Gilbert, Arizona

Gilbert is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, located southeast of Phoenix, within the Phoenix metropolitan area. Gilbert, which became a town on July 6, 1920, was formerly referred to as the “Hay Shipping Capital of the World.” once a small farming community, Gilbert has grown at an extremely high rate since the 1980s and is now the fifth-largest municipality in Arizona. Gilbert encompasses 76 square miles (197 km2) and has a population of 248,349 as of 2020.

Today, Gilbert is known for its relatively large, affluent population and strong public school system. It is a Phoenix suburb with a town center with many upscale shops and restaurants. Gilbert ranked the 22nd best place to live in the U.S. by Money magazine.

Gilbert’s rapid growth has led to some tension with older residents who feel the town has lost its rural character and charm. Some Gilbert residents have said that the growth has been too rapid and uncontrolled. However, many newcomers have praised Gilbert for its family-friendly atmosphere and amenities.

William “Bobby” Gilbert founded Gilbert by giving land to the Arizona Eastern Railway in 1902 so that it could build a rail line connecting Phoenix and Florence, Arizona. Gilbert’s first store, Ayer’s Grocery Store, debuted in 1910 and housed the city’s first post office by 1912. Before settling on the east side of Gilbert Road in the center of town, where it is still located today, the location of the town post office changed a number of times.

Many Mormons who had fled the Mormon colonies in Mexico because of the actions of Pancho Villa’s soldiers landed in Gilbert in 1912. They started holding religious services at Gilbert Elementary School in 1915. They were arranged into the Gilbert Ward in 1918.

Due to the operations of Pancho Villa’s army, many Mormons who had fled the Mormon colonies in Mexico in 1912 relocated to Gilbert. Church gatherings were first held at Gilbert Elementary School in 1915. They became part of the Gilbert Ward in 1918.

Gilbert became a town in July 1920 and was predominantly a farming settlement supported by the Roosevelt Dam, the Eastern and Consolidated Canals, the train line, and other infrastructure projects. It remained an agricultural community for many years and, from 1911 until the late 1920s, was referred to as the “Hay Capital of the World.”

Today, Gilbert is a rapidly-growing suburb of Phoenix with a town center that includes several historical buildings. With a strong focus on education and a thriving economy, Gilbert is quickly becoming one of the most desirable places to live in Arizona.