Gilbert, Arizona
| Gilbert | ||
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| — Town — | ||
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| Motto: "a service organization" | ||
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| 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 (2011)[1] | ||
| • Town | 211,951 (US: 99th) | |
| • Density | 2,862.12/sq mi (1,788.82/km2) | |
| • Metro | 4,263,236 (US: 14th) | |
| Time zone | MST (no DST) (UTC-7) | |
| ZIP codes | 85233, 85234, 85295-85298 | |
| Area code(s) | 480 | |
| FIPS code | 04-27400 | |
| Website | http://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",[2] 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 two decades, Gilbert has grown at an extremely high rate, increasing in population from 5,717 in 1980 to 208,453 as of a 2010 Census Bureau estimate.
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History [edit]
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 regularly before settling for many years on the east side of downtown Gilbert Road. To this very day Gilberts post office still stands and is a promonient building to the Gilbert residences because of how long it has been around. 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.[3]
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"[4] from 1911 until the late 1920s.
Geography [edit]
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 [edit]
| 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) |
99 (37) |
106 (41) |
118 (48) |
116 (47) |
119 (48) |
115 (46) |
113 (45) |
107 (42) |
97 (36) |
86 (30) |
119 (48) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
71 (22) |
77 (25) |
85 (29) |
94 (34) |
104 (40) |
106 (41) |
104 (40) |
99 (37) |
89 (32) |
75 (24) |
67 (19) |
86.5 (30.2) |
| 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) |
| Precipitation inches (mm) | 1.01 (25.7) |
1.03 (26.2) |
1.19 (30.2) |
0.33 (8.4) |
0.17 (4.3) |
0.06 (1.5) |
0.89 (22.6) |
1.14 (29) |
0.89 (22.6) |
0.81 (20.6) |
0.77 (19.6) |
0.98 (24.9) |
9.27 (235.6) |
| Source: The Weather Channel [5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics [edit]
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1920 | 865 |
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| 1930 | 791 | −8.6% | |
| 1940 | 837 | 5.8% | |
| 1950 | 1,114 | 33.1% | |
| 1960 | 1,833 | 64.5% | |
| 1970 | 1,971 | 7.5% | |
| 1980 | 5,717 | 190.1% | |
| 1990 | 29,188 | 410.5% | |
| 2000 | 109,697 | 275.8% | |
| 2010 | 208,453 | 90.0% | |
| Est. 2011 | 211,951 | 1.7% | |
|
2011 estimate |
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As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments,[6] Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 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.[7]
- One of the top 25 safest cities in the United States.[8]
- 34.5% of Gilbert residents hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.[9]
- Highest household median income in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area with Population 50,000+ U.S. Census Bureau 2005
2009 According to Nielsens Claritas Demographics,[9] 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:[9]
- 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:[9]
- 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:[9]
- 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:[9]
- $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 [edit]
Various religious denominations are represented in Gilbert, including 17.26% claiming to be Roman Catholic, 11.12% Protestant and 12.6% Mormon.[citation needed] The town has been known for its high Mormon population, a fact evidenced by the LDS church's recent announcement to construct a temple in Gilbert.[10][11] Gilbert is also rated as a town of relatively low crime. According to FBI records, Gilbert was the largest city in the United States with zero murders in 2005.[12]
Politics [edit]
The town is part of the fifth congressional district of Arizona, which is represented by Republican Matt Salmon.[13] The mayor of Gilbert is John Lewis.
Education [edit]
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).
Economy [edit]
Largest Employers [edit]
According to the Town's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[14] the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gilbert Public Schools | 4,173 |
| 2 | Town of Gilbert | 1,402 |
| 3 | Banner Health | 1,213 |
| 4 | Fry's Food and Drug | 817 |
| 5 | Mercy Gilbert Medical Center | 762 |
| 6 | Walmart | 694 |
| 7 | Go Daddy | 600 |
| 8 | Target | 455 |
| 9 | Costco | 418 |
| 10 | Orbital | 400 |
Transportation [edit]
Gilbert is served by two area freeway—the Santan Freeway portion of Loop 202 and US-60. Several major 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 from here, and future commuter rail service to Gilbert will require little modification since most of the facilities are already built.[citation needed] Most people get around by cars or bikes.
Town honors and recognitions [edit]
Gilbert was recognized in 2010 as the "36th Best Place to Live in the nation",[15] as well as among the nation's "top places to live and learn"[15] by GreatSchools.org. Washington, DC-based CQ Press rated Gilbert the "safest municipality in Arizona, and 24th safest in the nation." [16] Among these great honors, Gilbert was named by Forbes in 2008 as the 9th most boring city in the United States.[17] In their annual report released November 2009 using FBI statistics. Gilbert's Cosmo Dog Park has twice made Dog Fancy magazine's list of top dog parks in the nation since opening in 2006, including being named Dog Park of the Year in 2007.[18] The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is recognized by the National Audubon Society as being an "Important Bird Area".[19] Gilbert has been named as a "bicycle-"[20] and "tree-friendly"[21] community and receives "high satisfaction rates" from citizens in town surveys.
