Gilroy, California | |
|---|---|
.jpg) St. Mary's Church | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname: "Garlic Capital of the World" | |
 Location of Gilroy in Santa Clara County, California | |
  Gilroy, California Location in the United States | |
| Coordinates:37°0′43″N121°34′48″W / 37.01194°N 121.58000°W /37.01194; -121.58000 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Santa Clara |
| CSA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland |
| Metro | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara |
| Incorporated | March 12, 1870[1] |
| Named after | John Gilroy |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Greg Bozzo[2] |
| • City Administrator | Brad Kilger (interim)[3] |
| Area | |
• City | 16.54 sq mi (42.85 km2) |
| • Land | 16.54 sq mi (42.83 km2) |
| • Water | 0.012 sq mi (0.03 km2) 0.06% |
| • Metro | 2,695 sq mi (6,979 km2) |
| Elevation | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Population | |
• City | 59,520 |
• Estimate (2024)[7] | 60,390 |
| • Density | 3,599/sq mi (1,390/km2) |
| • Metro | 1,836,911 |
| • Metro density | 681.7/sq mi (263.2/km2) |
| Demonym | Gilroyan |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (PDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 95020, 95021 |
| Area code | 408/669 |
| FIPS code | 06-29504 |
| GNIS feature IDs | 277523,2410591 |
| Website | www |
Gilroy is a city inSanta Clara County, California, United States, south of theSan Francisco Bay Area. It had a population of 59,520 as of the2020 census.
Gilroy's origins lie in the village of San Ysidro, which developed in the early 19th century fromRancho San Ysidro. This land had been granted toCalifornio ranchero Ygnacio Ortega in 1809.[8] Following Ygnacio's death in 1833, his daughter Clara Ortega de Gilroy and son-in-law John Gilroy inherited the largest portion of the rancho, and began developing the settlement.[8]
When the town was incorporated in 1868, it was renamed in honor of John Gilroy, a Scotsman who had emigrated to California in 1814, naturalized as a Mexican citizen, adopted theSpanish language, and converted to Catholicism. These changes made him eligible to own land in this area of the Spanish Empire. In the process, he took the name Juan Bautista Gilroy.[8]
Gilroy is known for itsgarlic crop and theGilroy Garlic Festival, and is nicknamed the "Garlic Capital of the World". It is also known for boutique wine production, as part of theSanta Clara Valley AVA, mostly consisting of family vineyards around the base of theSanta Cruz Mountains to the west.[9]
Spanish explorers led byJuan Bautista de Anza first passed through theSanta Clara Valley area in 1776. More than 20 years later, Spanish missionaries establishedMission San Juan Bautista in 1797 near thePajaro River. In 1809,Ygnacio Ortega was granted the 13,066-acre (5,288 ha) Spanish land concessionRancho San Ysidro.
The village of San Ysidro developed nearby, at the foot ofPacheco Pass which linked theEl Camino Real and theSanta Clara Valley with theSan Joaquin Valley. California's main exports at this time werehides andtallow, of which thousands of barrels were produced and shipped to the rest ofNew Spain. Trade and diplomatic intercourse with foreigners was strictly forbidden by the royal government but was quietly carried on by Californians desperate for luxury goods.
During theWar of 1812, the armedmerchantmanIsaac Todd[10] was sent by theNorth West Company to seizeFort Astoria, an American trading post at the mouth of theColumbia River. The ship, with a Royal Navy escort, departed fromPortsmouth, England, made its way aroundCape Horn and proceeded up the Pacific coast of the Americas, stopping at Spanish ports for supplies along the way.
In January 1814, having fallen behind its escort, theIsaac Todd arrived atMonterey, California, the Spanish colonial capital ofAlta California. During the visit, ordinary seaman John Gilroy (aScotsman who had changed his name from John Cameron when he went to sea to avoid recognition) either (depending on the historical source) jumped ship[11] or was left ashore to recover fromscurvy.[12]
John Gilroy (1794–1869), also known as Juan Bautista Gilroy,[13] spent the next few years moving around among themissions, pueblos and ranchos, plying his trade as a cooper (barrel maker). At first, by his own account in an 1856 letter toThomas O. Larkin, Gilroy was one of only two English-speakers resident in Alta California.[14] Eventually, he found his way toRancho San Ysidro, converted toRoman Catholicism and became the first naturalized English-speaking settler in Alta California. In 1821, the same yearMexico won its independence from Spain, Gilroy married a daughter of his employer, ranchero Ygnacio Ortega. Upon Ygnacio's death in 1833, the rancho was divided among his three children—including Gilroy's wife Maria Clara. In 1867, under U.S. property law, the Rancho San Ysidro (Gilroy) was patented to John Gilroy.
