Our Community

Once a stagecoach stop on the San Antonio–San Diego Mail Line—and still known as the Crossroads of the Southwest—Gila Bend is located at the intersection of Highway 85 and Interstate 8. We may be a small community, but we’re only an hour’s drive from Phoenix—and three hours from the beautiful beach town of Rocky Point, Mexico. Our climate is arid desert, which means we have hot summers and warm winters. Our average rainfall is only seven inches!    

Besides being a well-known crossroads town, we’re also gaining recent acclaim as the nation’s leader in the creation of a modern, renewable energy grid. Our town is home to four solar plant operations: APS’s Cotton Center, the Paloma Center, the Merrill-Paloma Center (all photovoltaic systems), and Solana (a 280 mega-watt parabolic trough solar plant). It seems our wide, open desert surroundings make the ideal spot for harnessing solar energy, and we’re happy to be a part of the growing movement toward a more sustainable lifestyle. 

If you’re new or visiting, we encourage you to check out the resources at the side of this page. The information we’ve provided will give you a great introduction to this remarkable place we call home.

Gila Bend Fast Facts

  • Location: 50 miles southwest of Phoenix, AZ

  • County: Maricopa

  • Metro Area: Phoenix – Mesa 

  • Time Zone: Mountain Standard

  • Population: 1,922 (2010 census)

  • Elevation: 735 feet

  • Climate: Arid desert 

  • Average High Temp: 89.5 °F

  • Average Low Temp: 58.4 °F

Community Resources

Food and Accommodations

Fun Things to See and Do