CD Castellón29 June 1973 remains the most important date in the history of CD Castellón. On that day the team from Castellón de la Plana played the Copa del Rey final, then contested as the Copa del Generalísimo, and lost 2-0 to Athletic Club. The final capped the 1972–73 season, in which the club, back in the top flight, finished fifth in the league. That placing is regarded as the best in its history. The side included Vicente del Bosque, Cela and Planelles. Del Bosque was associated with the club both as a player and later as a coach, and he subsequently moved to Real Madrid.
The club was not founded in Valencia but in Castellón de la Plana, in the province of Castellón in the Valencian Community. Football reached the city in 1911. In the following years local sides played under the names Deportivo, Castalia, Gimnástico, Cultural and Cervantes. The present institution dates from July 1922, when the existing Cervantes CF was renamed Club Deportivo Castellón. Its roots therefore lie in the early twentieth century, and the name Castalia recurs throughout local football history.
The club plays in white and black, which gave rise to the nickname albinegros. In Valencian, supporters are known as orelluts. Home matches are played at the Castalia, a municipally owned stadium with a capacity of about 15,500. The commercial name of the ground has changed over time, so the lasting reference is the historic name Castalia. In 2024 the city granted the club the right to use the stadium for 50 years.
In terms of honours, Castellón is not a title-winning club. It has never won the Spanish championship, and much of its history has been spent in the second tier. It won the Segunda División in 1940–41, 1980–81 and 1988–89. In 1983–84 it won the second-division Copa de la Liga, and in 2002–03 it won its Segunda División B group. No European achievements could be verified, so none are listed. The brightest point remains the 1973 final. In 1991 the club was converted into a sports public limited company (S.A.D.). It has not played in the top flight for more than three decades.
The twenty-first century brought fluctuation. In 2011 the club found itself in the Tercera División, yet it set subscriber records there, a sign of local attachment. In 2021 it left the Segunda División. A turning point came on 22 July 2022, the club's centenary, when Haralabos Voulgaris, previously connected with the Dallas Mavericks, took control. The new owner introduced a data-led approach to recruitment, working with Jamestown Analytics. Under coach Dick Schreuder, Castellón won promotion to the Segunda División in 2024 as champions of Primera RFEF Group II. In 2024–25 it finished 13th in the second tier, and a year later 6th out of 22 teams. For supporters in Castellón de la Plana, a return to the top flight remains the goal, and the fifth place and the final of 1973 serve as the benchmark for what is worth striving for.