Surprise, AZ

Surprise is a city located in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of Surprise was 128,711. Surprise is home to the world's largest indoor amusement park, Six Flags Fiesta Texas. The city is also known for its golf courses and luxury homes.

The first people to live in Surprise were the Hohokam Indians who lived there from about A.D. 700 until about 1450. In 1892, Charles Waddell and his wife settled in what is now Surprise and began farming the land. The Waddells were among the first white settlers in what would later become Maricopa County.

In 1909, Jens Jensen built a hotel on Main Street in what would later become Surprise and started calling it Jensen's Hotel after his own name. The hotel was eventually renamed Jensen's Inn after Jens' son-in-law took over management of it in 1928.

In 1922, Cesar Chavez bought a tract of land near Jensen's Inn and started farming it; he would eventually build his own farmhouse on this property which still stands today (the house has since been converted into apartments).

In 1929, Frank Lloyd Wright designed a home for Jens Jensen on East McDowell Road which was completed that same year; it is now known as the Wright Home Museum (the museum is open by appointment only).

In 1936, Walter Pachter opened Pachter Motorsports on North McDowell Road; this business eventually became one of the largest car dealerships in Arizona (it closed its doors in 2006).

The city of Surprise was officially incorporated on October 17th, 1961; at that time it had a population of just over 10 thousand people.

Surprise grew rapidly during the 1960s and 1970s due to its proximity to Phoenix (which at that time was one of America's fastest growing cities) as well as its many recreational opportunities (such as Six Flags Fiesta Texas). In 1984, Six Flags Fiesta Texas opened up just outside of town; this massive amusement park quickly became an important part of Surprise's economy (it currently employs more than 2 thousand people).

Today, Surprise continues to grow rapidly thanks to its many attractive features (such as its low cost of living and excellent schools); according to recent estimates, the city has already reached a population sizeof 130 thousand people!