Mesa is a Maricopa County city that's home to 440,000 Arizona residents. That population earns Mesa the title of 3rd largest city in the state behind nearby Phoenix and Tucson. Mesa serves as a ?bedroom community' meaning that many Mesa residents work in nearby cities. One positive thing about the bedroom community is that a number of good schools in the area like the Maricopa Community College. It's the largest of any Maricopa County Community Colleges. Arizona state University and A.R. Still University both operate small campuses in Mesa. Mesa Public Schools are the top employer although Banner Health and Boeing both have strong installations together employing over 12,500. Boeing actually produces the Apache AH-64 attack helicopter at a facility adjoining Falcon Field.

Mesa hosts the WAC Baseball Tournament and the Chicago Cubs spend spring training playing Cactus League games at HoHoKam Park. The upscale Fiesta Mall on the Westside of Mesa offers outstanding shopping for locals and tourists alike. However, Mesa Riverview on the Northside of the city boasts funky stores and eateries like Toby Keith's I Love This Bar Grill. METRO Light Rail, local freeways like local U.S. Route 60, and a number of local airports service Mesa's commuters.