Surprise, Arizona Surprise, Arizona Surprise City Hall Surprise City Hall Official seal of Surprise, Arizona Surprise, Arizona is positioned in the US Surprise, Arizona - Surprise, Arizona Surprise is a town/city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.

The populace was 30,848 at the 2000 census; however, rapid expansion has boosted the city's populace to 117,517 at the 2010 census, an increase of 281%. As such, it is the second fastest-expanding municipality in the greater Phoenix urbane region (after Gilbert) and, between 1990 and 2000, it was the sixth fastest-expanding place among all metros/cities and suburbs in Arizona.

The town/city has a 10,562-square-foot (981.2 m2) Aquatics Center and Maricopa County's northwest county-wide library, a $5.5 million, 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) library, along with a 100.3 cost of living index.

The town/city was established in 1938 by Flora Mae Statler, who titled it Surprise as she "would be surprised if the town ever amounted to much". Surprise officials previously thought the town/city was established by Statler's husband, real estate developer and state legislator Homer C.

Although there were only a several homes and a gas station on the one-mile (1.6 km)-square parcel of territory when it was subdivided to build inexpensive homes for agricultural workers, Surprise has experienced tremendous expansion in the years since. It incorporated into a town/city in 1960, the townsite being bounded by Greenway Road on the south, El Mirage Road on the east, Bell Road on the north, and Dysart Road on the west. Tens of thousands of retirees moved to the town/city in the 1990s and early 2000s to live in Sun City Grand, an age-restricted resort-like community, with homes assembled by the property evolution firm Del Webb.

Surprise is about five miles (8 km) northwest of Del Webb's initial Sun City evolution and adjoining to Sun City West.

Sun City Grand has turn into a large contributor to the city's population, which more than septupled (7 times) from 10,187 to about 75,000 in 2004. Rapid expansion has led town/city officials to estimate the populace at over 103,000 as of 2007, a figure the town/city maintains in spite of more conservative populace estimates by the Enumeration Bureau. Surprise is positioned at 33 38 19 N 112 21 02 W (33.638632, -112.350434). It is about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Phoenix.

According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 85.6 square miles (221.1 km ), of which, 85.5 square miles (221.4 km ) of it is territory and 0.04 square miles (0.1 km ) of it (0.03%) is water.

As of the census of 2000, there were 30,848 citizens , 12,484 homeholds, and 9,725 families residing in the city.

The ethnic makeup of the town/city was 85.97% White, 2.61% Black or African American, 0.43% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.87% from other competitions, and 1.99% from two or more competitions.

In the city, the populace was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older.

In 2010, Surprise had a populace of 117,517.

According to the City's 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the town/city are: 3 City of Surprise 631 Surprise is governed on the small-town level by a mayor and a six-member town/city council. The mayor is propel at large, while the council members are propel from the six districts which they represent.

In February 2007, the Surprise City Council unanimously allowed an transit framework reimbursement agreement with Westcor, facilitating assembly of the biggest county-wide mall in Arizona, Prasada.

At full build out, the town/city expects to realize $60 million per year in revenue taxes and projects that Prasada will problematic more than 20,000 jobs for small-town residents.

Consists of the Community Relations Unit, Training Unit, Public Information Unit, Records Unit, Recruiting Unit and Technical Services Unit.

The town/city is the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers baseball teams.

The town/city also hosted a Golden Baseball League team in 2005, the Surprise Fightin' Falcons and the Recreation Campus ballpark and is the home town/city for a team in the Arizona Fall League, the Surprise Saguaros.

As part of the city's Recreation Campus, Surprise is also home to the Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex (STRC). Since its opening in August 2007, the complex has received various awards, including being titled the 2008 Outstanding Facility of the year award by the USTA.

Water: Circle City Water Company, Beardsley Water Company, Chaparral Water Company, EPCOR Water, the City of El Mirage, Morristown Water Company, Puesta Del Sol Water Company, Saguaro Acres, Saguaro View, and West End Water Company Official Website - Surprise, Arizona Phoenix Area Cities and Towns - Phoenix Communities - Maricopa County Neighborhoods Surprise, Arizona government web site - About Surprise "Enumeration figure for Surprise 15,000 less than estimate from county".

2010 census figures for Surprise "City of Surprise 2013 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF).

City Council American Towns, Surprise gets perfect score for "transparency, openness" from Sunshine Review, April 1, 2010 Surprise Police Department Surprise Tennis and Racquet Complex Official website of the town/city of Surprise, Arizona Articles relating to Surprise and Maricopa County Surprise, Arizona - Cities in Arizona - Cities in Maricopa County, Arizona - Populated places established in 1938 - Populated places in the Sonoran Desert - Phoenix urbane area