Gila Bend

Though currently a rural community with mountain views and countless solar panels, “Gila Bend, back in the day, was one of the huge stops on Route 66 travel,” says Susan Talarico of Blocks Brokerage, one of the top five agents in Gila Bend. Now served by Route 85 and Interstate 8, the neighborhood connects you to San Diego, California and Sonoyta, Mexico.

About 70 miles southwest of Phoenix, Gila Bend is home to just under 10,000 people. Pockets of residential homes are scattered throughout the area, with most streets lined only by sand. Though primarily a desert neighborhood with compact homes, the Lakeside Ski Village Association is also considered part of the neighborhood. “It was annexed by Gila Bend for planning, development and tax purposes,” Talarico explains. In Gila Bend proper, most houses feature ranch-style architecture with shingle roofs—a contrast to homes in Lakeside Ski Village, where many houses include stucco finishes and backyard boat slips. While houses in Lakeside Ski Village can consist of over 2,000 square feet and cost up to $950,000, homes outside of the association might have less than 1,500 square feet and cost under $200,000.

Part of the Gila Bend Unified School District, the neighborhood benefits from a student-teacher ratio of 16-to-1. Students begin their education at Gila Bend Elementary, a school serving students through eighth grade and earning a C-minus overall rating from Niche. Students ultimately graduate from Gila Bend High, a C-rated school that is part of the Canyon Athletic Association and maintains a student population of less than 200.

In your free time, find several things to do close to home, both indoors and out. To access a recreation center with table tennis, television screens and video games, swing by the Community Center, less than 2 miles away. If you are a history lover, on the other hand, enjoy a cool afternoon at the Gila Bend Visitor Center and Museum and learn about life in the desert from past to present. When you want to enjoy the outdoors and beat the heat, the pool at Burleson Park provides an option within 2 miles of home. The park also includes picnic areas with grills and open fields for tossing a frisbee to your dog as temperatures decline in autumn. Though many homes in Gila Bend are far apart, neighbors come together and get to know each other at events like Butterfield Stage Day, an Annual Pitch-In for community cleanup and a Desert Shrimp Festival.

Less than 25 miles from the North Maricopa Mountains, the neighborhood beckons you to explore over 60,000 acres of wilderness in your free time. With several other mountains within a day’s drive, hikes and horseback riding remain accessible, making Gila Bend convenient for homeowners interested in exploring Arizona’s natural landscape. If you live in Lakeside Ski Village, you can access additional recreational amenities without leaving home—the waterskiing lake in your backyard part of the quiet HOA where “only eight owners are full-time,” Talarico says.

Right off the interstate, find a commercial strip with a few restaurants, including Sofia’s Mexican Food and Space Age Restaurant. If you’re looking for groceries, however, options nearby are limited. For picking up snacks and basics, Family Dollar and Gila Bend Food Mart take care of what you need, but for fresh produce and wider selections of essentials, you’ll want to head 40 miles north to Buckeye. In Buckeye, find Butcher & Farmer Market IGA and Walmart Supercenter. Buckeye also includes several medical centers and an emergency room for unexpected medical needs. There’s a reason that many of the area’s amenities are located in Buckeye, as “it is a one-day logbook drive from the Long Beach port in California,” Talarico explains. For trips to the mall, Chandler Fashion Center is 64 miles away, and Santan Village is 72 miles away.

Major commuter destinations like Boeing and Intel are similarly within a 70-mile radius. Though a rural community, the 17 bus serves the area and connects to the city. For travel outside Arizona, the neighborhood is less than 75 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. For a quiet community close to the interstate, find a place to rest your head in Gila Bend.

Written By

Alicia Swain

Photography Contributed By

Ryan Nelson

Video By

Luke Basinger