Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, 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 38th-largest. 2006 Census Bureau estimates put the city's population at 447,541.

The city has a larger population than better-known United States cities such as Cleveland, Miami, Minneapolis, Saint Louis, or Saint Paul. Mesa is the most populous suburban city in the United States; in North America, only suburban Mississauga, Ontario is larger. When Mesa reaches build-out the city is expected to have a population exceeding 630,000. "Master_Plan/pdf/Mesa_Profile.pdf" target="_blank">http://cityofmesa.org/neighsvc/Housing_Master_Plan/pdf/Mesa_Profile.pdf.'Build-out' Retrieved on July 24 2007.

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 Mormon (_Latter-day Saint or LDS) 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), and the city is a hub for Latter-day Saints residing in the Phoenix Metro area.