Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona and is a suburb of Phoenix, within the Phoenix Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the third-largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix and Tucson.
Mesa is one of the United States' fastest-growing cities, and currently ranks as the 37th-largest. 2006 Census Bureau estimates put the city's population at 460,155.
The city has a larger population than better-known United States cities such as Cleveland, Miami, Minneapolis, Saint Louis, or Saint Paul.
Although it has a large population, Mesa is a "bedroom community." Neighborhoods across the city are diverse — some areas have experienced urban blight, while others contain elaborate custom homes.
Mesa was founded in January 1878 by Latter-day Saint (LDS or Mormon) pioneers and its population is still roughly one-tenth Mormon. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates one of its oldest temples in Mesa (the Mesa Arizona Temple).
Cultural attractions
- HoHoKam Park Cactus League spring training home of the Chicago Cubs and former summer home to the now defunct Mesa Miners professional baseball team of the Golden Baseball League.
- Mesa Arts Center
- Mesa amphitheatre
- Mesa Arizona Temple, a large LDS temple, where an elaborate Easter Pageant is held every spring.
- Museums
- Arizona Museum for Youth
- Commemorative Air Force Arizona Wing Aircraft Museum - B-17 Sentimental Journey
- Mesa Historical Society and Museum
- Arizona Museum of Natural History
- Public Libraries
- Main Library (MN)
- Dobson Ranch Branch (DR)
- Red Mountain Branch (RM)
- Part of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure was filmed in Mesa at the Golfland/Sunsplash waterpark on U.S. 60.
- Mesa is the home of the Chicago Cubs Major League Baseball team during Spring Training.
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