Register for Surprise City Academy; an inside look at how city government works

Want to learn about the structure of city government, get updated on local issues and get to know your city leaders? Register for the 2020 Surprise City Academy!

The eight-session academy offers the opportunity to learn about the city directly from the may...

New "Surprise Lately" episode

In this episode of Surprise Lately… It’s the New Year & we’re opening a new library! We’ve got details on the grand opening celebration. Plus, youth sports registration is underway!

Tickets on sale for Surprise Spring Training Welcome Back Luncheon

Mayor Skip Hall will kick off the City of Surprise spring training season with the 18th Annual Welcome Back Luncheon on Friday, February 14.

The event will feature a presentation with representatives from the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals; highlight...

City begins FY21 budget discussions Jan. 21

The City of Surprise FY2021 budget building process kicks off at the City Council Work Session on Tuesday, January 21.

This will be the first in a series of presentations to Council by the City’s Finance Department regarding the overall developme...

Register early for Spring Break Camp

Need plans for spring break? The city of Surprise Parks & Recreation Department will be offering a Spring Break Camp March 16 – 20.  

The Surprise Spring Break Camp Program provides opportunities for youth enrolled in K - 6th grade t...

Surprise Pops Band performs “Unforgettable Melodies” concert Jan. 26

The Surprise Pops Band will perform “Unforgettable Melodies” during their concert on Sunday, January 26, at the Valley Vista High School Performing Arts Center,15550 N. Parkview Place. Doors open at 2:15 p.m., show begins at 3 p.m.

Conc...

Free tax preparation assistance available for qualified households

The Human Services and Community Vitality Department is partnering with A New Leaf to offer free tax preparation services to benefit individuals and families with low to moderate income. 

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) offers I...

Celebrate Asante Library Grand Opening Feb. 1

Join the City of Surprise and Maricopa County Library District for a morning of celebration and fun activities as we mark the Grand Opening of the Asante Library, located at 16755 W Vereda Solana Drive!

The grand opening event will be held:

Saturday, Februa...

Surprise Community Park playground closed Jan. 13-30 for shade structure installation

The Surprise Community Park playground and several ramadas will be closed from January 13 – 30 for the installation of shade structures; the areas are scheduled to reopen on Friday, January 31.

Surprise Community Park is located at 15953 N. Bullard Avenue....

Spring into the new year with youth sports

Registration for Surprise Parks and Recreation 2020 Winter Sports programs will open from January 6-25.  A special Saturday registration will be held on January 25 at the Parks and Recreation office from 8-11 a.m. 

Leagues begin early Mar...

Surprise names Community Development Director

Surprise City Manager Mike Frazier has announced that Chris Boyd will serve as the city’s new Community Development Director.

Boyd has served as Acting Director of the Community Development (CD) Department since April, stepping in from his role as Assistan...

Surprise Stadium Box Office Open for Spring Training and College Baseball Ticket Sales

The box office at Surprise Stadium, spring training home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, will open for in-person ticket sales beginning this Saturday, Jan. 4 at 8 a.m.

The 18th annual Surprise Spring Training season will kick off on Friday, Fe...

DevelopNEXT: Give Input on Draft Land Development Ordinances

The city’s DevelopNEXT effort to simplify and modernize its development and design standards is advancing, with drafts of chapters 101 -108 of the Land Development Ordinances (LDO) online for public and stakeholder review and comment.

The purpose of the LD...

City awarded $50K grant from Tohono O’odham Nation to advance community initiatives

The city of Surprise City Council voted to accept a $50,000 grant from the Tohono O’odham Nation at their meeting last night.  

The city’s Human Service and Community Vitality Department applied for and was awarded the grant to...

ADOT: Speed limit changes in place along Grand Avenue in northwest Valley

Speed limits along parts of Grand Avenue (US 60) in the northwest Valley have changed, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

For safety reasons, ADOT waited until the completion of recent construction projects before evaluating traffic spe...

Surprise offers free online “Startup Space” to connect entrepreneurs, small businesses

Free business support is now only a click away in the City of Surprise! A new online platform called Startup Space is now available to all Surprise small businesses, startups and residents free of cost, courtesy of the City of Surprise Economic Developmen...

Waddell Rd full closure, Sarival Ave to Loop 303, scheduled Nov 18 thru Jan 31

Waddell Road will be completely closed between Sarival Ave and the Loop 303 beginning 4 a.m. November 18 to 6 p.m. January 31, 2020, while crews work to improve the roadway. 

Turn movements and north/southbound travel at the Sarival Avenue and Wad...

City of Surprise Revenue Bond Rating Raised to ‘AA+’

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings raised its long-term rating to 'AA+' from 'AA' on Surprise, Ariz.'s series 2015 pledged revenue and revenue refunding obligations. The outlook is stable.

