Travelstone: Torrejón de Ardoz

Torrejón de Ardoz Spain

Torrejón de Ardoz is a municipality in the autonomous community of Madrid, Spain, located about 20 km (12 mi) east of central Madrid along the A-2 (Madrid–Barcelona highway). Primarily a commuter town, it is characterized by apartment complexes, a large shopping mall, and a themed park featuring scale models of well-known European landmarks. The town is connected to Madrid by frequent buses from Avenida de América bus station (around 25 minutes) and by commuter rail from Madrid Atocha station (about 30 minutes). Torrejón de Ardoz hosts the European Union Satellite Centre, an EU agency, and serves as the headquarters of the Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Spain’s national aerospace agency. The municipality also contains a military airbase that accommodates business jets; its runway is visible on the right-hand side when landing at Madrid–Barajas Airport. For decades, the base was used by the United States Air Force under agreements with Francisco Franco to help defend NATO’s southern flank. Following the electoral victory of Felipe González and the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE), whose platform included closing the base to American forces, the lease for the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing (now the 401st Air Expeditionary Wing) was not renewed, and the F-16s were withdrawn in the early 1990s.

Recommended airport

Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas (MAD)

Nearby destinations

Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain

Torrejón de Ardoz Spain