Gila Bend, Arizona

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Coordinates: 32°57′0″N, 112°43′29″W
Town of Gila Bend, Arizona
Location in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Counties	Maricopa
Government
- Mayor	Daniel Birchfield
Area
- City	22.8 sq mi (59.1 km²)
Population (2006)^[1]
- City	2,055
- Density	90.1/sq mi (34.8/km²)
Time zone	MST (no daylight saving time) (UTC-7)
Website: http://www.gilabendaz.org/

Gila Bend /ˌhilə 'bɛnd/ (O'odham: Hila Wi:n) is a town in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. The town is named for an approximately 90 degree bend in the Gila River, which is close to but not precisely at the community's current location.^[2] According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the town is 2,055.^[1]

Right outside of the town is the San Lucy district (O'odham: Weco Cekṣanĭ) of the Tohono O'odham Nation, with a tiny settlement, San Lucy (O'odham: Si:l Mek) bordering the town itself.

On December 14, 2006, Volkswagen of America, Inc., leased 11,900 acres of land at a cost of $55 million for 25 years ten miles west of Gila Bend on which they plan to develop a new automobile proving ground.^[3]

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Historical events
4 In popular culture
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Geography

Gila Bend is located at 32°57′0″N, 112°43′29″W (32.950027, -112.724701)^GR1. The town is just off Interstate 8 on Arizona SR 85, which provides access between I-8 and Interstate 10 north of Gila Bend. In recognition of historical routes that pass through the area, the town's website refers to Gila Bend as "The Crossroads of the Southwest".^[4] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.1 km² (22.8 mi²), all land.

[edit] Demographics

A humorous, numerically outdated sign welcomes people to Gila Bend, Arizona.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 1,980 people, 659 households, and 492 families residing in the town. The population density was 33.5/km² (86.7/mi²). There were 766 housing units at an average density of 13.0/km² (33.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 51.31% White, 1.31% Black or African American, 10.25% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 32.42% from other races, and 4.34% from two or more races. 52.63% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 659 households out of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.51.

In the town the population was spread out with 32.9% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 105.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,895, and the median income for a family was $30,403. Males had a median income of $25,284 versus $20,588 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,793. About 22.2% of families and 24.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 23.8% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Historical events

The town of Gila Bend is situated near an ancient Hohokam village. When Father Eusebio Francisco Kino visited in 1699, the older site along fertile banks of the Gila River had been abandoned by another early tribe called the Opas, who instead used the river to irrigate their crops at a nearby rancheria. This same rancheria was visited by Juan Bautista de Anza, commander of the Presidio at Tubac and founder of the city of San Francisco, and by Father Francisco Tomas Garces in 1774.^[4]

The nickname the "Crossroads of the Southwest" stems from the area having been part of an important transportation route in the settling, development and growth of the Great Southwest. Gila Bend was the "center of a wheel", with spokes leading in many directions throughout the region.^[4]

A more recent event in the area was the October 1995 sabotage of the Amtrak Sunset Limited train.^[5]

[edit] In popular culture

The band Los Lobos wrote a song called "The Road To Gila Bend" which appears on their 2006 release The Town and the City.
Gila Bend enjoys a minor notability among tourists and aficionados of roadside attractions. Besides the quirky welcome sign (shown above), the town boasts several roadside sculptures^[6] and the Space Age Lodge motel and restaurant (opened in 1963), named for its "Space Age" themed architecture and decor.^[7]