Gilbert, Arizona

Town of Gilbert
—  Town  —
The water tower in downtown Gilbert
Seal
Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona
Coordinates: 33°21′00″N 111°47′21″W / 33.35°N 111.78917°W  / 33.35; -111.78917
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
Government
- Mayor	John Lewis
Area
- Total	76.0 sq mi (121.6 km2)
- Land	75.76 sq mi (120.98 km2)
- Water	0.24 sq mi (0.62 km2)
Elevation	1,237 ft (377 m)
Population (2007)
- Total	207,550
- Density	2,862.12/sq mi (1,788.82/km2)
Time zone	MST (no DST) (UTC-7)
ZIP codes	85233, 85234, 85295-85298
Area code(s)	480
FIPS code	04-27400
Website	http://www.ci.gilbert.az.us/

Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, within the Phoenix metropolitan area. Gilbert is recognized as the fourth fastest-growing large municipality in the nation and has been ranked 28th out of top 100 best places to live in America; its population was estimated at 207,550 in 2007 by the U.S. Census Bureau. The community has one of the highest ranked K-12 education systems in the state and has been noted as the 28th safest city in the country.

As a young, affluent community focused on the creation of wealth through an economically diverse environment, 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. Incorporated in July of 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 agriculture town for many years and was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" from 1911 until the late 1920s.

Today, Gilbert encompasses 76 square miles 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 a pace unparalleled by most communities in the United States, increasing in population from 5,717 in 1980 to 217,521 as of July 2009. Gilbert has evolved into a highly educated and affluent community supporting high-wage jobs in life science and health services, high technology, clean and renewable energy, and corporate and regional headquarters/offices in advanced business services while preserving its highly desirable quality of life.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, in the 2000 Census, the town had a total area of 43.2 square miles (69.12 square km). As of 2009, and due to annexations the current Municipal Planning Area of Gilbert has a total area of 76.0 square miles (121.6 km²), of which, 75.76 square miles (120.98 km²) of it is land and 0.24 square miles (0.62 km²) of it is water.

Demographics

As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments,, Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household.

Gilbert Arizona Accolades

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

• 81.51% White
• 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

• 15.39% of the population were Hispanics or Latinos of any race.

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
• 35.5% Bachelor's Degree or Higher
• 10.46% Master's Degree or Higher

2009 Estimated Households by Household Income:

• $98,213 Average Household Income
• $86,077 Median Household Income
• $30,559 Per Capita Income

• 3.28% of Families are Below the Poverty Level

Various religious denominations are represented in Gilbert, including 17.26% claiming to be 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 recent announcement to construct a temple in Gilbert. 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.

Politics

Gilbert, Arizona is a predominantly Republican and politically conservative community that markets itself as family-friendly. The town is part of the sixth congressional district of Arizona, which is represented by Republican Jeff Flake. The Mayor of the Town of Gilbert is John Lewis. On March 10, 2009, the Town Council primary election took place.

Education

Most of Gilbert is zoned to schools in the Gilbert Unified School District, while other portions are zoned to districts including the Chandler Unified School District, Mesa Public Schools, the Queen Creek Unified School District, and the Higley Unified School District

Transportation

Gilbert is served by one area freeway -- the Santan Freeway portion of the Loop 202 beltway around the East Valley. 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.

Sister cities

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

• Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland
• Leshan, Sichuan, China

Notable natives and residents

• Jim Bechtel, professional poker player, World Champion of Poker in 1993, lives in Gilbert, Arizona. Dave Burba currently lives in Gilbert, Arizona. He was a former star pitcher of the late 1990s Indians teams. Shad Chadwick, team roping (Heeler) and Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Resistol team roping Rookie of the Year for 1995, attended Gilbert High School.
• 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.
• Bruce Perkins, running back in NFL for 2 years in 1990-91 lives in Gilbert.
• Ken Delo, American singer best known for The Lawrence Welk Show, lives in Gilbert.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick, quarterback for the Buffalo Bills played for Highland High School and made his NFL debut on November 27, 2005.
• Jineane Ford, Miss USA 1980, former television actress and news anchor KTVK-TV, KPNX-TV
• Alan Gordon plays striker for the Los Angeles Galaxy in the Major League Soccer and was born in Gilbert on October 16, 1981.
• Shea Hillenbrand, All-Star MLB player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, raises horses and other animals on a ranch in Gilbert with his family.
• 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.
• 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.
• Zach Lind, drummer of Jimmy Eat World, lives in Gilbert.
• Carlos I. Noriega, NASA astronaut and retired United States Marine Corps lieutenant colonel lives in Gilbert.
• Phil (Kemo) Ortega, MLB pitcher from 1960-1969, was born in Gilbert on October 7, 1939.
• Roy Wayne Farris, an American Pro Wrestler (better known by his ring name, "The Honky Tonk Man"), lives in Gilbert
• Kimberly Joiner, Miss Arizona USA 2008, raised in and still lives in Gilbert.
• Kelley Shepard, country singer from the duo Bomshel

Groups

• Lydia, band
• Scary Kids Scaring Kids, band
• Some Never Sleep, band

Gallery

Town Hall building at the Civic Center	Mesquite High School, part of the Gilbert Unified School District	A waterfront in the Val Vista Lakes Community in Gilbert	Photo of the Gilbert Fire Department Station #1
The Hale Centre Theatre from the South side of Page Ave	A view of the South West Corner of Gilbert Road and Page Avenue in Gilbert Arizona. In the background is the Liberty Market and the iconic Gilbert water tower.	Photo of the water tower in Downtown Gilbert, Arizona and the Water Tower Park below.	A photo of the Commons building at the Gilbert Bible Church in Gilbert, Arizona
Photo on the south side of the Freestone Recreation Center in Gilbert, Arizona	Photo at SanTan Village looking north towards the Macy's department store on Paseo Drive in Gilbert, Arizona	Photo at SanTan Village looking east towards the Harkins Theatres on SanTan Plaza in Gilbert, Arizona	Photo at SanTan Village looking at the Food Court in Gilbert, Arizona

Arizona portal

• Media related to Gilbert, Arizona at Wikimedia Commons
• Town of Gilbert official website

About the Gilbert, Arizona Area 

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