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Torrejón

Torrejón de Ardoz
City
Aerial view of Torrejón de Ardoz
Aerial view of Torrejón de Ardoz
Flag of Torrejón de Ardoz
Flag
Official seal of Torrejón de Ardoz
Seal
Location in Madrid, Spain
Location in Madrid, Spain
Torrejón de Ardoz is located in Spain
Torrejón de Ardoz
Torrejón de Ardoz
Location of Torrejón within Spain
Coordinates: 40°27′41″N 3°29′52″W / 40.46139°N 3.49778°W / 40.46139; -3.49778Coordinates: 40°27′41″N 3°29′52″W / 40.46139°N 3.49778°W / 40.46139; -3.49778
Country Spain Spain
Region Community of Madrid Community of Madrid
Comarca Madrid metropolitan area
Founded 11th century
Government
 • Alcalde Ignacio Vázquez Casavilla (PP)
Area
 • City 84.1 km2 (32.49 sq mi)
Elevation 568 m (1,864 ft)
Population (2013)
 • Urban 127,132
 • Demonym Torrejonero
Time zone EST (UTC+1)
Website Torrejon.es

Torrejón de Ardoz (Spanish pronunciation: [toreˈxon de aɾˈðoθ]) is a municipality in the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain.

It is located 20 km east of the city of Madrid, on the Autovía A-2 (Madrid-Barcelona highway). It is essentially a dormitory town, mostly consisting of apartments, a large mall and a park containing models of many famous European landmarks. It can be reached by bus from Avenida de América bus station in Madrid (approx. 25 minutes) or by commuter train from (in roughly 30 minutes).

The European Union Satellite Centre, an agency of the European Union, is located in Torrejón de Ardoz. It is also the location of the headquarters of the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, the Spanish space agency.

There is also a military airbase in Torrejón de Ardoz. This base receives business jets, and its runway can be seen to the right when landing at Madrid's Barajas airport. For years, the United States Air Force occupied the base under agreements made with Francisco Franco, protecting NATO's southern flank. One of the election platforms of Felipe González's Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) was to close the base to the American fighter wing. González having been elected, the lease of the then 401st Tactical Fighter Wing (now the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing) was not renewed and the F-16 fighter wing left the base in the early 1990s.


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