Gilbert, Arizona

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. It is the sixth-largest municipality in Arizona, and the fifth-largest in the Metropolitan Phoenix Area.

Gilbert encompasses 76 sqmi and has made a rapid transformation from an agriculture-based community to an economically diverse suburban center located in the southeast valley of the Greater Phoenix 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. The town grew at an average annual growth rate of nearly 13% during this 30-year period.

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.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, in the 2000 Census, the town had an estimated area of 40 sqmi. As of 2009, and due to annexations the current Municipal Planning Area of Gilbert has a total area of 76.0 sqmi, of which, 75.76 sqmi is land and 0.24 sqmi is water.

Climate
Gilbert has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh).

Demographics


As of the census of 2010, 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)

According to Nielsen's 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 household 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. The town has been known for its high Mormon population, a fact evidenced by the LDS church's building of a temple in Gilbert, dedicated March 2, 2014.

Largest employers
According to the town's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Historic properties
Various properties in the town of Gilbert 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.

Music and dance
These performers have been associated with Gilbert:
 * Elektrolytes, dance crew that won season 7 of America's Best Dance Crew
 * Lydia, band
 * Scary Kids Scaring Kids, band
 * Lindsey Stirling, violinist, dancer, and performer; Mesquite High School graduate

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."

Since Gilbert remains incorporated as a town, it lacks the additional powers possessed by nearby Mesa and Chandler, which are incorporated as cities. For instance, Arizona towns do not have as much power to regulate utilities and construction within their borders as cities possess. Unlike most of its neighboring communities, Gilbert is theoretically vulnerable to annexation.

The town is part of AZ's 5th congressional district, which is represented by Republican and Gilbert resident Andy Biggs. The mayor of Gilbert is Jenn Daniels.

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, 2007, and 2014.

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.

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. Bus service is limited in Gilbert, with some north-south routes in Mesa dead-ending at Baseline Road before entering Gilbert. Routes that serve portions of Gilbert include the 108-Elliot Road, 112-Country Club/Arizona Avenue, 136-Gilbert Road, 140-Ray Road, 156-Chandler Boulevard/Williams Field Road, 184-Power Road, and 531-Mesa/Gilbert Express, with most of these routes operating at 30 minute frequency on weekdays. Sunday service is only available on Routes 108, 112, 156, and 184. Most people get around by cars or bikes. The city of Gilbert has a low percentage of households without a car. In 2015, 1.9 percent of Gilbert households lacked a car, and the figure was virtually unchanged in 2016 (1.7 percent). The national average was 8.7 percent in 2016. Gilbert averaged 2.08 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.

Notable people

 * Jim Bechtel, professional poker player; World Champion of Poker in 1993; lives in Gilbert
 * Dave Burba, currently lives in Gilbert; pitcher for late 1990s Cleveland Indians
 * Marquis Cooper, professional linebacker; played for Highland High School
 * Ken Delo, singer best known for The Lawrence Welk Show; lives in Gilbert
 * The Honky Tonk Man, pro wrestler (real name Roy Wayne Farris); lives in Gilbert
 * Ryan Fitzpatrick, NFL quarterback; played for Highland High School
 * Jineane Ford, Miss Arizona USA 1980, Miss USA 1980
 * Alan Gordon, professional soccer player; born in Gilbert in 1981
 * Dan Hausel, Hall of Fame martial artist; resident of Gilbert since 2006
 * Shea Hillenbrand, All-Star professional baseball player
 * Darrin Jackson, professional baseball player, 1985-1999; TV broadcaster; currently lives in Gilbert
 * Kimberly Joiner, Miss Arizona USA 2008; raised in and still lives in Gilbert
 * Naomi Lang, five-time US ice dance champion, 2002 Olympian
 * Spencer Larsen, former professional football player; raised in Gilbert; 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
 * Bengie Molina, former Major League Baseball catcher; has lived in Gilbert since 2011
 * Alex Naddour, bronze medalist at 2011 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and in pommel horse at 2016 Summer Olympics; graduate from Highland High School
 * Carlos I. Noriega, NASA astronaut; retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel; lives in Gilbert
 * Phil Ortega, MLB pitcher, 1960-1969; born in Gilbert in 1939
 * Mykayla Skinner, gold medalist at 2014 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships; bronze medalist on vault
 * Lindsey Stirling, violinist; dancer; performer; grew up in Gilbert
 * Eric Swann, NFL player for Arizona Cardinals; currently lives in Gilbert
 * Rick Woolstenhulme, drummer for band Lifehouse

Sister cities

 * 🇬🇧 Newtownabbey, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
 * Leshan, Sichuan, China