Surprise, Arizona is a beautiful Sonoran-desert community surrounded by mountain park lands. The gorgeous landscape sets the stage for the city’s vibrant sports and recreation scene, growing arts community and fantastic restaurants! It’s the perfect place to “Find your Surprise!”
Located in the Phoenix-Metro area, the city’s year-round sunny climate makes it the ideal place for outdoor adventure, and it abounds here! Surprise boasts the largest tennis and racquet complex in the Southwest, seven gorgeous golf courses and an urban fishing lake nestled within a sprawling downtown park. Plus, Major League Baseball’s Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers play spring ball at Surprise Stadium – ranked the #1 Spring Training Stadium in Arizona by USA Today!
College sports also thrive in Surprise! The city hosts college baseball tournaments that bring in teams from all over the nation, and we’re home to Ottawa University and their 21 varsity sports home teams!
Maricopa County's largest regional park, White Tank Mountain Regional Park, rises from the border of Surprise and offers hiking, biking, camping and a nature center.
Find your game. Find your adventure. Find your retreat. Find your Surprise!
Recognition & Awards:
- #6 Safest Cities in Arizona (Safewise.com 2021)
- #1 Spring Training Stadium in Arizona (USA Today 2018)
- Global City of the Year (Global Chamber of Phoenix 2017)
- #5 Fastest Growing City in the U.S. (KTAR 2016)
- Top Ten Safest City in the U.S. (Parenting Magazine 2014)
What’s the story behind our name?
Our city was just one square mile of farmland back in 1938 when Flora Mae Statler founded it. So why did she call us Surprise? According to Statler’s daughter Elizabeth Wusich Stoft, her mother once commented
"she would be surprised if the town ever amounted to much."
With our success, she would indeed be surprised and proud!