Gilbert, Minnesota

{{Short description|City in Minnesota, United States}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox settlement |official_name = Gilbert |settlement_type = City |nickname = |motto =

|unit_pref = Imperial |area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_27.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=July 24, 2022}}</ref> |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = 32.16 |area_land_km2 = 30.25 |area_water_km2 = 1.92 |area_total_sq_mi = 12.42 |area_land_sq_mi = 11.68 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.74

|timezone = Central (CST) |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |elevation_footnotes = <ref name="GR3"/> |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = 1529 |coordinates = {{coord|47|29|5|N|92|27|58|W|region:US-MN|display=inline}} |postal_code_type = ZIP code |postal_code = 55741 |area_code = 218 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 27-23714 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0661356<ref name="GR3">{{GNIS|661356}}</ref> |website = {{URL|https://www.gilbertmn.org/}} |footnotes = }}

'''Gilbert''' is a city in St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,687 at the 2020 census.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gilbert, Minnesota |url=https://data.census.gov/all?q=Gilbert%20city,%20Minnesota |access-date=June 1, 2024 |website=Census}}</ref> State Highway 37 (MN 37) and State Highway 135 (MN 135) are two of the main routes in Gilbert. Gilbert is part of the Quad Cities, with Virginia, Eveleth, and Mountain Iron. The city is named for either Giles Gilbert, who led the exploration of the McKinley mine property in the 1890s, or E. A. Gilbert, a Duluth businessman.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Upham |first=Warren |title=Minnesota place names: a geographical encyclopedia |date=2001 |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society Press |isbn=978-0-87351-396-8 |edition=3rd |location=St. Paul |pages=523}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bordeau |first=Sanford P. |title=Those Were the Days, My Friend: The History of Gilbert and Sparta |last2=Krause |first2=James L. |last3=Krause |first3=Kathie I. |date=1983 |publisher=The Gilbert Herald}}</ref> thumb|Gilbert Village Hall

==History== Gilbert was platted in 1907.<ref>{{cite book|last=Upham|first=Warren|title=Minnesota Geographic Names: Their Origin and Historic Significance|url=https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog|year=1920|publisher=Minnesota Historical Society|page=[https://archive.org/details/minnesotageogra00uphagoog/page/n500 483]}}</ref> A post office has been in operation at Gilbert since 1907.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MN&county=Saint+Louis |title=St. Louis County |publisher=Jim Forte Postal History |access-date=7 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115230456/http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=MN&county=Saint+Louis |archive-date=15 January 2016 }}</ref>

==Recreation== Gilbert is home to one of Minnesota's best-known OHV parks. The ''Iron Range Off-Highway Vehicle State Recreation Area'' consists of {{convert|1200|acre|km2|0}} of land with {{convert|36|mi|km|0}} of trails.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ohv/iron_range/index.html |title=Minnesota DNR website - Iron Range OHV Recreation Area at Gilbert |access-date=2007-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126115053/http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ohv/iron_range/index.html |archive-date=2007-01-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Gilbert is also the location of Lake Ore-be-gone, a former mining pit now used for fishing.

==Geography== According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has an area of {{convert|12.69|sqmi|sqkm|2}}; {{convert|11.86|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.83|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=2012-11-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125061959/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-01-25 }}</ref>

==Demographics== {{US Census population |1910= 1700 |1920= 3510 |1930= 2722 |1940= 2504 |1950= 2247 |1960= 2591 |1970= 2287 |1980= 2721 |1990= 1934 |2000= 1847 |2010= 1799 |2020= 1687 |align-fn=center |footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 23, 2014}}</ref><br>2013 Estimate<ref name="2013 Pop Estimate">{{cite web|title=Population Estimates|url=https://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140522161634/http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2013/SUB-EST2013-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-05-22|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2014-07-23 }}</ref> | align = right }}

