Gilbert, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gilbert, Arizona
Town
Gilbert's Heritage Court as viewed from Gilbert Road
Flag
Motto(s):  "Gilbert: Clean, Safe, Vibrant"
Location in Maricopa County, Arizona
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Maricopa
Founded	1891
Incorporated	July 6, 1920
Named for	Robert Gilbert
Area
• Total	68.86 sq mi (178.35 km2)
• Land	68.66 sq mi (177.84 km2)
• Water	0.20 sq mi (0.53 km2)
Elevation	1,237 ft (377 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	267,918
• Estimate  (2022)	275,346
• Rank	US: 79th AZ: 5th
• Density	4,010/sq mi (1,549/km2)
Time zone	UTC–7 (Mountain (MST) (no DST))
ZIP Codes	85233, 85234, 85295, 85296, 85297, 85298, 85299
Area code(s)	480
FIPS code	04-27400
GNIS feature ID	0005032
Sales tax	7.8%

Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It is located southeast of Phoenix. Gilbert is a growing community with over 288,000 residents. It is the fifth-largest town in Arizona.

A large part of Gilbert's population, nearly one-third, is under 18 years old. The town was officially started on July 6, 1920. It used to be known as the "Hay Shipping Capital of the World." Today, Gilbert is a modern suburban area. It has a strong economy, good schools, and safe neighborhoods. Many companies in Gilbert work in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and clean energy. In 2023, Gilbert was named one of the fastest-growing communities in the country.

History of Gilbert

Gilbert was founded by William "Bobby" Gilbert. In 1902, he gave land to the Arizona Eastern Railway. This land was used to build a train line between Phoenix and Florence, Arizona.

Gilbert's first store, Ayer's Grocery Store, opened in 1910. This store also became the first post office in 1912. Later, in 1912, many Mormons moved to Gilbert. They had left Mexico because of problems with Pancho Villa's forces.

By 1915, these new residents started holding church meetings at the Gilbert Elementary School. The town was officially started on July 6, 1920. Gilbert was mainly a farming town for many years. It was known as the "Hay Capital of the World" from 1911 to the late 1920s. This was thanks to the railway and the building of the Roosevelt Dam.

Gilbert's Geography

Gilbert is located in the southeastern part of the Phoenix area. It is south of Mesa and northeast of Chandler. It is also northwest of Queen Creek.

The town covers about 68.86 square miles (178.35 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Gilbert's Climate

Gilbert has a hot desert climate. This means it has very dry and hot summers. The winters are mild to warm, with very little rain.

Who Lives in Gilbert? (Demographics)

Demographics is the study of who lives in a place. As of the 2020 census, Gilbert had 267,918 people. There were 88,896 households and 69,603 families.

Gilbert's Population Growth

Between 2000 and 2010, Gilbert was the fastest-growing town in the United States for places with over 100,000 people. Its population grew by 90%! It was also the fastest-growing town from 1990 to 2003. Gilbert is known as one of the top 25 safest cities in the U.S.

Many adults in Gilbert have a college degree. In 2019, almost 50% of residents over 25 had a bachelor's degree or higher. The average household income in Gilbert is also higher than the state average.

Religious Life in Gilbert

Many different religions are found in Gilbert. The town has a large number of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is shown by the Gilbert Arizona Temple, which opened in 2014.

Gilbert's Economy

The economy of a town is how people make money and what businesses are there. Gilbert has a strong economy. Many companies focus on advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and clean energy.

Top Employers in Gilbert

Here are some of the biggest employers in Gilbert:

Arts and Culture in Gilbert

Gilbert has many interesting places to visit. You can see mural-covered brick walls and a water tower that changes colors. There's also unique art along the waterways and glowing benches.

9/11 Memorial

At Gilbert Town Hall, there is a special 9/11 Memorial. It has an eight-foot steel beam from the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Former Fire Chief Collin DeWitt worked hard to bring this beam from New York City to Arizona.

The memorial lets everyone reach out and touch the beam. Four granite walls list the names of those who died in the attacks. The base of the memorial is shaped like a pentagon. It is surrounded by bricks with the names of people who helped fund the memorial. It was opened on September 11, 2011, ten years after the attacks.

Historic Places

The Gilbert Elementary School building was built in 1913. Today, it is home to the Gilbert Historical Museum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Parks and Recreation

The Gilbert Parks and Recreation department offers many fun activities. They provide parks, recreation, and cultural programs for everyone. Gilbert has over 600 acres of open space. It also has 37 park shelters, four public swimming pools, and over 40 sports fields. The department is recognized for its high quality and is also a Certified Autism Center.

Education in Gilbert

Most of Gilbert is served by Gilbert Public Schools. Other parts of the town are in the Chandler Unified School District, Mesa Public Schools, and the Higley Unified School District.

Gilbert also has several charter schools, which are public schools with more freedom in how they operate. These include Eduprize, American Leadership Academy, and Legacy Traditional School. There are also private schools like Gilbert Christian Schools. In 2018, Park University opened a campus center in Gilbert's Heritage District.

Getting Around Gilbert (Transportation)

Gilbert is mainly served by one major freeway, the Santan Freeway (Loop 202). A small part of the US 60 Superstition Freeway is also near Gilbert's northern edge. Many other main roads, like Williams Field Road and Gilbert Road, help people get around.

The town is close to Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport and about a 25-minute drive from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

There is a park-and-ride facility in downtown Gilbert for bus service. Most people in Gilbert use cars or bikes to get around. Very few households in Gilbert do not own a car. In 2016, Gilbert households owned an average of 2.08 cars. In 2018, Waymo started testing self-driving cars in a small part of northwest Gilbert.

Notable People from Gilbert

Many interesting people have lived in or are from Gilbert, Arizona. Here are a few:

• Jim Bechtel, a professional poker player and World Champion.
• Dave Burba, a former baseball pitcher for the Cleveland Indians.
• Haley Cavinder and Hanna Cavinder, college basketball players who went to Gilbert High School.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick, a former NFL quarterback.
• Alan Gordon, a professional soccer player.
• Shea Hillenbrand, an All-Star professional baseball player.
• Nick Johnson, a basketball player.
• Mina Kimes, an ESPN TV personality and journalist.
• Naomi Lang, a five-time U.S. ice dance champion and Olympian.
• Bengie Molina, a former Major League Baseball catcher.
• Alex Naddour, an Olympic bronze medalist in gymnastics.
• Carlos I. Noriega, a NASA astronaut.
• Brock Purdy, an NFL quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers.
• MyKayla Skinner, an Olympic silver medalist in gymnastics.
• Lindsey Stirling, a famous violinist, dancer, and performer.

Sister Cities

Gilbert has two sister cities, which are towns that have a special friendship:

• Leshan, China
• Antrim and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland

Images for kids

• 

  Town Hall building at the Civic Center

• 

  Gilbert Historical Museum

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  A waterfront in the Val Vista Lakes community in Gilbert

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  The Liberty Market with the Gilbert water tower (in background), pictured in March 2009

• 

  SanTan Village in September 2009

See also

In Spanish: Gilbert (Arizona) para niños