Elche
Elche
Elx | |
|---|---|
| Elx / Elche (official) | |
Panoramic view Palm trees Replica of the Lady of Elche | |
|
Flag Coat of arms | |
Interactive map of Elche | |
Elx / Elche Location in the Province of Alicante Elx / Elche Location in the Valencian Community Elx / Elche Location in Spain | |
| Coordinates: 38°16′1″N 0°41′54″W / 38.26694°N 0.69833°W | |
| Country | Spain |
| Autonomous community | Valencian Community |
| Province | Alacant / Alicante |
| Comarca | Baix Vinalopó |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Pablo Ruz Villanueva (2023) (PP) |
| Area | |
• Total | 326.50 km2 (126.06 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 86 m (282 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 242,317 |
| • Density | 742.17/km2 (1,922.2/sq mi) |
| Demonyms | • il·licità, -ana (Val.) • ilicitano/a (Sp.) |
| Official language(s) | |
| Linguistic area | Valencian |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 03200–03299 |
| Dialing code | +34 96 |
| Website | www.elche.es |
Elche or Elx (officially: Elx / Elche) is a city and municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. With of 242,317 inhabitants as of 2024, it is the 3rd-most populated municipality in the region. It is part of the comarca of Baix Vinalopó.
Part of the municipality is coastal yet the city proper is roughly 15 km (9 mi) away from the Mediterranean Sea. Elche is the centre of the footwear industry in Spain. The main airport of the province of Alicante (Alicante–Elche Miguel Hernández Airport) is located inside Elche's municipality, and it serves both Elche and Alicante, being the fifth-busiest airport in Spain.
Together with Alicante and other municipalities, Elche forms a conurbation of around 0.8 million inhabitants. The city is noted for its urban Palm Grove, designated as World Heritage Site.