The raised rating action reflects the applica...

Home modifications available to improve accessibility & safety for residents

The city of Surprise Neighborhood Services Division has partnered with Ability360 to help persons with disabilities and/or seniors get modifications to their home to improve accessibility and safety.

Low-to-moderate-income residents needing accessibility a...

Royals, Rangers Spring Training tickets on sale Nov 16!

The 18^th annual Surprise Spring Training season will kick off on Friday, February 21^st at Surprise Stadium – featuring Surprise’s home teams, the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals. 

Tickets go on sale at SurpriseStadium.com starting Sa...

Registration opens for third annual Surprise Spring Training 5K/1K

Get your Major League juices running at Surprise Stadium on Friday, March 6 with the Third Annual Surprise Spring Training 5K, presented by Jimmy John’s!

This 5K & 1K fun run will begin at 7 p.m. at Surprise Stadium and take you on a scenic, ...

Arizona History & Culture Speaker Series returns with new speakers, topics

Experience stories of Arizona history and culture through a speaker series presented by the Surprise Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission in partnership with Arizona Humanities.

Local experts from Arizona Humanities’ AZ Speaks program will present on the ...

Surprise Fire-Medical announces 2019-2020 fire station open house schedule

The Surprise Fire-Medical Department is opening their fire station doors for the 2019-2020 series of open houses!

Residents can come out and meet the firefighters, check out the living and eating quarters, walk through the bays and see the fire trucks!&...

City requests public input on Shared Active Transportation Vehicle operation in Surprise

The city is now seeking community feedback on the deployment of vendor-owned, commercially-operated Shared Active Transportation Vehicles (SATV), commonly referred to as electric scooters (e-scooters) or electric-bicycles (e-bicycles), in Surprise.

The SAT...

Surprise designated as BNSF Railway Certified Site

Two properties within The Surprise Railplex Industrial Park, Cactus Commerce Center and Summit Business Park, have been awarded BNSF Railway Company’s Certified Sites designation along with five other industrial locations across the country. The Surprise ...

Surprise Fire-Medical Awarded 8 New Firefighters Through Federal Grant

The Surprise Fire-Medical Department was awarded eight new firefighters through a federal grant. This newly-awarded grant pays for the majority of the training costs and salaries for a period of two years and a little less than half of the costs for a thi...

CALL OF ELECTION - Public Notice of the City of Surprise, Arizona.

Notice is hereby given that the City of Surprise, Arizona will hold elections as follows:

Primary Election: Tuesday, August 4, 2020General Election: Tuesday, November 3, 2020 (If Applicable)

Offices to be filled – Mayor (4 year term ending in December 2024)...

Spring Training season tickets and specialty packages on sale Oct.19!

Another exciting year of Spring Training in Surprise is just around the corner and season tickets and group specialty packages will be on sale starting Saturday, October 19 at 8 a.m. (MST).   

Ticket Packages Don’t miss your chan...

Surprise expands library services with increased hours & new location

The City of Surprise and Maricopa County Library District are excited to announce that in early 2020 a new library will open and another will offer expanded hours. 

Starting in early January 2020, expanded hours are coming to Hollyhock Library, lo...

Get trained as a tax preparation volunteer & provide free tax help

Volunteers are needed to provide free tax return preparation for low-to-moderate income individuals and families through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. No prior tax preparation is needed; training will be provided. 

There are ...

City Manager Statement on Public Safety

Dear Residents of Surprise,

As your City Manager and a retired law enforcement officer with 40 years of experience, I can assure you that public safety is and always has been the top priority for the City of Surprise, not only for me personally, but for th...

Lunchtime and Sunset Theater performances set for 2019-2020

Jazz, Opera, Broadway and the Classics are included in the line-up for the Lunchtime Theater Series during the fall - spring seasons!

The City of Surprise Arts and Cultural Advisory Commission and the West Valley Arts Council, in partnership with the West ...

Surprise Stadium announces 2020 Spring Training schedule with game times

The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals have released their finalized 2020 Spring Training schedule, revealing their game times and a new opening day game on Friday, February 21! The season opener, featuring the Texas Rangers vs. the Kansas City Royals, ...

Oregon State returns to Surprise for Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic

Join the Oregon State Beavers at Surprise Stadium as they host their 2020 season debut right here in Surprise.

The Sanderson Ford College Baseball Classic will take place February 14-17 at Surprise Stadium, featuring the Oregon State Beavers, New Mexico Lo...

Fall 2019 Progress Magazine released

Does this cooler weather have you wanting to cuddle up with some hot chocolate and a good read? Progress Magazine is out now! This issue has all you need to know about upcoming festivals & entertainment, road improvement projects, Census 2020, and mor...

City wins national video award for “The Moving Wall Vietnam Memorial” visit

The City of Surprise Marketing & Communications Department earned a first place win in the National Association of Telecommunications Officers & Advisors’ (NATOA) 34th Annual Government Programming Awards.

