Getafe
Getafe | |
|---|---|
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Interactive map of Getafe | |
| Coordinates: 40°18′17″N 3°43′52″W / 40.30472°N 3.73111°W | |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Community of Madrid |
| Government | |
| • Type | Ayuntamiento |
| • Body | Ayuntamiento de Getafe |
| • Mayor | Sara Hernández Barroso (2023) (PSOE) |
| Area | |
• Total | 78.74 km2 (30.40 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 622 m (2,041 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 704 m (2,310 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 540 m (1,770 ft) |
| Population (2025-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 193,238 |
| • Density | 2,454/km2 (6,356/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Getafense |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 28901–28909 |
| Dialing code | +34 (ES) + 91 (M) |
| Website | Official website |
Getafe (Spanish pronunciation: [xeˈtafe] ⓘ) is a municipality and a city in Spain belonging to the Community of Madrid. As of 2025[update], it has a population of 193,238, the region's fifth most populated municipality.
Getafe is located 13 km south of Madrid's city centre, within a flat area of central Iberia's Meseta Central in the Manzanares River basin. The Cerro de los Ángeles hill, a site traditionally considered to be the geographical center of the Iberian Peninsula, also lies within the municipal limits.[2]
Getafe was a hamlet attached to the Madrid's sexmo of Villaverde during the late Middle Ages. Its proximity to Madrid fostered industrial development during the 20th and 21st centuries. Industrialisation was followed by an increase in population, reaching 170,115 in 2011. Due to its industrial and social networks, the majority of residents work or study within the city. New neighborhoods were developed towards the end of the 20th century.
Getafe hosts an Airbus factory. It is home to the Getafe Air Base, one of the oldest Spanish military air bases, and to the main campus of the Charles III University of Madrid (UC3M).
Etymology
[edit]During the Middle Ages, a number of villages were located in the present-day area of Getafe. One of the main villages was Alarnes, which was very close to the current urban center. In 1326, the villagers united themselves into one town, situated on the royal road that linked Madrid with Toledo. This new town was called Xatafi, a name which came from the Arab word jata ("something long"). It is assumed that the name Xatafi referred to the royal road, which also served as the town's main street. The town's name evolved over time, from Xetafe to Jetafee to Jetaphe to Jetafe to Getafe.
History
[edit]The history of Getafe can be split into three clearly defined eras. In the first era, which lasted from Prehistory until 1326, there existed distinct villages in the area, though Getafe itself did not exist as a municipality. The second era lasted from the 14th century until the 20th century, during which Getafe was established as a town and developed slowly. In the third era, which began in the 20th century and continues to the present day, Getafe changed in nature from a small agricultural town to a large industrial city, with a noticeable increase in commerce, industry, population and size.[3]
Origins
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The presence of humans in the area of Getafe dates back to the Lower Paleolithic period (before 100,000 BCE). Various stone tools, pots, and bracelets from this period have been excavated from the banks of the Manzanares River.
In late antiquity, a Roman villa was developed in the site of La Torrecilla within the current-day municipal limits.
Alfonso VI wrestled the area from Muslim control in 1085 in the context of the conquest of the Taifa of Toledo.[4] The placename was early mentioned in 1259.[5] Other medieval settlements in the territory include Alarnes, Acedinos, La Aldehuela, Ayúden, Covanuebles, Perales del Río, and Torre de Iván Crispín.[5] Over the remainder of the Middle Ages, Getafe was a hamlet attached to the sexmo of Villaverde,[6] one of the rural subdivisions of the Land of Madrid. Getafe experienced demographic and economic growth since the mid 15th century, enabling larger degrees of societal complexity and fuelling more intense trade with Madrid.[7] By the end of the century it had a population of around one thousand.[8]
Modern history
[edit]In 1492, famine and disease devastated Getafe, prompting the construction of the Hospitalillo de San José in 1529. In 1549, the architect Alonso de Covarrubias began building the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de La Magdalena, which has since become the Cathedral of the Diocese of Getafe. The church was built on the foundation of the old hermitage, and in 1610 a new hermitage was built on the Cerro de los Ángeles. The college of the Escuelas Pías was founded in 1737. In 1763, King Charles III ordered the construction of a new road connecting Madrid to Aranjuez and, further on, to Cádiz, which passed along the foot of the Cerro de los Ángeles. Napoleonic troops occupied Getafe from 1808 to 1812. A train line connecting Madrid to Aranjuez, and passing through Getafe, was inaugurated in 1851.