The settlement now known as "Old Gilroy" grew up around Gilroy's rancho complex and, after the end of theMexican–American War in 1848, Gilroy served asalcalde of the village.[15] It served as astagecoach station of theButterfield Overland Mail and other stage lines in the late 19th century.
Following the U.S.Conquest of California and thediscovery of gold in the Sierra Nevada in 1848, the trickle of immigrants from the eastern states and abroad became a flood. As many of the earlier Mexican andCalifornio landowners sold off their land, lost it to squatters, or were dispossessed through title hearings, the area around San Ysidro became known as Pleasant Valley. On March 12, 1870, it was officiallyincorporated by the state legislature as the town of Gilroy (John Gilroy had died in 1869).[16] By then the town center had been relocated west of the El Camino Real (Old Gilroy is today a sparsely populated agricultural area).
Cattle ranching and timber from the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains were important to the economy for some time but, as in the rest of the valley, agriculture was the town's greatest source of income. During the 1920s, Kiyoshi "Jimmy" Hirasaki began growing garlic commercially in the Gilroy area.[17] Referred to as the "Garlic King", Hirasaki continued to farm garlic into the 1950s.[18][17] In 1979, theGilroy Garlic Festival was launched. Farming remains significant, but in the 1970s the city began evolving into a bedroom community forSilicon Valley to the north.
There are a number of extant historical buildings dating from the mid-19th century. Built in 1857, the Christian Church at 160 Fifth Street is the oldest wood-framed church in continuous use in Santa Clara County.Blacksmith George Eustice's house at 213 Fifth Street was constructed in 1869; Eustice was anAmerican Civil War veteran who fought atGettysburg.[19] Samuel Moore was a long-time Gilroypostmaster, whose home was built in the 1870s at 7151 Church Street.[20]
Nearby in the foothills of the Diablo Range to the northeast is the historic resort siteGilroy Yamato Hot Springs, first developed in the 1870s (and now closed to the public).[21] In 1905, theOld City Hall was built in downtown Gilroy; in 1975, it was designated on the list ofNational Register of Historic Places.[22]
On July 28, 2019, amass shooting occurred at the 2019Gilroy Garlic Festival. Three people were killed by the gunman and at least 12 others were injured. The suspect, Santino William Legan, committed suicide after being shot by police.[23][24]
.jpg)
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.5 square miles (43 km2), of which 0.06% is water.[4]
Primary contributors toenvironmental noise include U.S. Route 101, Monterey Road, Leavesley Road and other major arterials. The number of people exposed to sound levels above 60 CNEL is approximately 4,000.[25]
Due to the moderating influence of thePacific Ocean, Gilroy experiences a warmMediterranean climate (KöppenCsb, bordering onCsa). Temperatures range from an average midsummer maximum of 90.1 °F (32.3 °C) to an average midwinter low of 33.6 °F (0.9 °C). Average annual precipitation is 18.9 inches (480 mm), and the summer months are typically dry. Snowfall is rare; occurring approximately once every 20 years, it is light and short-lived. Summer months are characterized by coastal fog which arrives from the ocean around 10 p.m. and dissipates the next morning by 10 a.m. During summer afternoons, the maritime influence lowers and, as a result, Gilroy is much more prone to heat waves than nearby geographical areas to its north and west. Winter months have many sunny and partly cloudy days, with frequent breaks between rainstorms. The local terrain is not conducive totornadoes, severe windstorms, or thunderstorms. The local climate supportschaparral and grasslandbiomes, with stands oflive oak at higher elevations.
