Gilbert, Arizona

Gilbert, Arizona
Town

Gilbert’s Heritage Court as viewed from Gilbert Road.

Seal
Motto: "a service organization"

Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona
Coordinates: 33°21′00″N 111°47′21″W / 33.35000°N 111.78917°WCoordinates: 33°21′00″N 111°47′21″W / 33.35000°N 111.78917°W
Country United States
State Arizona
County Maricopa
Government
 • Mayor John Lewis (R)
Area
 • Town 76.0 sq mi (121.62 km2)
 • Land 75.76 sq mi (120.98 km2)
 • Water 0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2)
Elevation 1,237 ft (377 m)
Population (2010)[1]
 • Town 208,453
 • Estimate (2013[2]) 229,972
 • Rank US: 92nd
 • Density 2,862.12/sq mi (1,788.82/km2)
 • Metro 4,398,762 (US: 12th)
Time zone MST (no DST) (UTC-7)
ZIP codes 85233, 85234, 85295-85298
Area code(s) 480
FIPS code 04-27400
Website www.gilbertaz.gov

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",[3] 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.[4]

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"[5] from 1911 until the late 1920s.

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

Climate data for Gilbert, Arizona
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 89
(32)		 95
(35)		 100
(38)		 106
(41)		 118
(48)		 119
(48)		 122
(50)		 115
(46)		 113
(45)		 107
(42)		 97
(36)		 86
(30)		 122
(50)
Average high °F (°C) 67
(19)		 71
(22)		 77
(25)		 85
(29)		 95
(35)		 105
(41)		 107
(42)		 105
(41)		 100
(38)		 90
(32)		 75
(24)		 67
(19)		 87
(30.6)
Average low °F (°C) 41
(5)		 45
(7)		 49
(9)		 54
(12)		 61
(16)		 70
(21)		 77
(25)		 76
(24)		 70
(21)		 59
(15)		 47
(8)		 40
(4)		 57.4
(13.9)
Record low °F (°C) 15
(−9)		 19
(−7)		 24
(−4)		 30
(−1)		 37
(3)		 43
(6)		 54
(12)		 51
(11)		 40
(4)		 30
(−1)		 22
(−6)		 17
(−8)		 15
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 1.01
(25.7)		 1.03
(26.2)		 1.19
(30.2)		 0.33
(8.4)		 0.13
(3.3)		 0.04
(1)		 0.89
(22.6)		 1.14
(29)		 0.89
(22.6)		 0.81
(20.6)		 0.77
(19.6)		 0.98
(24.9)		 9.21
(234.1)
Source: The Weather Channel [6]

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1920865—
1930791−8.6%
19408375.8%
19501,11433.1%
19601,83364.5%
19701,9717.5%
19805,717190.1%
199029,188410.5%
2000109,697275.8%
2010208,45390.0%
Est. 2013229,97210.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
2013 Estimate[2]
Town Hall building at the Civic Center
A waterfront in the Val Vista Lakes Community in Gilbert
A view of the southwest corner of Gilbert Road and Page Avenue in Gilbert Arizona. In the background is the Liberty Market and the iconic Gilbert water tower.
Photo at SanTan Village looking north towards the Macy's department store on Paseo Drive in Gilbert, Arizona

As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments,[8]

As of the census of 2000, there were 208,453 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household.

2009 According to Nielsens Claritas Demographics,[11] in 2009 the racial makeup of the town was:

2009 Estimated Population Data by Gender/Age:[11]

2009 Estimated Population Age 15+ by Marital Status:[11]

2009 Estimated Population Age 25+ Educational Attainment:[11]

2009 Estimated Households by Household Income:[11]

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.[12][13]

Economy

Largest employers

According to the Town's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[14] the top employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 Gilbert Public Schools 3,642
2 Banner Health 2,268
3 Mercy Gilbert Medical Center 1,233
4 Town of Gilbert 1,191
5 Fry's Food and Drug 966
6 Go Daddy 950
7 Walmart 791
8 Chandler Unified School District 518
9 B H Drywall 500
10 Dillard's Retail and Distribution 490

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[15] 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:

Government

Gilbert was recognized in 2010 as the "36th Best Place to Live in the nation",[16] as well as among the nation's "top places to live and learn"[16] by GreatSchools.org. Washington, DC-based CQ Press rated Gilbert the "safest municipality in Arizona, and 25th safest in the nation." [17]

The town is part of the fifth congressional district of Arizona, which is represented by Republican Matt Salmon.[18] The mayor of Gilbert is John Lewis.

