Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located southeast of Phoenix, within the Phoenix metropolitan area. Once known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World", Gilbert is currently the most populous incorporated town in the United States. Gilbert encompasses 76 square miles (197 km2) and has made a rapid transformation from an agriculture-based community to an economically diverse suburban center located in the southeast valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area. In the last three decades, Gilbert has grown at an extremely high rate, increasing in population from 5,717 in 1980 to 208,453 as of the 2010 census.
History
Gilbert owes its beginnings to William "Bobby" Gilbert who provided land to the Arizona Eastern Railway in 1902 to construct a rail line between Phoenix and Florence, Arizona. Ayer's Grocery Store, the first store in Gilbert, opened in 1910 and became the location of the first post office in 1912. The location of the town post office moved several times before settling on the east side of Gilbert Road in downtown, where it still stands today. In 1912, many Mormons who had fled the Mormon colonies in Mexico due to the actions of the forces of Pancho Villa settled in Gilbert. By 1915, they began holding church meetings at the Gilbert Elementary School. In 1918, they were organized into the Gilbert Ward.
Incorporated in July 1920, Gilbert was primarily a farming community fueled by the rail line and construction of the Roosevelt Dam and the Eastern and Consolidated Canals. It remained an agricultural town for many years and was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" from 1911 until the late 1920s.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, in the 2000 Census, the town had an estimated area of 40 square miles (104 km2). As of 2009, and due to annexations the current Municipal Planning Area of Gilbert has a total area of 76.0 square miles (197 km2), of which, 75.76 square miles (196.2 km2) of it is land and 0.24 square miles (0.6 km2) of it is water.
Climate
Demographics
As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments,
As of the census of 2000, there were 208,453 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household.
- Fastest growing municipality in the United States from 1990-2003. U.S. Census Bureau
- Currently the 4th fastest growing municipality in the United States. U.S. Census Bureau - 2009
- Ranked by CNN's Money magazine in 2008 as one of the best places to live in the United States.
- One of the top 25 safest cities in the United States.
- 34.5% of Gilbert residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
- Highest household median income in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area with Population 50,000+ U.S. Census Bureau 2005
2009 According to Nielsens Claritas Demographics, in 2009 the racial makeup of the town was:
- 81.51% White
- 15.39% Hispanics or Latinos
- 3.08% Black or African American
- 0.79% Native American
- 4.70% Asian
- 0.23% Pacific Islander
- 5.97% from other races
- 3.73% from two or more races
2009 Estimated Population Data by Gender/Age:
- 31.37 Average Age Male/Female
- 50.22% Male
- 30.03 Est. Average Age
- 49.78% Female
- 31.82 Est. Average Age
- 37.14% Population Under 21
- 33.25% Population Under 18
- 70.01% Population Over 16
- 66.76% Population Over 18
- 62.86% Population Over 21
- 5.30% Population Over 65
2009 Estimated Population Age 15+ by Marital Status:
- 20.87% Never Married
- 66.71% Married, Spouse Present
- 2.23% Married, Spouse absent
- 2.11% Widowed
- 8.07% Divorced
2009 Estimated Population Age 25+ Educational Attainment:
- 92.33% High School/GED or Higher
- 37.5% Bachelor's Degree or Higher
- 10.46% Master's Degree or Higher
2009 Estimated Households by Household Income:
- $109,213 Average Household Income
- $89,077 Median Household Income
- $35,559 Per Capita Income
- 2.28% of Families are Below the Poverty Level
Religion
Various religious denominations are represented in Gilbert, including 17.26% claiming to be Roman Catholic, 11.12% Protestant and 12.6% Mormon. The town has been known for its high Mormon population, a fact evidenced by the LDS church's building of a temple in Gilbert.
Economy
Largest employers
According to the Town's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
Arts and culture
Historic properties
There are various properties in the town of Gilbert which are considered historical and have been included either in the National Register of Historic Places or listed as such in the Gilbert Historic District. In the gallery at the end of the article are images of some of these properties with a short description of the same.
