Gilroy

Sister cities

• Angra do Heroísmo

History

Spanish explorers led by Juan Bautista de Anza first passed through the Santa Clara Valley area in 1776. More than 20 years later, Spanish missionaries established Mission San Juan Bautista in 1797 near the Pajaro River. In 1809, Ygnacio Ortega was granted the Spanish land concession Rancho San Ysidro. The village of San Ysidro developed nearby, at the foot of Pacheco Pass which linked the El Camino Real and the Santa Clara Valley with the San Joaquin Valley. California's main exports at this time were hides and tallow, of which thousands of barrels were produced and shipped to the rest of New Spain. Trade and diplomatic intercourse with foreigners was strictly forbidden by the royal government but was quietly carried on by Californians desperate for luxury goods. During the War of 1812, the armed merchantman Isaac Todd was sent by the North West Company to seize Fort Astoria, an American trading post at the mouth of the Columbia River. The ship, with a Royal Navy escort, departed from Portsmouth, England, made its way around Cape Horn and proceeded up the Pacific coast of the Americas, stopping at Spanish ports for supplies along the way. In January 1814, having fallen behind its escort, the Isaac Todd arrived at Monterey, California, the Spanish colonial capital of Alta California. During the visit, ordinary seaman John Gilroy (a Scotsman who had changed his name from John Cameron when he went to sea to avoid recognition) either (depending on the historical source) jumped ship or was left ashore to recover from scurvy. John Gilroy (1794–1869), also known as Juan Bautista Gilroy, spent the next few years moving around among the missions, pueblos and ranchos, plying his trade as a cooper (barrel maker). At first, by his own account in an 1856 letter to Thomas O.…

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which 0.06% is water. Due to the moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean, Gilroy experiences a warm Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb, bordering on Csa). Temperatures range from an average midsummer maximum of to an average midwinter low of . Average annual precipitation is , and the summer months are typically dry. Snowfall is rare; occurring approximately once every 20 years, it is light and short-lived. Summer months are characterized by coastal fog which arrives from the ocean around 10 p.m. and dissipates the next morning by 10 a.m. During summer afternoons, the maritime influence lowers and, as a result, Gilroy is much more prone to heat waves than nearby geographical areas to its north and west. Winter months have many sunny and partly cloudy days, with frequent breaks between rainstorms. The local terrain is not conducive to tornadoes, severe windstorms, or thunderstorms. The local climate supports chaparral and grassland biomes, with stands of live oak at higher elevations. Average temperatures in December, the coldest month, are a maximum of and a minimum of . Average temperatures in August, the hottest month, are a maximum of and a minimum of . There are an average of 7.7 days with highs of or higher and an average of 16.1 days with lows of or lower. The record high temperature of occurred on July 15, 1972. The record low temperature of occurred on December 22–24, 1990. There are an average of 55.0 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest year was 1983 with and the driest year was 1977 and 2007, both with . The most rainfall in one month was in January 1914. }}

Most-observed species

• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  9,414
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  8,908
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  8,906
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  8,284
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  8,255
• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  7,905
• California Towhee

  Melozone crissalis (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  7,782
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  7,601

Largest nearby schools

• Gilroy High
  High · Gilroy · 1,739 students · 22.6:1 ratio
• Christopher High
  High · Gilroy · 1,664 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• Solorsano Middle
  Middle · Gilroy · 780 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• Las Animas Elementary
  Elementary · Gilroy · 769 students · 24.8:1 ratio
• Brownell Middle
  Middle · Gilroy · 747 students · 22.6:1 ratio
• South Valley Middle
  Middle · Gilroy · 735 students · 21.6:1 ratio
• Luigi Aprea Elementary
  Elementary · Gilroy · 716 students · 24.7:1 ratio
• Rod Kelley Elementary
  Elementary · Gilroy · 707 students · 27.2:1 ratio