Gilbert, Arizona is part of the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale metropolitan area with a population of approximately 171,000 people and growing. The town lies only eight miles to the southwest of Phoenix and twelve from the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
In the founding of Gilbert, single credit goes to the railroad. The Arizona Eastern Railway ran a rail siding across land owned by William "Bobby" Gilbert in 1902, hence the name of the town that subsequently evolved. Gilbert officially incorporated in 1920 with some five hundred citizens.
In the early days of Gilbert, single economic emphasis was placed on agriculture with cattle (including dairy farming) and sheep being the primary income generators along with the growing of grain, cotton, and alfalfa.
Since 1980, Gilbert has experienced almost unprecedented growth, jumping from only 5,700 citizens to the current population of 171,000. There are now five local hospitals, two daily newspapers, four golf courses, fourteen parks, and thirty-three churches in what was once a sleepy little town.
In spite of this almost phenomenal expansion, a small town atmosphere prevails in Gilbert. Personal attention to detail makes annual events like the Easter Eggstravaganza, Summer Concerts in the Park, Halloween Carnival, So Long to Summer Fest, and the Christmas Tree Lighting highly anticipated and well attended.
One of the most popular local events ostensibly commemorates the paving of Gilbert Road but is actually a celebration of the community's history and Western heritage. Held from November 12 to 20, Gilbert Days includes such events as Pony Express re-enactments, the Gilbert Days Extreme Bullriding competition, and the Gilbert Days Rodeo which is the largest International Professional Rodeo Association rodeo in the Southwest.
From May through September for the citizens of Gilbert, personal comfort takes precedence in the form of air conditioning. The temperature climbs over one hundred degrees almost daily but thankfully falls back into the seventies at night. The months from October to April are equally mild.
Prosperity has certainly become the norm in Gilbert. Personal income combined into household totals stands at more than $68,000. The unemployment rate for the town is slightly more than four percent. Interestingly enough for Gilbert, personal statistics show the community to have the greatest number of married couples of any large city in the United States.
The six largest employers in Gilbert are the Gilbert Unified School District, the Town of Gilbert, B.H. Drywall (construction), GoDaddy.com (an Internet domain service), Target, and General Dynamics C4 Systems (advanced space systems engineering.)
As a rapidly growing and prosperous community located in close proximity to a major metropolitan area, all signs indicate continued growth for Gilbert. Personal lifestyles in the community are upscale and make this one of the most attractive living spots not just in Arizona but in the United States.