Zaragoza · Aragon
Zaragoza
Aragón's capital, defined by the multi-domed Basílica del Pilar rising above the Río Ebro — home to about half the region's population and one of Spain's best tapas scenes.
What Zaragoza is like
Portrait drawn from Lonely Planet & The Rough Guide.
On the Río Ebro, the reason there's been an important city here since Roman Caesaraugusta was founded in 14 BCE.
On the table. One of the best tapas and bar scenes in Spain, notably in the small central quadrangle of lanes known as El Tubo.
Worth the trip
- The Basílica del Pilar, one of Spain's great churches
- La Seo cathedral
- The Aljafería, Spain's finest Islamic building outside Andalucía
- Art of local-born painter Francisco de Goya
Fiestas
- Fiestas in honour of the Virgen del Pilar, the week closest to October 12, with religious processions, rock/jazz/folk bands, floats, bullfights and jota dancing
A little history
There's been an important city here since Roman Caesaraugusta was founded in 14 BCE.
Who it suits: Tapas crawlers · Goya and architecture pilgrims
The numbers
The decision data — each figure against the Spanish average. Regional overlays and estimates are labelled, and where there's no local reading we say so plainly.
Climate
- Winter average temp
- 8.4°C 0.6°C above the Spanish average (7.8°C)
- Summer high (Jul–Aug)
- 32.6°C 2.4°C above the Spanish average (30.2°C)
- Rainy days a year
- 52 days 24% less than the Spanish average (69 days)
- Sunshine
- 7.8 h/day 8% more than the Spanish average (7.2 h/day)
- Summer water stress (WEI+) regional estimate
- 10 46 below the Spanish average (56)
Cost & economy
- Home price
- €2,216/m² about the Spanish average (€2,208/m²)
- Net income per person
- €16,272 12% more than the Spanish average (€14,495)
- Income growth ’18–’23
- 19.1%
Schools
- Schools in town
- 267
- Nearest international school
- 65 km
- PISA maths (region) regional estimate
- 487 6 above the Spanish average (481)
Healthcare
- Drive to a hospital
- 0 min
- Nearest health centre
- 2.4 km
- Surgical wait (region) regional estimate
- 132 days 22% more than the Spanish average (108 days)
Getting around
- Drive to nearest airport
- 32 min
- Fibre-to-home coverage
- 99% 20% above the Spanish average (79%)
- 100 Mbps+ coverage
- 100% 16% above the Spanish average (83%)
Who lives here
- Population
- 699,007
- Born in Spain
- 80.6% 8.2% below the Spanish average (88.8%)
- Born elsewhere in EU/UK
- 3.3% 0.6% below the Spanish average (3.8%)
- U.S.-born residents
- 0.94 per 1,000
Numbers: SettleSpain town dataset, derived from INE, AEMET, Mitma, Ministerio del Interior and the Catastro. National average = the unweighted mean across all 8,132 Spanish municipalities with data. A blank means no municipal-level figure is published — not a zero.
How does Zaragoza fit you?
These are the town's numbers. Whether it's your town depends on what you're optimising for — winter sun or mild summers, a city or a village, short medical waits, an easy flight home. The 3-minute quiz scores Zaragoza against every one of Spain's 8,132 municipalities on your priorities. It sits about 59 min from Huesca, if that's your anchor.
Take the quiz — rank Zaragoza for you →Nearby towns
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