===2020 census=== As of the 2020 census, Gilbert had a population of 1,687. The median age was 44.7 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 22.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.1 males age 18 and over.<ref name="Census2020DP">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dp?get=NAME,DP1_0021P,DP1_0024P,DP1_0025C,DP1_0049C,DP1_0045C,DP1_0069C,DP1_0073C,DP1_0125P,DP1_0126P,DP1_0129P,DP1_0133P,DP1_0137P,DP1_0138P,DP1_0139P,DP1_0141P,DP1_0142P,DP1_0143P,DP1_0145P,DP1_0146P,DP1_0147C,DP1_0148C,DP1_0149C,DP1_0156C,DP1_0157C,DP1_0158C,DP1_0159P,DP1_0160P&for=place%3A23714&in=state%3A27|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=May 1, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref><ref name="Census2020PL">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=NAME,P1_001N,P1_003N,P1_004N,P1_005N,P1_006N,P1_007N,P1_008N,P1_009N,P2_001N,P2_002N,H1_001N,H1_002N&for=place%3A23714&in=state%3A27|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2021|access-date=May 1, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

0.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.<ref name="Census2020DHC">{{cite web|title=2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/dhc?get=NAME,P2_002N,P2_003N&for=place%3A23714&in=state%3A27|website=United States Census Bureau|year=2023|access-date=May 1, 2026|df=mdy}}</ref>

There were 763 households in Gilbert, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 41.9% were married-couple households, 21.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 27.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

There were 861 housing units, of which 11.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.8%.<ref name="Census2020DP"/>

{| class="wikitable" |+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census<ref name="Census2020PL"/> ! Race !! Number !! Percent |- | White || 1,591 || 94.3% |- | Black or African American || 2 || 0.1% |- | American Indian and Alaska Native || 17 || 1.0% |- | Asian || 7 || 0.4% |- | Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0% |- | Some other race || 8 || 0.5% |- | Two or more races || 62 || 3.7% |- | ''Hispanic or Latino (of any race)'' || 28 || 1.7% |}

===2010 census=== As of the census<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=2012-11-13}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,799 people, 835 households, and 486 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|151.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 937 housing units at an average density of {{convert|79.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.2% African American, 1.0% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 835 households, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.8% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age in the city was 44.7 years. 21.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.8% were from 25 to 44; 31.8% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

===2000 census=== As of the 2000 census, there were 1,847 people, 842 households, and 495 families living in the city. The population density was {{convert|156.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 900 housing units at an average density of {{convert|76.3|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 98.21% White, 0.22% African American, 0.49% Native American, 0.27% Asian, and 0.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population. 18.9% were of Finnish, 13.9% Slovene, 13.8% German, 8.0% Norwegian, 7.3% Italian and 5.8% Swedish ancestry.

There were 842 households, out of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 37.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 23.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,859, and the median income for a family was $44,931. Males had a median income of $40,625 versus $19,333 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,407. About 9.0% of families and 13.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.3% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over. ==Notes== *The town was once known as the red light district of the Iron Range, and planned a Whorehouse Days festival for two days in July 2005.[https://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat/2005-01-27-gilbert_x.htm] The festival was canceled after the city council objected. *Gilbert is the birthplace of Bernie Kukar, a National Football League referee from 1984 to 2005.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223638/http://www.grandmarais-mn.com/placed/index.php?sect_rank=2&story_id=205591] *Treg Brown, American motion picture sound editor, was born in Gilbert in 1899.

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [http://gilbertmn.org/ City of Gilbert, MN – Official Website] * [http://www.lakesnwoods.com/GilbertGallery.htm www.lakesnwoods.com – Gilbert Photo Gallery]

{{Coord|47|29|20|N|92|27|54|W|type:city_region:US-MN|display=title}}

Category:Cities in Minnesota Category:Cities in St. Louis County, Minnesota Category:Mining communities in Minnesota Category:Populated places in the United States established in 1907 Category:1907 establishments in Minnesota