Elche is a city and municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2014 data, Elche has a population of 228,647 inhabitants, making it the third most populated municipality in the region and the 20th largest Spanish municipality. It is part of the comarca of Baix Vinalopó. Part of the municipality is coastal yet the city proper is roughly 15 km away from the Mediterranean Sea. A small creek called Vinalopó flows through the city.