Average temperatures in December, the coldest month, are a maximum of 60.4 °F (15.8 °C) and a minimum of 37.0 °F (2.8 °C). Average temperatures in August, the hottest month, are a maximum of 87.2 °F (30.7 °C) and a minimum of 54.4 °F (12.4 °C). There are an average of 7.7 days with highs of 100 °F (38 °C) or higher and an average of 16.1 days with lows of 32 °F (0 °C) or lower. The record high temperature of 115 °F (46 °C) occurred on July 15, 1972. The record low temperature of 17 °F (−8 °C) occurred on December 22–24, 1990.[26]
There are an average of 55.0 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was1983 with 37.76 inches (959 mm) and the driest year was 1977 and 2007, both with 11.17 inches (284 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 14.64 inches (372 mm) in January 1914.[26]
| Climate data for Gilroy, California (1991–2020 averages, extremes 1957–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 80 (27) | 86 (30) | 90 (32) | 100 (38) | 106 (41) | 112 (44) | 115 (46) | 112 (44) | 113 (45) | 107 (42) | 94 (34) | 80 (27) | 115 (46) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 71.2 (21.8) | 76.4 (24.7) | 81.9 (27.7) | 89.0 (31.7) | 94.1 (34.5) | 100.1 (37.8) | 101.6 (38.7) | 102.1 (38.9) | 101.0 (38.3) | 95.3 (35.2) | 82.9 (28.3) | 70.5 (21.4) | 105.6 (40.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 60.7 (15.9) | 64.0 (17.8) | 68.1 (20.1) | 71.9 (22.2) | 77.3 (25.2) | 82.8 (28.2) | 87.2 (30.7) | 87.2 (30.7) | 84.9 (29.4) | 78.8 (26.0) | 68.3 (20.2) | 60.4 (15.8) | 74.3 (23.5) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 49.4 (9.7) | 52.2 (11.2) | 55.3 (12.9) | 58.2 (14.6) | 63.1 (17.3) | 67.2 (19.6) | 70.6 (21.4) | 70.8 (21.6) | 68.7 (20.4) | 63.4 (17.4) | 55.0 (12.8) | 48.7 (9.3) | 60.2 (15.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 38.1 (3.4) | 40.4 (4.7) | 42.6 (5.9) | 44.5 (6.9) | 49.0 (9.4) | 51.6 (10.9) | 54.0 (12.2) | 54.4 (12.4) | 52.5 (11.4) | 47.9 (8.8) | 41.6 (5.3) | 37.0 (2.8) | 46.1 (7.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 28.4 (−2.0) | 32.4 (0.2) | 35.0 (1.7) | 37.6 (3.1) | 42.8 (6.0) | 45.7 (7.6) | 50.0 (10.0) | 49.7 (9.8) | 46.0 (7.8) | 40.3 (4.6) | 32.7 (0.4) | 28.2 (−2.1) | 26.0 (−3.3) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 18 (−8) | 23 (−5) | 23 (−5) | 27 (−3) | 31 (−1) | 36 (2) | 41 (5) | 37 (3) | 30 (−1) | 29 (−2) | 23 (−5) | 17 (−8) | 17 (−8) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 4.55 (116) | 4.27 (108) | 2.59 (66) | 1.30 (33) | 0.56 (14) | 0.15 (3.8) | 0.00 (0.00) | 0.03 (0.76) | 0.04 (1.0) | 0.85 (22) | 1.74 (44) | 3.69 (94) | 19.77 (502) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 9.8 | 9.8 | 7.8 | 5.1 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 2.8 | 6.1 | 9.3 | 55.0 |
| Source: NOAA[26][27] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1,625 | — | |
| 1880 | 1,621 | −0.2% | |
| 1890 | 1,694 | 4.5% | |
| 1900 | 1,820 | 7.4% | |
| 1910 | 2,437 | 33.9% | |
| 1920 | 2,862 | 17.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,502 | 22.4% | |
| 1940 | 3,615 | 3.2% | |
| 1950 | 4,951 | 37.0% | |
| 1960 | 7,348 | 48.4% | |
| 1970 | 12,684 | 72.6% | |
| 1980 | 21,641 | 70.6% | |
| 1990 | 31,487 | 45.5% | |
| 2000 | 41,464 | 31.7% | |
| 2010 | 48,821 | 17.7% | |
| 2020 | 59,520 | 21.9% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 60,390 | 1.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[28] | |||
.jpg)
As of theUnited States 2000 Census,[29] there were 41,464 people, 11,869 households, and 9,590 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,615.2 inhabitants per square mile (1,009.7/km2). There were 12,152 housing units at an average density of 766.5 units per square mile (295.9 units/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 58.9% White, 1.8% African American, 1.6% Native American, 4.4% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 27.7% from other races, and 5.4% from two or more races. 53.8% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 11,869 households, out of which 47.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.46 and the average family size was 3.74.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 32.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $66,401, and the median income for a family was $80,371. Males had a median income of $45,759 versus $34,710 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $22,071. About 7.3% of families and 10.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.8% of those under 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older.