Music and dance
These performers have been associated with Gilbert:
- Jimmy Eat World, band
- Lifehouse, band
- Lydia, band
- The Maine, band
- Scary Kids Scaring Kids, band
- Elektrolytes, dance crew that won season 7 of America's Best Dance Crew
Government
Gilbert was recognized in 2010 as the "36th Best Place to Live in the nation", as well as among the nation's "top places to live and learn" by GreatSchools.org. Washington, DC-based CQ Press rated Gilbert the "safest municipality in Arizona, and 25th safest in the nation."
The town is part of the fifth congressional district of Arizona, which is represented by Republican Matt Salmon. The mayor of Gilbert is John Lewis.
Crime
Gilbert is rated as a town of relatively low crime. According to FBI records, Gilbert was the largest town in the United States with zero murders in 2005.
Education
Most of Gilbert is zoned to schools in the Gilbert Public Schools, while other portions are zoned to districts including the Chandler Unified School District, Mesa Public Schools, and the Higley Unified School District. Also in Gilbert are charter schools such as Edu-Prize (the first charter school in Arizona). The town is also home to Gilbert Christian Schools, a chain of private schools.
Infrastructure
Transportation
Gilbert is primarily served by one area freeway--the Santan Freeway portion of Loop 202. A small section of the US 60 Superstition Freeway also skirts the northern boundary of the town at the Higley Road interchange (Exit 186). Several regional arterials also serve the area, including Williams Field Road, Chandler Boulevard, and Gilbert Road. The town enjoys relative closeness to Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, which is located in east Mesa, and is a twenty-five minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Recently, a park-and-ride facility was constructed in downtown Gilbert for bus service and future commuter rail service. Although the facility borders the Union Pacific (formerly Southern Pacific) tracks and has provisions for commuter rail service, there is currently no such service. However, buses operate to downtown Phoenix, and future commuter rail service to Gilbert will require little modification since most of the facilities are already built. Most people get around by cars or bikes.
Notable people
- Jim Bechtel, professional poker player, World Champion of Poker in 1993, lives in Gilbert, Arizona.
- Chester Bennington, lead singer of popular band Linkin Park, has lived with his wife and children in the Whitewing at Higley community, located in Gilbert, since 2008.
- Dave Burba currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona. He was a former star pitcher of the late 1990s Indians teams.
- Marquis Cooper, former professional linebacker, played for Highland High School.
- Ken Delo, American singer best known for The Lawrence Welk Show, lives in Gilbert.
- Roy Wayne Farris, an American Pro Wrestler (better known by his ring name, "The Honky Tonk Man"), lives in Gilbert
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, professional quarterback, played for Highland High School.
- Jineane Ford, Miss Arizona USA 1980, Miss USA 1980
- Alan Gordon, professional Soccer player, was born in Gilbert on October 16, 1981.
- Dan Hausel, Hall of Fame martial artist, has been a resident of Gilbert since 2006.
- Shea Hillenbrand, All-Star professional baseball player.
- Darrin Jackson, professional baseball player from 1985 to 1999; TV broadcaster. Currently lives in Gilbert.
- Kimberly Joiner, Miss Arizona USA 2008, raised in and still lives in Gilbert.
- Naomi Lang, 5 time US ice dance champion and 2002 US Olympic Figure Skating team member.
- Spencer Larsen, a former professional football player. Larsen was raised in Gilbert and played for Highland High School.
- Justin Lassen, artist, currently lives in Gilbert; graduated from Gilbert High School in 2000.
- Ryan Leslie, television personality on MTV's The Real World: New Orleans (2010)
- Bengie Molina, a former Major League Baseball catcher, has lived in Gilbert since 2011.
- Carlos I. Noriega, NASA astronaut and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel lives in Gilbert.
- Phil Ortega, MLB pitcher from 1960 to 1969, was born in Gilbert on October 7, 1939.
- Mykayla Skinner, gymnast - member of the USA team that won the gold medal at the 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, and winner of the bronze medal on vault.
- Lindsey Stirling, accomplished violinist/dancer/performer, grew up in Gilbert.
- Eric Swann, Arizona Cardinals in the early 90's lives in Gilbert currently with his family
Sister cities
Gilbert has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
- Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Leshan, Sichuan, China
Gallery of historic homes
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