. This area is very similar to the neighbouring Salamanca district. In the south, called Niño Jesus, the area is quieter, more spacious, and residential. In the west, the Jerónimos area, with its beautiful 18th and 19th century buildings and many museums, has few private residences, its large flats that often surpass 200 m² being mainly used for offices.

Hortaleza

A residential district in the north, Hortaleza includes the headquarters of the Spanish Olympic Committee, the IFEMA and Juan Carlos I Park, a park between Campo de las Naciones and Barajas. Mar de Cristal is a tube station in Hortaleza district with an airport connection.

Vallecas

is a working-class residential neighbourhood in the south of Madrid. It is also home to the Rayo Vallecano football team.

Aravaca

is an upper-class residential suburb in the northwest of Madrid. During the Spanish Civil War the front was stabilized here for almost three years. Aravaca and its surroundings include parkland and wooded areas such as Casa de Campo.