Sabadell is located in the Vallès Occidental region, in the Ripoll River valley.

The first settlements in the region date back 7,000 years, when communities of farmers and herders settled there. The formation of a clustered settlement occurred with the first buildings that were erected next to the Sant Salvador Chapel, currently the Sant Fèlix Church. The town began to grow beyond its walls from the 16th century and developed a textile industry, mostly wool, during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. In the 20th century, the transformations of the historic centre led to the economic reactivation of the city in the service sector. The city incorporated a newly created neighbourhood - Can Llong - and began to recover the surroundings of the Ripoll River with the creation of a river park.

From the industrial revolution, some of the factories remain in good condition, such as Vapor Buxeda, as well as some houses of the bourgeoisie that have been converted into museum facilities.