Gilbert, Arizona 1 Gilbert, Arizona Gilbert Town Gilbert’s Heritage Court as viewed from Gilbert Road. Seal Motto: "a service organization" Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona [1] [1] Coordinates: 33°21′00″N 111°47′21″W Coordinates: 33°21′00″N 111°47′21″W Country United States State Arizona County Maricopa Government • Mayor John Lewis (R) Gilbert, Arizona 2 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 (2012) • Town 221,140 (US: 97th) • Density 2,862.12/sq mi (1,788.82/km2) • Metro 4,329,534 (US: 13th) 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 the 2010 census. 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. Gilbert, Arizona 3 Geography 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 Climate data for Gilbert, Arizona Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °F (°C) 89 95 99 106 118 116 119 115 113 107 97 86 119 (32) (35) (37) (41) (48) (47) (48) (46) (45) (42) (36) (30) (48) Average high °F (°C) 67 71 77 85 94 104 106 104 99 89 75 67 86.5 (19) (22) (25) (29) (34) (40) (41) (40) (37) (32) (24) (19) (30.2) Average low °F (°C) 41 45 49 54 61 70 77 76 70 59 47 40 57.4 (5) (7) (9) (12) (16) (21) (25) (24) (21) (15) (8) (4) (13.9) Record low °F (°C) 15 19 24 30 37 43 54 51 40 30 22 17 15 (−9) (−7) (−4) (−1) (3) (6) (12) (11) (4) (−1) (−6) (−8) (−9) Precipitation inches (mm) 1.01 1.03 1.19 0.33 0.17 0.06 0.89 1.14 0.89 0.81 0.77 0.98 9.27 (25.7) (26.2) (30.2) (8.4) (4.3) (1.5) (22.6) (29) (22.6) (20.6) (19.6) (24.9) (235.6) Source: The Weather Channel Demographics Historical populations Census Pop. %± 1920 865 — 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. 2012 221,140 6.1% U.S. Decennial Census 2012 Estimate Gilbert, Arizona 4 As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments, As of the census of 2000, 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 Town Hall building at the Civic Center or higher.[3] • Highest household median income in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area with Population 50,000+ U.S. Census Bureau 2005 2009 According to Nielsens 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 A waterfront in the Val Vista Lakes Community in Gilbert • 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 A view of the southwest corner of Gilbert Road and Page Avenue in 2009 Estimated Population Age 15+ by Marital Gilbert Arizona. In the background is the Liberty Market and the Status: iconic Gilbert water tower. • 20.87% Never Married • 66.71% Married, Spouse Present • 2.23% Married, Spouse absent • 2.11% Widowed Gilbert, Arizona 5 • 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 Households 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 Photo at SanTan Village looking north towards the Macy's department store on Paseo Drive in Gilbert, Arizona Religion 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.[4] Crime Gilbert is 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.[5] Politics The town is part of the fifth congressional district of Arizona, which is represented by Republican Matt Salmon. The mayor of Gilbert is John Lewis. 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. Economy Largest employers According to the Town's 2011 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: Gilbert, Arizona 6 # 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 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 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 24th safest in the nation." Among these great honors, Gilbert was named by Forbes in 2008 as the 9th most boring city in the United States.[6] In their annual report released November 2009 using FBI statistics.