The History of Surprise

The City of Surprise was founded in 1938 and incorporated in 1960. The first lots in the subdivision named Surprise sold for about $300. In the early 1960’s Surprise still had dirt roads and no city center to speak of.

Beginning in the 1960’s the town began to organize and seriously take on the role of a community. In the 1990’s growth was rapid and by 2013 Surprise was one of the fastest growing cities in Arizona.

Check out the history and pictures of old Surprise