This paper suggests an optimal maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control scheme for a grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) system using the arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA). The parameters of the proportional-integral (PI) controller-based incremental conductance (IC) MPPT are optimally selected using AOA. To accomplish this study, a 100-kW benchmark PV system connected to a medium distribution utility is constructed and analyzed employing MATLAB/SIMULINK. The optimization framework seeks to minimize four standard benchmark performance indices, then select the best of the best among them. To verify the efficacy of the recommended methodology, a comprehensive comparison is conducted between AOA-based PI-IC-MPPT, modified incremental conductance MPPT (MIC), grey wolf optimization (GWO), genetic algorithm (GA), and particle swarm optimization (PSO)-based MPPT. The proposed control approach has achieved a reduction of 61, 3, 4.5, and 26.9% in the rise time and a decrease of 94, 84.7, 86.6, and 79.3% in the settling time compared with MIC, GWO, GA, and PSO in extracting MPPT of the proposed system, respectively.