Surprise City

Maricopa County, Arizona

Surprise City Hall is located at 16000 North Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, AZ 85374.
Phone: 623‑222‑1000.

Neighborhoods

Beginnings [1]

In 1937, the first residents settled in the Surprise area. The two families that settled the Original Townsite operated a service station and occupied four small homes. To produce electricity, the group used a gasoline-powered generator. Water was collected from a nearby well. The surrounding land was either vacant or under agricultural production with their nearest neighbors over two miles away.

By 1950, the population of the area grew to nearly 300 residents with two service stations, two grocery stores and a number of meager houses and cabins. On December 12 1960 a 640 acre area, the Original Townsite, was incorporated as the town of Surprise. The newly formed town boasted a population of nearly 1,000 people. At the time of incorporation, only 169 acres of the Townsite were developed.

1. City of Surprise, AZ, City of Surprise Comprehensive Plan, 2008, www.surpriseaz.gov, accessed October, 2015.