A Maricopa County city, founded in 1938 and incorporated in 1960.
01 — At a Glance
Surprise is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona. It was founded in 1938, incorporated in 1960, and the 2020 census counted 143,148 residents, up from 30,848 in 2000.
Surprise covers 110.5 square miles in Maricopa County, by Census Bureau figures. The 2020 census counted 143,148 residents, up from 117,517 in 2010. City Hall stands on the site of a former Luke Air Force Base auxiliary airfield.
Sources: Wikipedia: Surprise, Arizona (U.S. Census Bureau figures) · City of Surprise
02 — History
1938
Flora Mae Statler, daughter of Glendale pioneer Charles Gillett, founded Surprise in 1938. Property records found in 2010 show she owned the land before she met her husband, developer and legislator Homer C. Ludden.
Source: Wikipedia: Surprise, Arizona
1960
Surprise incorporated as a city in 1960. The original townsite is bounded by Greenway Road, El Mirage Road, Bell Road and Dysart Road.
Source: Wikipedia: Surprise, Arizona
2020
The 2020 census counted 143,148 people in Surprise, up from 117,517 in 2010 and 30,848 in 2000.
Source: Wikipedia: Surprise, Arizona
03 — Places
A 20,000-square-foot library on the Recreation Campus. In 2023 the city formed the Surprise Public Library system, with the Hollyhock and Asante branches.
Source: Wikipedia: Surprise, Arizona
Opened May 24, 2025, with six waterslides, an Olympic-sized pool and a diving pool, alongside the city’s Aquatics Center.
Source: Wikipedia: Surprise, Arizona
The city owns 17 parks, and hosts events such as Sundays in the Park and the Sparkling Surprise holiday celebration.
Source: Wikipedia: Surprise, Arizona
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