Grötzingen is a district on the eastern edge of Karlsruhe. It was incorporated into the city of Karlsruhe in 1974. As of 2014, the district had 9,168 inhabitants. Grötzingen was first mentioned in 985 under the name "Grezingen," which was derived from the name of the clan elder "Grezzo." In the 12th century, Durlach was founded on Grötzingen's territory. The Durlach Turmberg served as the manor house of the Count of Grötzingen in the 13th century. In the 19th century, the Grötzingen artists' colony was established; its most famous members were Friedrich Kallmorgen, Margarethe Hormnuth-Kallmorgen, Gustav Kampmann, Karl Biese, Franz Hein, Jenny Fikentscher, Otto Fikentscher, and Oskar Hagemann. The group finally disbanded in 1903, but many Grötzingen cultural figures still see themselves as part of this tradition. In 1888, the year the artists' colony was founded, Bertha Benz drove the route from Mannheim via Grötzingen to Pforzheim.

Since 2008, the Bertha Benz Memorial Route, which runs through Grötzingen, has commemorated this first long-distance automobile journey in history. In March 1973, a village referendum was held on whether Grötzingen should join the municipality of Pfinztal. The vote resulted in 63% in favor of joining and 26% against. Since 44.58% of voters supported joining, Grötzingen was not incorporated. A year later, Grötzingen was incorporated into Karlsruhe. Grötzingen has a train station on the Karlsruhe–Mühlacker railway line, as well as on the Kraichgau Railway to Heilbronn. Currently, Karlsruhe Stadtbahn (light rail) trains stop at the station. Previously, regional trains also stopped there. The platform used for these trains has since been abandoned and is deteriorating over time. Bus lines 21 and 22 also serve Grötzingen station, providing connections to destinations such as the Durlach Turmberg and neighboring towns.