During recent decades Esplugues has evolved from a predominantly industrial town to a more diverse service area, preserving, however, its cultural and historical identity.

The mansion of Can Cortada was home to the Baron Maldà, author of Calaix de Sastre, the most representative work of Catalan literature of the late 18th century.

Due to its proximity to the Camp Nou stadium, many famous footballers reside in Esplugues, such as Gerard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta, and Dani Alves, as well as the motorcycle racer Sete Gibernau, the former World Number 1 tennis player Arantxa Sánchez, and other personalities in Spanish showbiz.

During the Middle Ages, Esplugues was organized around two centers: the "sagrera," which housed the church and several farmhouses, and the Raval area, where the castle and an old inn were located.

It was not until the 18th century, with the construction of the Royal Road, that the town center shifted towards this new route, causing the old Raval nucleus to lose prominence.