Gilbert is a town inMaricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located southeast ofPhoenix, Gilbert had a population of 293,630 as of 2023.[7] It is the fourth-most populous municipality in Arizona and is considered asuburb of Phoenix.[8] Gilbert is the most populous incorporated town in the United States and has been described as the “largest town in America.”[9]
Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert was once known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World".[10]
Gilbert was established by William "Bobby" Gilbert,[11] who provided land to theArizona Eastern Railway in 1902 to construct a rail line between Phoenix andFlorence, Arizona. Ayer's Grocery Store, Gilbert's first store, opened in 1910 and became the location of the first post office in 1912. The post office moved several times before settling on the east side of Gilbert Road in downtown, where it stands today. In 1912, many Mormons who had fled theMormon colonies in Mexico due to the actions ofPancho Villa's forces settled in Gilbert. By 1915, they began holding church meetings at the Gilbert Elementary School. In 1918, they were organized into the Gilbert Ward.[12][13]
Incorporated on July 6, 1920, Gilbert was primarily a farming community fueled by the rail line and construction of theRoosevelt 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"[14] from 1911 until the late 1920s.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 68.86 square miles (178.35 km2), of which 68.65 square miles (177.80 km2) is land and 0.20 square miles (0.52 km2) is water.[2]
Gilbert has a subtropical, hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with dry and hot summers, and mild to warm winters, with little rainfall.
As of the2020 census, there were 267,918 people, 88,896 households, and 69,603 families residing in the town.[19] There were 93,230 housing units.
Gilbert town, Arizona – racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2010 census, there were 208,453 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household.
Between 2000 and 2010, the town of Gilbert was the fastest-growing incorporated place among populations of 100,000 or more in the United States, with an increase of 90%.[23]
Fastest growing municipality in the United States from 1990 to 2003 (U.S. Census Bureau)
$89,077 median household income. Median income noted as >$87,000 in a report of 2013–2017 US Census data, as compared to a state-wide median of $53,000.[26]
Town Hall building at the Civic CenterGilbert Historical MuseumA waterfront in the Val Vista Lakes community in GilbertThe Liberty Market with the Gilbert water tower (in background), pictured in March 2009SanTan Village in September 2009
The town's official tourism site, Discover Gilbert,[30] highlights attractions for new and returning visitors. Sightseeing opportunities include the mural-clad brick walls, the color-changing water tower, waterways art, a solo gopher, and glowing benches. Gilbert also features an established theater, historical museum, and gallery.
Gilbert Town Hall is home to a 9/11 Memorial[31] that features an eight-foot steel girder beam[32] that held up the North Tower of theWorld Trade Center.[citation needed] Former Gilbert Fire Chief Collin DeWitt raised money for three years to create the memorial and bring the beam from New York City to Arizona. He drove to collect it himself along with then Assistant Fire Chief Jim Jobusch.[33]
The memorial's design angles the beam, putting it in reach of everyone. Four granite walls bear the names of those killed in the attacks. Concrete was poured in the shape of a pentagon for the memorial's foundation,[34] and is surrounded by bricks that bear the names of some of those who donated to the memorial's creation. The memorial was unveiled in a ceremony on the attacks' 10th anniversary, on September 11, 2011.[35]
The Gilbert Parks and Recreation department provides parks, recreation, and cultural programs for residents and visitors. Gilbert has over 600 acres of open space, 37 park ramadas, four public pools, a riparian area, and over 40 sports fields. Gilbert Parks and Recreation is accredited by the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies. It is also recognized as a Certified Autism Center by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES).[37]
Since Gilbert remains incorporated as a town, it lacks the additional powers possessed by nearbyMesa andChandler, 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 do.[38] Unlike most of its neighboring communities, Gilbert is theoretically vulnerable to annexation.[39]
Gilbert is primarily served by onearea freeway—the Santan Freeway portion ofLoop 202. A small section of theUS 60 Superstition Freeway also skirts Gilbert's northern boundary 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 is relatively close toPhoenix Mesa Gateway Airport, in eastMesa, and is a 25-minute drive fromPhoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Apark-and-ride facility is in downtown Gilbert for bus service. Although the facility borders theUnion 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 car or bike. Gilbert has a low proportion of households without cars. In 2015, 1.9% of Gilbert households lacked a car, and the figure was 1.7% in 2016. The national average in 2016 was 8.7%. Gilbert averaged 2.08 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8.[45]
In 2018Waymo started testing in a small portion of Gilbert's northwest.[46]
The town of Gilbert operates the Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department, the Gilbert Police Department, and also owns a multi-purpose training facility which includes a shooting range, driving training course, and multiple burn buildings for firefighting training.[49]
Emergency answering, dispatching, and mutual aid assignments are provided by the Mesa Fire Department Regional Dispatch Center (Some in Chandler, which is through Phoenix Fire Regional Dispatch) which distributes fire apparatus and personnel to an emergency from the nearest available station regardless of jurisdiction or municipal boundary as a part of a Regional Automatic Aid System.[50][51]
The Gilbert Fire and Rescue Department is a ISO Class 1 Fire Department which is staffed by over 250 personnel and operates 11 stations consisting of: 10 engines, 3 ladder trucks, 1 utility vehicle, 6 medics (ambulance), 1 hazardous materials vehicle, 1 water tender, 1 brush truck, and 1 command vehicle. Additionally, they were the first in the state of Arizona to implement the use of an electric fire engine.[52][53]
The Gilbert Police Department (GPD) is a full-service accredited and certified police department with 373 full time sworn personnel, 186 non sworn personnel, two stations, and six operational divisions: Patrol, Investigations, Traffic Enforcement, Canine, SWAT, andSRO. Additionally, the department provides a Citizen Police Academy, Youth Leadership Academy, Youth Police Cadet program, community outreach, education, and volunteering programs including Citizens on Patrol, a crisis support team, a crime prevention team, and Chaplain.[54][55]
