Surprise
Words by Victoria Love
Surprise is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, located in the northwest corner of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The city was founded in 1938 and incorporated as a town in 1960, and its population was 143,148 at the 2020 census.
Victoria serves buyers and sellers in Surprise.
Schools
Public schools serving Surprise fall mainly within the Dysart Unified School District, based at 15802 N Parkview Place in Surprise, which encompasses almost all of Surprise along with El Mirage and parts of Glendale and Youngtown. The Nadaburg Unified School District also serves part of the area. Boundaries and specific school assignments can be looked up through each district's website or through county and NCES school district search tools.
Getting around
Loop 303 (the Bob Stump Memorial Parkway) runs through Surprise, connecting to US 60 (Grand Avenue) and eventually I-17 to the east and I-10 to the south. Bell Road, a major east-west arterial, runs through Surprise with its west end at Sun Valley Parkway and provides access toward Loop 101, I-17, and Scottsdale. Surprise is located about 25 miles from Phoenix.
Homes and housing
Housing in Surprise includes single-family homes as well as age-restricted communities such as Sun City Grand, which covers roughly 4,000 acres in the northern part of the city north of Bell Road and was developed by Del Webb with golf courses and recreation centers. Sun Village is a smaller 55+ community on Bell Road built around an 18-hole walking golf course with 1,382 homes. North Surprise has continued to add single- and multi-family homes as part of ongoing growth in that part of the county.
Things to do
Surprise is the spring training location for the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers baseball teams. Retail and dining options in the city include the Village at Prasada, a 700,000-square-foot retail, restaurant, and entertainment center, along with Surprise Marketplace. The area around north Surprise also includes the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex, the Northwest Regional Library, and the Surprise Aquatic Center.
- Surprise was founded in 1938 by Flora Mae Statler. Surprise, Arizona
- Surprise was incorporated as a town on December 12, 1960. Surprise, Arizona
- The Dysart Unified School District is headquartered at 15802 N Parkview Place, Surprise, AZ 85374. Dysart Unified School District
- Sun City Grand covers roughly 4,000 acres in northern Surprise, north of Bell Road. Sun City Grand Homes for Sale
- Sun Village in Surprise has 1,382 homes across about 320 acres. Sun Village Homes for Sale
- Surprise's land area was 110.30 square miles as of the 2020 census. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Surprise city, Arizona