L'Hospitalet de Llobregat traces its origins to the two urban centres that emerged in the 12th century, namely around the Santa Eulàlia de Provençana church and Hospital de la Torre.

Until the late 18th century, L'Hospitalet was primarily an agricultural town; however, with the establishment of the first textile factories, its economic landscape began to change. At the beginning of the 20th century, the city experienced great industrial development and spectacular population growth. Between the 1960s and 1970s, during the Francoist dictatorship, L'Hospitalet welcomed many immigrants. This rapid growth was not accompanied by the conditioning of the city to provide the required services. With the return of democratic councils in 1979, the city built an infrastructure of public spaces and facilities.

From the end of the 20th century, L'Hospitalet began a second transformation to accommodate new economic activities, and to connect with the metropolitan region.