Villaquilambre is a municipality located about 5 kilometres (3 mi) north of León on the right bank of the river Torío. It covers an area of 52.7 km2 (20 sq mi). The highest point in the municipality is the Alto de la Vallina Fonda, which rises to 1,028 m (3,373 ft), and the average height is 870 m (2,854 ft) above sea level. To the west lies the municipality of Sariegos, to the north the municipality of Garrafe de Torío and to the east the municipality of Valdefresno. Villaquilambre is situated on the boundary of the broad valley to the south, where the Río Torío joins the Río Bernesga, and the Cantabrian mountain range to the north.[2] The slopes to the west and north of the town are forested with oaks, including the Mediterranean oak, and the land near the River Torío to the east has willow and poplar, with pine forests on the slopes above.
Agriculture is predominant in the Province of León,[5] but service industries are at the core of the economy of Villaquilambre,[6] although since the construction of an industrial park in Navatejera in 2000,[7] there have been more jobs created in the industrial and research sectors[6] (notably with the pharmaceutical company Laboratorios León Farma).[8][9] In part because it provides a cheaper alternative to inner city living in nearby León,[10] Villaquilambre has increased in size dramatically in the 21st century. Between 2001 and 2008, there was an increase in population of 6,224 inhabitants, making it the fastest growing municipality in the province, ahead of Ponferrada and León.[5]