Surprise took first place for ou...

City of Surprise recruiting new tourism events; grant funding available

The city of Surprise, Arizona is a hotbed for tourism events like MLB Spring Training, NCAA college baseball, USTA tennis, arts festivals, and amateur sports tournaments. In an effort to continue growing successful tourism opportunities, the city&rsqu...

Surprise Fire-Medical donates fire engine to Valley Vista High School Fire Science program

 The Surprise Fire-Medical Department (SFMD) donated a fire engine to the Valley Vista High School Fire Science Program on September 24.

The fire engine is a 2006 EONE Cyclone Pumper with a 1500 gallon per minute pump and seating for up to six cre...

Mayor proclaims Surprise a Dementia Friendly City

Mayor Skip Hall proclaimed the city of Surprise as a Dementia Friendly City at last night’s City Council meeting. This action created the second Dementia Friendly city in Arizona, joining Tempe as part of the Dementia Friends initiative, in partnership wi...

Citywide transportation projects update; Litchfield Road widening begins 9/30

To meet the needs of a growing Surprise, the city is working on several significant transportation improvement projects. The projects range from constructing additional travel lanes to improving pavement conditions.

The city has created a Transportation Pr...

Surprise breaks ground on new Fire Station 304

The city of Surprise broke ground today on a new Fire Station 304 at 163rd Avenue and San Ysidro Road, located in the city’s growing northern area. This voter-approved project is being funded by the 2017 Decide Surprise General Obligation Bond a...

New Explore Surprise Episode - Youth Programs!

Youth are an important part of our community! That’s why the City of Surprise makes it a priority to keep them involved – through recreation, social events, career readiness programs and more. Check out this new episode of Explore Surprise to learn about ...

Surprise Youth Earn Arizona Career Readiness Credentials

This summer, 20 Surprise teens in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program gained invaluable work experience alongside city staff, and also earned the Arizona Career Readiness Credential (ACRC).

Maricopa County’s Human Services Depart...

Major League Baseball announces 2020 Spring Training schedule, games start 2/22 at Surprise Stadium

Major League Baseball has released the 2020 Cactus League Spring Training schedule. Opening Day in Surprise, Arizona is set for Saturday, February 22 with the Texas Rangers taking on the Milwaukee Brewers at Surprise Stadium.

Surprise’s home team...

Rising costs amid a volatile recycling market result in changes to city’s collection

Like many communities across the country, the city of Surprise recycling program is struggling to maintain existing service levels amid soaring operational costs.

The city began curbside recycling in 2004 and the revenue generated by the recyclables helped...

Register for Tot Time before it fills up!

The City of Surprise Parks & Recreation Department is excited for another session of Tot Time!

Program registration begins this week. Scorecard members can register starting August 6, Surprise residents on August 8 and non-residents beginning August 15...

Surprise wins marketing award at the Arizona Governor's Conference on Tourism

The city won the Outstanding Marketing Campaign – Rural for its Find Your Surprise marketing campaign, including the website ExploreSurprise.com! 

This award, given at Tuesday night’s Arizona Governor's Conference on Tourism (G...

Judge Gaudreau Appointed to AZ Supreme Court Committee

Surprise City Court Associate Judge Catherine A. Gaudreau was recently appointed by the Chief Justice of the Arizona Supreme Court to serve a three-year term as a Limited Jurisdiction Judge member of the Committee on the Impact of Domestic Violence and th...

Neighborhood Grant Program application now available

The Surprise City Council approved funding to support the Neighborhood Grant Program, providing eligible neighborhoods with small grants to fund neighborhood events, functions or community improvements. 

Recognizing an opportunity to encourage com...

Council adopts FY2020 Budget to address city growth; maintain existing assets

City Council approved a $412.7 million Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Budget, during their Regular Meeting Tuesday.

The budget continues to focus on Council’s commitment to maintain quality public services and infrastructure, while also addressing the needs of a gr...

National Indoor RV Centers expands to Surprise, brings head-of-household jobs

Texas-based National Indoor RV Centers (NIRVC) has selected the City of Surprise, Arizona for its new expansion location. The new Surprise business center will grow 65 full-time jobs and will be dedicated to the sales, servicing, storage and maintenance o...

Hollyhock Library adjusts Saturday hours starting May 11

The Hollyhock Library will soon change its Saturday hours to better serve the community! 

Starting May 11, Hollyhock Library, located at 15844 N. Hollyhock Street, will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays. Tuesday and Thursday hours w...

2019 Surprise Retail Survey results are in!

The City of Surprise launched its annual Surprise Retail Survey in March… and more than 3,000 responses later, we have the results! Plus, for the first time ever, we polled city youth in a separate survey. More than 1,000 of our 6th – 12th graders offered...

