William Gilbert donated a right of way on his property to establish a railway between Phoenix and Florence in 1902.  The resulting town that arose around the railway is, of course, Gilbert.  Gilbert has doubled its population every 5 years since 1980--5,700 in 1980 to 107,000 in 2001--while preserving its small-town atmosphere, promoting high-tech industry and progressively planning for the future.  Gilbert is proud of a lifestyle which focuses on raising a family, quality education, leisure activities, and a booming business community.  Insulated from the frantic pace of metropolitan Phoenix, Gilbert offers many amenities.  A village concept of planned communities includes parks, equestrian trails, fishing, boating, and local business services all within walking distance.  Gated communities, as well as equestrian properties, are available in Gilbert.

The Gilbert Unified School District is ranked as a Gold Ribbon school district, scoring as one of the top school districts in the country by Expansion Management Magazine and taking top honors for graduation rates and ACT/SAT scores.  Chandler Gilbert Community College offers programs in information technology, virtual reality technology, aviation maintenance technology as well as a comprehensive range of occupational programs and academic courses for transfer to 4 year universities. 

Gilbert's frontier heritage is celebrated every November with one of the ten largest rodeos in the country.  The town's western origins are evident daily as residents take their horses out for a brisk morning rides.  Gilbert's newest park is the Crossroads Dog Park--2 fenced acres with amenities for dogs and their owners.  A full range of recreational activities are organized by the Parks and Recreation department, including volleyball, basketball, softball and tennis leagues; a monthly horse show for all ages held at the Gilbert Rodeo Park; hiking, rock climbing, canyoneering, fly fishing, equestrian programs and golf lessons.