The2010 United States census[30] reported that Gilroy had a population of 48,821. The population density was 3,021.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,166.7/km2). The racial makeup of Gilroy was 28,674 (58.7%)White, 942 (1.9%)African American, 831 (1.7%)Native American, 3,448 (7.1%)Asian, 111 (0.2%)Pacific Islander, 12,322 (25.2%) fromother races, and 2,493 (5.1%) from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 28,214 persons (57.8%).
The Census reported that 48,015 people (98.3% of the population) lived in households, 642 (1.3%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 164 (0.3%) were institutionalized.
There were 14,175 households, out of which 7,111 (50.2%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 8,160 (57.6%) wereopposite-sex married couples living together, 2,212 (15.6%) had a female householder with no husband present, 964 (6.8%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 996 (7.0%)unmarried opposite-sex partnerships, and 102 (0.7%)same-sex married couples or partnerships. 2,136 households (15.1%) were made up of individuals, and 908 (6.4%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.39. There were 11,336families (80.0% of all households); the average family size was 3.69.
The population was spread out, with 14,983 people (30.7%) under the age of 18, 4,514 people (9.2%) aged 18 to 24, 14,104 people (28.9%) aged 25 to 44, 11,122 people (22.8%) aged 45 to 64, and 4,098 people (8.4%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.
There were 14,854 housing units at an average density of 919.4 units per square mile (355.0 units/km2), of which 8,624 (60.8%) were owner-occupied, and 5,551 (39.2%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7%; the rental vacancy rate was 4.6%. 27,798 people (56.9% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 20,217 people (41.4%) lived in rental housing units.
According to the2020 United States census,[31] Gilroy is growing with a population standing at 59,520 and 17,023 households. This represents about 3% of Santa Clara County's population. The city's demographic breakdown stands at 58.3% Hispanic or Latino, 26.7% Caucasian, 9.9% Asian, 1.8% African American, 0.5% Native American and 19.8% from two or more races.[32] The median household income was $116,206 and per capita income was $41,393. The average cost of a home was $778,300.[33]
Gilroy, along withSaratoga,San Martin, andMorgan Hill make up theSanta Clara Valley AVA, a designatedAmerican Viticultural Area for wineries and vineyards within the historicSanta Clara Valley.
The top five employers in Gilroy are:Gilroy Unified School District, Christopher Ranch LLC, Saint Louise Regional Hospital,Walmart, andOlam International.[34]
.jpg)
Gilroy also has over 20 wineries and tasting rooms located along the Santa Clara Valley Wine Trail.
Santa Clara County Library District operates the Gilroy Library.[36]
In theCalifornia State Legislature, Gilroy is inthe 15th senatorial district, represented byDemocrat Dave Cortese, and inthe 29th Assembly district, represented byDemocrat Robert Rivas.[38]
In theUnited States House of Representatives, Gilroy is inCalifornia's 18th congressional district, represented byZoe Lofgren (D–San Jose).[39]
Gilroy Unified School District operates seven elementary schools, three middle schools, and four high schools located in the city.[40] Gilroy is also home to a college,Gavilan College.
The city is served by the local newspaperGilroy Dispatch, a weekly newspaper founded in 1868.
CMAP TV is acommunity accessible television internet channel.[44]
Radio stations include:
Small general-aviation aircraft are served by the uncontrolledSan Martin Airport (E16), located atSan Martin, about six miles north of Gilroy. Commercial flights are served bySan Jose International Airport, about 36 mi (58 km) away in San Jose.
Gilroy is served by two major highways:
Gilroy is twinned with:[49][50]
Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
Koror, Palau
Monticelli d'Ongina, Italy
Saint-Clar, France
Takko, Japan
Tecate, MexicoGilroy currently has four sister cities: Monticelli d'Ongina, Italy; Saint Clar, France; Takko-Machi, Japan; and Tecate, Baja California.
| Businesses | |
|---|---|
| Culture | |
| Education | |
| Landmarks | |
 CategoryGavilan College, which housesGilroy Early College Academy, is near but not in the city limits. Gilroy Yamato Hot Springs is in the area but is outside the city limits. | |
Municipalities and communities ofSanta Clara County, California,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities and towns |  | |
| CDPs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| CCDs | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Bodies of water |  | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Counties | |||||||||||||
| Cities and towns |
| ||||||||||||
| CDPs over 10k | |||||||||||||
| Sub-regions | |||||||||||||
| Other | |||||||||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
.jpg)
.jpg)