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Electric street lights were lit for the first time in Getafe on 22 December 1897. The Getafe Air Force Base was permanently established in 1911, followed by the School of Civil Aviation two years later. King Alfonso XIII inaugurated the first monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the Cerro de los Ángeles on 30 May 1919. In 1924, Construcciones Aeronáuticas S.A. built its first factory in the area. That same year, Juan de la Cierva's autogyro was flown for the first time from the air force base.
Due to its proximity to Madrid, Getafe underwent an industrial revolution at the beginning of the 20th century, resulting in the city's conversion from agricultural city to industrial city. Industrialization also prompted a rapid boom in population, starting in the 1950s. In 1956, John Deere established a factory in Getafe, and a year later, Siemens AG followed suit. The city was forced to create the neighborhoods of San Isidro, El Bercial, Juan de la Cierva, and Las Margaritas in the 1970s in order to support these new industries.
In 1961, the Canal de Isabel II began to provide water to Getafe. The first local democratic elections occurred in 1979, after the ratification of the Constitution in 1978. In 1989, the Universidad Carlos III was founded. The Sector III neighbourhood was constructed between 1979 and 1988; the Getafe Norte neighbourhood was built during the late 1990s; the El Bercial neighbourhood is currently being expanded. In April 2003, Madrid Metro System's Line 12 opened, linking the Madrid region's southern population centres with the capital.
Heraldry
[edit]The coat of arms of Getafe is divided vertically into two equal halves that represent the two most important characteristics of the municipal district. The left half contains a heart in the center of a Latin cross, representing the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a reference to the Cerro de los Ángeles. The right half contains a repeated pattern of airplanes representing the aeronautical tradition of the area and referencing the nearby Air Force Base. The Royal Spanish Crown tops the coat of arms, and symbolizes Getafe's loyalty to the Spanish monarchy.[9]
Politics and government
[edit]The current mayor of Getafe is Sara Hernández Barroso of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, thanks to the support of left wing group United Left (IU) and a political platform close to Podemos called 'Ahora Getafe'. In 2011, Juan Soler-Espiauba Gallo, of the People's Party (PP), was elected mayor and displaced the incumbent, a socialist, who had held this post since 1983. The most popular political parties in the area, other than the PSOE, are the Peoples' Party (PP) and the United Left (IU). Getafe has always had a large working population, and left-wing groups, especially the PSOE, have traditionally been very influential. Getafe is also part of the so-called "red belt" of the Community of Madrid.
In the 2007 Spanish regional elections, the PSOE elected 13 town councillors (44.18% of the vote), PP, 11 (36.09%), and IU 3, (11.73%).[10] Other political associations were not able to muster enough votes to receive representation. Local elections occur every four years, along with the autonomous election.
In the last Spanish General elections celebrated in 2015, PP obtained 25,65% of the vote, very close to Podemos (24,72%) and PSOE (22,60%). Ciudadanos obtained 16,54% of the vote and IU 7,07%.
Cabinet meetings are composed of nine councillors: eight from the PSOE and one from IU. The Municipal Corporation is made up of 27 members, detailed previously. The cabinet is presided over by the mayor. The Getafe city council is divided into a number of different focus groups: treasury, wealth, and social security; equality; urbanism; civil action; and management of waste disposal, cleanliness, the environment, and the home. The council holds sessions every month, in addition to frequently held special sessions, in which councillors debate various topics and problems which affect the municipality.
Getafe is at the forefront of the struggle for workers rights in local industry. The most important trade unions in the city are the Workers' Commissions (CCOO) and the Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT). Both unions have branch offices in Getafe and list many local workers as members.
