Gilroy Information - Gilroy Garlic Festival Hotels

Gilroy Information

Population

Gilroy is a growing community with a population of about 40,153 (State Dept. of Finance, 1/1/00), representing over 2 percent of Santa Clara County. Gilroy serves as the center of a rural area of about 45,000. Projections have shown a potential population growth to 50,000 by the end of the century (ABAG Projections '96)..

The 1990 ethnic breakdown of the City's population is 47.7% Caucasion, 47.3% Hispanic, 3.4% Asain, 1% Black, .4% American Indian, and .3% other. The school-age population, however, shows the Hispanic student population to be over 50%.

Government

Gilroy, a charter city, is a center of government activity for the region. The Gilroy City Council is made up of seven members with four-year terms, including a separately elected mayor, who can serve any number of terms.

Climate

Gilroy's climate strikes a pleasant balance between hot and cold, wet and dry, making it perfect for agriculture and recreation. Nestled between the Diablo and Santa Cruz mountains in the Santa Clara Valley, Gilroy residents enjoy mild temperatures, while missing most of the coastal fog.

A state climatology report says up to 70 percent of Gilroy's days are sunny, with average rainfall of about 19.11 inches. The proximity of the Pacific Ocean keeps temperatures uniform. The average annual temperature is 62.8 degrees, although it is not unusual for summer readings to top 100. The average July high temperature is near 90. Winter temperatures drop to an average of 57 degrees in January. All-time winter lows have plunged into the 20s, with the first freeze usually coming in November. The average date of the last freeze is around March 1.

The agricultural growing season ranges from 300 to 350 days a year. The average relative humidity readings reach 90 percent or more at night during the winter, but drop to around 60 percent during the day. In the summer and fall, humidity reaches 70 percent at night and 40 percent during the day. Winds out of the northwest are usually light to moderate, up to 20 miles an hour.

Earthquake activity is not uncommon, as Gilroy sits between two active faults. The Calaveras Fault runs through the eastern foothills, and the Sargent Fault runs along the western edge of the valley. The Loma Prieta quake in October 1989 was centered 15 miles northwest of Gilroy, registering 7 on the Richter Scale. A 6.2 quake hit Morgan Hill in April 1984.

Industry and Economy

Historically, Gilroy's economy has been based in agricultural products and processing. Over the years, prunes, tomatoes, flowers, onions and, of course, garlic, have contributed to the economic health of the agricultural industries. Food processing centers have also established themselves in Gilroy, and government centers also employ many local residents. The Outlets at Gilroy, a five-phase retail complex, draws shoppers from all over the Bay Area and Central Coast regions.

The modem era has also seen an increase in interest in Gilroy as a site for expansion of "Silicon Valley." About a thousand acres remain available for industrial growth.

Education

There are 13 public schools in the Gilroy Unified School District. Enrollment in the district is about 8,900 students. The School Board, which sets policy, adopts the budget and hires personnel, is made up of seven members elected to four-year terms. The district has about 800 employees.

Five private schools serve an additional 400 students, and approximately 4,500 students attend Gavilan College.

Recreation

Gilroy has 12 parks, from 1/8 to 125 acres in size. Gilroy has won more park design awards from the California Park and Recreation Society than any other city in California, including awards for Christmas Hill Park (home of the Garlic Festival), Las Animas Park, San Ysidro Park, and El Roble Park. New facilities include two neighborhood parks adjacent to Luigi Aprea School and Rod Kelley School.

A recent addition to the City's park system is the Uvas Creek Park Preserve. When complete, this 125-acre creek restoration project will enhance the City's quality of life with a beautiful natural riparian corridor, nature trails, and an interpretive center. Planning for this project began in the 1970s, and restoration of the Uvas Creek, formerly the site of a sand and gravel mining operation, began in 1995. The project was given a boost in the 1980s with a $1 million bequest to the city by former councilman and developer Dennis DeBell.