It's a neighborhood that was consolidated in the mid-20th century. However, we must recognize that its very etymology suggests more than a settlement, it's an area where several paths "crossed." Some old maps already indicate that the paths from Bilbao to Portugalete and Santander "crossed" at this location. Chronicles also tell us that back in 1920, Cruces (Gurutzeta) had just over nine buildings, within a bucolic, rural setting. The arrival of large contingents of emigrants to Barakaldo in the 1950s and, especially, in the 1960s marked the beginning of an evolution that has radically changed the landscape of this neighborhood.
In the Cruces neighborhood is the Cruces Hospital of the Basque Health Service, the largest hospital in the Basque Country and one of the most important in Spain. Together with its square, it forms the nerve center of the district.
Cruces was built in the 1950s, in response to the immigration that brought thousands of people to Baracaldo to work in its factories, aided by the proximity of the hospital. Cruces's appearance is more typically urban, with almost no green areas.