Geography
[edit]Physical location
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Getafe is located in the southern zone of the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain, in southwestern Europe. It is physically located in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, north of the Southern Submeseta (part of the Meseta Central), in the Manzanares River basin. Its elevation is 610 – 640 meters above sea level (2000–2100 feet). Its coordinates are 40° 18' N 3° 43' W. The municipal district is 78.74 km2, with a perimeter of 46.5 km. The easternmost part of the municipal district is located within the Parque Regional del Sureste, a protected forest region.
Distances
[edit]Due to its central location within the Iberian Peninsula, Getafe is no more than 725.6 km from any Spanish provincial capital in mainland Spain. The following are the distances to a few major cities, the oceans which surround the Spanish coasts, and the national borders of Portugal and France.
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Relief
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The municipal district is mostly flat, with a minor inclination of 5% to the east and an elevation of 631 m (2070 ft) above sea level. The lowest altitude can be found to the extreme east, at the Manzanares River at 540 m (1772 ft). The highest elevation is found on the extreme west, on Buenavista, a 704 m (2310 ft) hill which sits on the border between the municipalities of Getafe and Leganés, some 12 km South of Madrid. The hilliest area, the hills of the Marañosa, is located in the Southeast and has a maximum elevation of 698 m (2290 ft). In the center of Getafe is the Cerro de los Ángeles, or hill of angels (670 m; 2198 ft). Pine forests have been planted at the feet of these hills to deter the erosion of the soil.
Hydrology
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A number of rivers and other natural waterways pass through Getafe. 9.5 km of the Manzanares River passes through the easternmost parts of the municipal district. In the South, 16.5 km of the Culebro Waterway winds its way across Getafe, and in the Southeast 2 km of the Filipinas gully descent from the hills of the Marañosa. There are two man-made canals, one on each side of the Manzanares River. These parallel canals provide water for cultivated land further from the river.
The lakes of Perals are 2 km East of the Cerro de los Ángeles, and are some of the only undisturbed natural lakes left in the region. For this reason, the lakes are part of a protected area to preserve their natural state.
The Culebra waterway and the Filipinas gully boast heavy water flow during the winter and little to none during the summer. In contrast, the Manzanares carries water year round. For that reason, Getafe is considered to be within the Manzanares river basin, except for a small portion in the southeast which is part of the Jarama river basin.
Borders
[edit]The city of Getafe borders the following municipalities: to the north, Madrid (city districts Villaverde and Vallecas); to the east, Rivas Vaciamadrid; to the southeast, San Martín de la Vega; to the south, Pinto; to the southwest, Fuenlabrada; to the west, Leganés.
| NW: Leganés | N: Villaverde | NE: Vallecas |
| W: Leganés | Getafe | E: Rivas-Vaciamadrid |
| SW Fuenlabrada | S: Pinto | SE: San Martín de la Vega |
Climate
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The climate of Getafe is cold semi-arid (Köppen climate classification: BSk).[11] Winters are cool, with temperatures dropping below 10 °C (46.4 °F) during the day, and frequently below 2 °C (32 °F) at night. Getafe averages three to four snowfalls per year. Summers are very hot, with median temperatures above 26 °C (79 °F) in July and August, and with maximum temperatures which often reach 35 °C (95 °F). Daily temperatures oscillate within range of 10 °C (18 °F).
Precipitations are regularly distributed throughout the year, excluding the dry summer months. The rainiest month is October, with 54 millimetres (2.1 in) of rainfall, and the driest month is July, with only 6 millimetres (0.24 in). Average yearly precipitation is around 354 millimetres (13.9 in).
One of the major problems of Getafe's climate is air pollution, which increases noticeably when the wind blows South or Southeast. The average annual temperature is 15 °C, with the highest temperature on record listed at 41.6 °C (106.8 °F) on 24 July 1995, and the lowest temperature recorded at -12 °C (10.4 °F) on 5 February 1963. The average relative humidity is 56%, average pressure is 1,015.8 millibars, average number of daylight hours per year is 2,921, and the winds blow predominantly from the northeast.
Extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and tornadoes, never occur in Getafe thanks to its climate and geography. One common problem in the interior of the Iberian Peninsula is drought, which occurs whenever precipitation ceases during various months.