Gilroy, California

Gilroy, California
Old City Hall in Downtown Gilroy
Old City Hall in Downtown Gilroy
Flag of Gilroy, California
Official seal of Gilroy, California
Nickname: 
"Garlic Capital of the World"
Location of Gilroy in Santa Clara County, California
Location of Gilroy in Santa Clara County, California
Gilroy, California is located in the United States
Gilroy, California
Gilroy, California
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 37°0′43″N 121°34′48″W / 37.01194°N 121.58000°W / 37.01194; -121.58000
CountryUnited States
StateCalifornia
CountySanta Clara
CSASan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland
MetroSan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara
IncorporatedMarch 12, 1870[1]
Named forJohn Gilroy
Government
 • MayorMarie Blankley[2]
 • City AdministratorJimmy Forbis[3]
Area
 • City16.52 sq mi (42.78 km2)
 • Land16.51 sq mi (42.75 km2)
 • Water0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)  0.06%
 • Metro
2,695 sq mi (6,979 km2)
Elevation200 ft (61 m)
Population
 • City59,520
 • Estimate 
(2021)[7]
58,101
 • Density3,576.18/sq mi (1,380.75/km2)
 • Metro
1,836,911
 • Metro density680/sq mi (260/km2)
DemonymGilroyan
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
ZIP codes
95020, 95021
Area code408/669
FIPS code06-29504
GNIS feature IDs277523, 2410591
Websitewww.cityofgilroy.org

Gilroy is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. Gilroy is a city south of the San Francisco Bay Area, with a population of 59,520 as of the 2020 Census.

Gilroy's origins lie in the village of San Ysidro, which developed in the early 19th century from Rancho San Ysidro. This land had been granted to Californio ranchero Ygnacio Ortega in 1809.[8] Following Ygnacio's death in 1833, his daughter Clara Ortega de Gilroy and son-in-law John Gilroy inherited the largest portion of the rancho, and began developing the settlement.[8]

When the town was incorporated in 1868, it was renamed in honor of John Gilroy, a Scotsman who had emigrated to California in 1814, naturalized as a Mexican citizen, adopted the Spanish language, and converted to Catholicism. These changes made him eligible to own land in this area of the Spanish Empire. In the process, he took the name Juan Bautista Gilroy.[8]

Gilroy is known for its garlic crop, and is nicknamed the "Garlic Capital of the World". It is also known for boutique wine production, as part of the Santa Clara Valley AVA, mostly consisting of family vineyards around the base of the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west.[9]

  1. ^ "California Cities by Incorporation Date". California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions. Archived from the original (Word) on November 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  2. ^ "City Council | Gilroy, CA - Official Website". www.cityofgilroy.org.
  3. ^ "City Administrator - City of Gilroy". cityofgilroy.org.
  4. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
  5. ^ "Gilroy". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
  6. ^ "Gilroy (city) QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  7. ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. January 25, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "A Brief History of Gilroy | Gilroy, CA - Official Website". www.cityofgilroy.org.
  9. ^ "Gilroy Wine Trail". web site. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved May 22, 2013.