Crime

Gilbert
Crime rates (2012)
Crime type Rate*
Homicide:5
Robbery:59
Aggravated assault:122
Total Violent crime:205
Burglary:726
Larceny-theft:2,496
Motor vehicle theft:164
Arson:25
Total Property crime:3,386
Notes
* Number of reported crimes per 100,000 population.
2012 population: 214,264
Source: 2012 FBI UCR Data

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 served by two area freeways—the Santan Freeway portion of Loop 202 and US-60. 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

Sister cities

Gilbert has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:

Gallery of historic homes

Historic Gilbert, Arizona
(NRHP = National Register of Historic Places)
(GHD = Gilbert Historic District)
Gilbert Elementary School was built in 1913. It is located at 10 S. Gilbert Rd. and now houses the Gilbert Historical Museum. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 
Gilbert High School was built in 1920. It now houses the Gilbert Public School District Office. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
The Gilbert Water Tower was built in 1925. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
Gilbert’s first jail house was built in 1918 and later used as a pump house. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
The Tone Building was built in 1929 and now houses Joe's Real BBQ Restaurant. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
Liberty Market was built in 1936. Liberty Market was established by the Dong family. The neon sign which is still on display was designed by Mae Ong, the wife of Ben Ong, who purchased the market in 1943. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
The Creed building was built in 1918. It now houses the Farmhouse Restaurant. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
The Attaway Phelps-Blakely Building was built in 1910. It now houses the Norwood Furniture store. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
The Bank of Gilbert was built in 1917. It now houses an insurance company. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
Clare’s Metal Shop was built in 1918. It now houses a Coffee shop. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
Clement's Garage was built in 1934. The structure is listed as historical by the Gilbert Heritage District. 
The American Legion Post 39 was built in 1934. 

See also

References

  1. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  3. ↑ Gilbert Profile
  4. ↑ "Gilbert Arizona Community's roots date to 1920". Church News. 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  5. ↑ "Gilbert History". Ci.gilbert.az.us. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  6. ↑ "Average Weather for Gilbert, AZ - Temperature and Precipitation". Weather.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
  7. ↑ United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved September 27, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Maricopa Association of Governments Population & Housing Numbers for Greater Phoenix" (PDF). Mag.maricopa.gov. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  9. ↑ "CNN Money Magazine 2008". Money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  10. ↑ "FBI Crime Statistics". Fbi.gov. 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 Nielsen Claritas
  12. ↑ "LDS Church announces two new temples in Arizona - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. 2008-04-27. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  13. ↑ Gilbert Arizona Temple, ldschurchtemples.com. Last accessed on 2008-04-27.
  14. ↑ "City of Gilbert 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). 2014-06-18. p. 141. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  15. ↑ National Register of Historic Places
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Best Places to Live 2010". CNN.
  17. ↑ "CQ Press: City Crime Rankings 2012" (PDF). Os.cqpress.com. Retrieved 2014-06-18.
  18. ↑ "US Congressman Matt Salmon". Salmon.house.gov. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
  19. ↑ "Linkin Park vocalist buys Gilbert home". AZCentral.com. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
  20. ↑ "NFL Players". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  21. ↑ "NFL Players". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  22. ↑ "Los Angeles Galaxy: Roster: Player Bio". La.galaxy.mlsnet.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  23. ↑ "Gilbert woman vies for Miss USA". Azcentral.com. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  24. ↑ "Astronaut Bio: Carlos I. Noriega (1/2008)". Jsc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  25. ↑ "Phil Ortega Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
  26. ↑ "The Valley's priciest home sales". AZCentral.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.

External links

Media related to Gilbert, Arizona at Wikimedia Commons