The first recorded written reference to Alcorcón is in a court document (privilegio rodado [es]) dated on 28 July 1208, in the context of the territorial strife over El Real de Manzanares [es] between the city councils of Madrid and Segovia that took place in the Middle Ages.

As announced in February 2013, Alcorcón was the tentative building site for the Eurovegas casino resort project,[6] officially canceled in December 2013.

Construction activities make 7.28% of the GDP, and 10.65% of the registers in Tesorería General de la Seguridad Social are due to posts in the sector.

Some sights that have special historical, artistic or cultural values are listed below:[11] The city is home to the football team Agrupación Deportiva de Alcorcón that plays in the Segunda División.

The Alcorcón campus of the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) teaches health-related courses.