Gilbert is a large town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. It was founded on July 6, 1891 as a rail siding for Arizona Eastern Railway, and the town that sprang up around it was incorporated as the Town of Gilbert in 1920. Gilbert received its name from William "Bobby" Gilbert, the owner of the property that the rail siding was built on. From 1911 through the 1920s, Gilbert was known as the Hay Capital of the World.
In 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that population of the town was 191,517.
Although it is large and growing rapidly, Gilbert is still incorporated as a town rather than as a city. Gilbert was also the fastest-growing place among all cities and towns in Arizona of any size between 1990 and 2000. The center of population of Arizona is located in Gilbert.
Politics
Gilbert, Arizona is a predominantly Republican and politically conservative community that markets itself as family-friendly. The town is part of the sixth congressional district of Arizona, which is represented by Republican Jeff Flake. The Mayor of the Town of Gilbert is Steven M. Berman. On March 15, 2007, the Town Council primary election took place. The voters reelected Councilman Steve Urie and current Vice Mayor Dave Crozier to the Town Council. Former Vice Mayor Linda Abbott was also elected to the Town Council. Incumbent Councilman Les Presmyk defeated challenger Dwayne Farnsworth in the most recent General Election on May 15, 2007, retaining his seat on the Town Council.[citation needed]
Education
Most of Gilbert is zoned to schools in the Gilbert Unified School District, while other portions are zoned to districts including the Chandler Unified School District, Mesa Public Schools, the Queen Creek Unified School District, and the Higley Unified School District
Transportation
Gilbert is served by one area freeway -- the Santan Freeway portion of the Loop 202 beltway around the East Valley. 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]
