León Province, Spain

With 446,771 people on January 1, 2025, León province ranks 33rd by population and 7th by area among Spain’s 50 provinces. Since 2015 it has lost 32,624 people (6.8%). Density is 29 people/km², against a Spanish average of 97 people/km².

The capital, León, has 123,446 residents, 28% of the province. Next come Ponferrada (63,186), San Andrés del Rabanedo (29,944), and Villaquilambre (18,905).

Of its 211 municipalities (the 16th most of any province), 153 have fewer than 1,000 people. The smallest by population is Escobar de Campos, with 32, and the largest by area is Truchas, at 301 km².

The capital, León, sits 830 m (2,723 ft) above sea level, the 7th highest of Spain’s 52 provincial capitals and autonomous cities.

According to the IGN’s summit table, the highest point in León province is Torre Cerredo, at 2,649 m (8,691 ft), in the Picos de Europa, on the border with Asturias. It’s 89 km from the capital in a straight line and 1,819 m higher.

Besides the capital, one city over 50,000 people has its own elevation page: Ponferrada (543 m).

One town of 20,000 to 50,000 people also has a page: San Andrés del Rabanedo (833 m).

Peaks with a page in León province or on its border: Torre Cerredo (2,649 m), Torre Blanca (2,617 m), and Teleno (2,183 m).

León is one of the 9 provinces of Castile and León, along with Ávila, Burgos, Palencia, Salamanca, Segovia, Soria, Valladolid, and Zamora. See Castile and León: its provinces, population and peaks.