Historic properties in Gilbert [edit]
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[22] or listed as such in the Gilbert Historic District. The following are images of some of these properties with a short description of the same.
| Historic Gilbert, Arizona (NRHP = National Register of Historic Places) (GHD = Gilbert Historic District) |
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Sister cities [edit]
Gilbert has two sister cities, as designated by Sister Cities International:
Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Leshan, Sichuan, China
Notable people [edit]
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This section contains embedded lists that may be poorly defined, unverified or indiscriminate. (December 2010) |
- Jim Bechtel, professional poker player, World Champion of Poker in 1993, lives in Gilbert, Arizona.[citation needed]
- 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.[23]
- Dave Burba currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona. He was a former star pitcher of the late 1990s Indians teams.[citation needed]
- Shad Chadwick, team roping (Heeler) and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Resistol team roping Rookie of the Year for 1995, attended Gilbert High School.[24]
- Marquis Cooper, former linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Oakland Raiders played for Highland High School and was drafted in the third round (79th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On March 1, 2009, Cooper and three other men went missing after their boat capsized in rough seas near Clearwater, Florida. Cooper and two of the men are now presumed to be dead.[25]
- Ken Delo, American singer best known for The Lawrence Welk Show, lives in Gilbert.[citation needed]
- Roy Wayne Farris, an American Pro Wrestler (better known by his ring name, "The Honky Tonk Man"), lives in Gilbert[citation needed]
- Ryan Fitzpatrick, quarterback for the Buffalo Bills played for Highland High School and made his NFL debut on November 27, 2005.[26][27]
- Jineane Ford, Miss USA 1980, former television actress and news anchor graduated from Gilbert High SchoolKTVK-TV, KPNX-TV[citation needed]
- Alan Gordon plays striker for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer and was born in Gilbert on October 16, 1981.[citation needed]
- Dan Hausel, Hall of Fame Martial Artist Grandmaster, 10th degree red belt of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Kobudo (Seiyo Kai) and Hall of Fame geologist and Author of several books and more than 500 articles. Has been a resident of Gilbert since 2006.
- Shea Hillenbrand, All-Star MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, raises horses and other animals on a ranch in Gilbert with his family.[citation needed]
- Darrin Jackson, MLB outfielder from 1985–1999; has been a TV broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox since 2001. Currently lives in Gilbert even though he's a native of Los Angeles.[citation needed]
- Kimberly Joiner, Miss Arizona USA 2008, raised in and still lives in Gilbert.[28]
- Naomi Lang, 5 time US ice dance champion and 2002 US Olympic Figure Skating team member; also the first Native American (Karuk tribe) woman to compete in the Winter Olympics currently resides in Gilbert.[citation needed]
- Spencer Larsen, NFL Denver Broncos, fullback/linebacker from 2008–present. Larsen was raised in Gilbert and began his football career at Highland High School.
- Justin Lassen, artist, currently lives in Gilbert; graduated from Gilbert High School in 2000.[dubious ]
- Ryan Leslie, star of MTV's The Real World: New Orleans (2010)[citation needed]
- Carlos I. Noriega, NASA astronaut and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel lives in Gilbert.[29]
- Phil Ortega, MLB pitcher from 1960–1969, was born in Gilbert on October 7, 1939.[30]
- 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[citation needed]
- Bengie Molina, a former Major League Baseball catcher and currently the assistant hitting coach for the St. Louis Cardinals, has lived in Gilbert since 2011.[31]
- April Warneke, currently working as weather person for news channel 3 , graduated from Gilbert High School in 1995[citation needed]
Groups [edit]
- Jimmy Eat World, band
- Lifehouse, band
- Lydia, band[citation needed]
- The Maine, band[citation needed]
- Scary Kids Scaring Kids, band[citation needed]
- Elektrolytes, dance crew that won season 7 of America's Best Dance Crew[citation needed]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Table 3. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Arizona: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011" (CSV). 2011 Population Estimates. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. July 1, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
- ^ Gilbert Profile
- ^ "''LDS Church News'', Nov. 19, 2010". Ldschurchnews.com. 2010-11-19. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Gilbert History". Ci.gilbert.az.us. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Average Weather for Gilbert, AZ - Temperature and Precipitation". Weather.com. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
- ^ "Maricopa Association of Governments Population & Housing Numbers for Greater Phoenix". Mag.maricopa.gov. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "CNN Money Magazine 2008". Money.cnn.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "FBI Crime Statistics". Fbi.gov. 2010-03-17. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ a b c d e f Nielsen Claritas[dead link]
- ^ "LDS Church announces two new temples in Arizona - Salt Lake Tribune". Sltrib.com. 2008-04-27. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ Gilbert Arizona Temple, ldschurchtemples.com. Last accessed on 2008-04-27.
- ^ Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, by State, By City, 2005 (Microsoft Excel file format document) - Federal Bureau of Investigation
- ^ "US Congressman Matt Salmon". Salmon.house.gov. Retrieved 2013-01-29.
- ^ "Town of Gilbert money --~~~~" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ a b "Best Places to Live 2010". CNN.
- ^ "CQ Press: City Crime Rankings 2010". Os.cqpress.com. Retrieved 2012-10-13.
- ^ name="In Pictures; America's 10 Most Boring Cities" url=http://www.forbes.com/2008/12/10/media-newspapers-news-biz-media-cx_jz_1210boringcities_slide_12.html?thisSpeed=15000
- ^ Kochan, Maureen. "America’s Best Dog Parks 2007". Dogchannel.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "National Audubon Society". Audubon. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "League of American Bicyclists * Bicycle Friendly Community Campaign". Bikeleague.org. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Tree Cities Around the Nation—Tree City USA at". Arborday.org. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ National Register of Historic Places
- ^ "Linkin Park vocalist buys Gilbert home". AZCentral.com. Retrieved 2008-11-04.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ "NFL Players". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "NFL Players". Nfl.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Los Angeles Galaxy: Roster: Player Bio". La.galaxy.mlsnet.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Gilbert woman vies for Miss USA". Azcentral.com. 2008-04-11. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: Carlos I. Noriega (1/2008)". Jsc.nasa.gov. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "Phil Ortega Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- ^ "The Valley's priciest home sales". AZCentral.com. Retrieved 2011-02-11.
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