City of Surprise 2019 State of the City focuses on growth and sustainability

Mayor Skip Hall introduced the 2019 State of the City video premiere Thursday night at Surprise City Hall, highlighting the city’s most shining moments over the past year – and true to his words, 2018 was certainly a bright year for the city! 

The...

New tourism website launches; showcases city as a place to “Find your Surprise”

The city has launched a new tourism website to help showcase the city of Surprise as a year-round travel destination.  

The website, ExploreSurprise.com, features the slogan “Find your Surprise,” and highlights the many ways to play, dine, shop an...

Surprise banks on private partnerships

The City of Surprise has partnered with the Ottawa University O'Dell Center for Athletics to use the athletic complex for 8,000 hours a year for city programming.

Surprise offers free online “Startup Space” to connect entrepreneurs, small businesses

Free business support is now only a click away in the City of Surprise! A new online platform called Startup Space is now available to all Surprise small businesses, startups and residents free of cost, courtesy of the City of Surprise Economic Developmen...

Surprise designated as BNSF Railway Certified Site

Two properties within The Surprise Railplex Industrial Park, Cactus Commerce Center and Summit Business Park, have been awarded BNSF Railway Company’s Certified Sites designation along with five other industrial locations across the country. The Surprise ...

AZ TechCelerator hosts ribbon cutting for newest tenant, Arizona Cyber Warfare Range

The AZ TechCelerator hosted a ribbon cutting event for its newest tenant, Arizona Cyber Warfare Range at 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 24.

The event took place on the AZ TechCelerator campus located at 12425 W. Bell Road in Building D.

AZ Cyber Warfare Range ...

National Indoor RV Centers expands to Surprise, brings head-of-household jobs

Texas-based National Indoor RV Centers (NIRVC) has selected the City of Surprise, Arizona for its new expansion location. The new Surprise business center will grow 65 full-time jobs and will be dedicated to the sales, servicing, storage and maintenance o...

Economic Development AIMS Community Profile

The City of Surprise AMIS Community Profile offers information about who we are demographically, our business services, transportation options, key development areas and more.

Join the Surprise Fire-Medical Team

The Surprise Fire-Medical Department is not accepting applications at the moment. Please continue to visit our website or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for the most up-to-date information. You may also submit a "Job Interest Card" with Human ...

Surprise Fire-Medical receives award from the American Heart Association

The Surprise Fire-Medical Department has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

Eve...

Surprise Fire-Medical Awarded 8 New Firefighters Through Federal Grant

The Surprise Fire-Medical Department was awarded eight new firefighters through a federal grant. This newly-awarded grant pays for the majority of the training costs and salaries for a period of two years and a little less than half of the costs for a thi...

Free Child Passenger Safety Seat Inspection

80% of car seats are installed incorrectly. Have your car seat inspected!

Child safety seat inspections are available every 1st and 3rd Tuesday and 3rd Saturday of each month at Fire Station 303 at 15440 N. Cotton Lane from 9:00-10:45 a.m.

Call Fire Adminis...

New Fire User Fees

At the November 17th, 2015 Regular Council Meeting, Council approved Resolution 2015 – 108 which authorized an updated user fee schedule citywide to include the following updated fees for the Surprise Fire Medical Department to be effective immediately: R...

Surprise Police donate retired cruiser to West-MEC campus

Officials from YOUR Surprise Police Department and Western Maricopa Education Center (West-MEC) Northwest Campus met on October 3 for an official exchanging of keys, as a retired police cruiser was donated to the school.

The 2012 Dodge Charger was donated ...

“Rose” and the Surprise Police provide update to MedReturn Program

The Surprise Police Department recognizes the dangers associated with prescription medication abuse and the link it has to illegal drug abuse. Rose, the Department’s therapy dog, has seen first-paw the negative impact that substance abuse can have on fami...Read more...

Rec Nights - Winter Formal

The hottest dance mixes are being played with laser light shows, games and themed events. These events will be the highlight of your school year.

Bring your friends for a fun place to hang out.

All dances will be on Fridays from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Conc...

Snowbowl Turnaround Trip

Join teens from Surprise for a fun filled day at the Snow Bowl. Fee includes rental skis or snowboard equipment, transportation, supervision, lift ticket, 2-hour group beginner lesson and breakfast.

Teens should bring additional money for lunch, dinner and...

College Campus Tours

Join other teens from Surprise for a tour or the U of A, ASU, GCU and NAU campuses and learn about what the universities have to offer!

A medium drink from a local coffee shop is included in the fee. Teens should bring additional money for lunch. The trip ...

Teen Tournaments

Are you ready for competitive action like you haven’t seen since gym class? Teams from Surprise and the Northwest Valley will compete to determine the areas best.

This isn’t your ’if you had fun you won’ typ...