Sparks, Nevada

Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904 and became a city on March 15, 1905. Sparks is located just east of Reno and is part of the Reno–Sparks metropolitan area.

As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 108,445 people, making it the fifth most populous city in Nevada. The city was named after John Sparks, who was the governor of Nevada from 1903 to 1908 and a member of the Silver Party. Today, Sparks is an important community in the area.

History

Euro-American people began settling in Sparks in the early 1850s, but few lived there until 1904. That year, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a switch yard and maintenance sheds, moving the division point from Wadsworth. In 1902, the railroad bought land near the new railyard and sold small lots to employees for just $1. They even offered to move every house from Wadsworth to this new town for free. As more people arrived, the town was first named Harriman, after E. H. Harriman, the president of the railroad. It was later renamed Sparks, after John Sparks, the governor of Nevada.

Sparks stayed a small town until the 1950s when growth in Reno led to many new homes being built north of the railroad. In the 1970s, the area south of the railroad filled with warehouses and light industry. In 1984, the tower for the Nugget Casino Resort was finished, giving Sparks its first and only high-rise casino. In 1996, work to improve the B Street business area led to the opening of a movie complex and the creation of Victorian Square, a nice area for walking and community events.

A major manufacturing plant in Sparks, Gigafactory 1, makes batteries for electric vehicles.

Geography

Sparks is a city in Nevada. It covers an area of 35.9 square miles, with a small part being water. The city has a semi-arid climate, meaning it does not get much rain. Summers can be very hot, and winters are cool to cold. The temperature can change a lot between day and night, especially in summer. On average, Sparks gets about 8 inches of rain each year and some snow, usually around 7 inches per year.

Demographics

2020 census

A survey in 2018 showed that about 104,000 people lived in Sparks. The city had many different kinds of people. Most people, about 76.8%, were White. Small groups were African American, Native American, and Asian. Some people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

About 23.5% of the people were younger than 18, and 15.3% were older than 65. Half of the people were female. Families earned about $60,785 on average, and about 10% of people lived below the poverty line.

Arts and culture

Sparks, Nevada, has many fun cultural events, like the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off. The city has two public libraries. One is located downtown, and the other is in Spanish Springs. Both libraries are part of the Washoe County Library System.

The Sparks Tribune is a weekly newspaper that has been published in Sparks since 1910. It is owned by Battle Born Media.

Parks and recreation

The Nugget Event Center is a big outdoor place for concerts in downtown Sparks.

Sparks Marina Park is a fun spot with water activities like sailing, swimming, and fishing. The park also has walking paths, a dog park, playgrounds, and picnic areas.

Sparks has two golf courses called Wildcreek and Red Hawk.

Education

Public education in Sparks is managed by the Washoe County School District.

The city has several high schools, including Edward C. Reed High School, Sparks High School, Spanish Springs High School, and Hug High School. There are also middle schools and many elementary schools, such as Robert Mitchell Elementary School and Alice Maxwell Elementary School. One private school, Excel Christian School, is also available.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County runs a bus system for the cities of Reno and Sparks.

Sparks is close to the Reno–Tahoe International Airport.

Rail

The Union Pacific Railroad goes through the middle of Sparks from east to west. The Union Pacific has a big rail yard near a hotel and casino in downtown Sparks. This rail yard is important for the area's industrial park. Passenger trains stopped stopping at the Sparks Amtrak Station in 2009, but they still stop in nearby Reno on the California Zephyr.

Roads

Interstate 80 goes through Sparks from east to west. Several roads run north to south through the city, including State Route 445 (Pyramid Way), El Rancho Drive, Sullivan Lane, Rock Boulevard, Sparks Boulevard, Vista Boulevard, and State Route 659 (McCarran Blvd). Pyramid Way starts in downtown Sparks and goes north to Pyramid Lake, a place chosen as a Nevada Scenic Byway.

Sparks is linked to south Reno by a road called the Southeast Connector. This road connects to Sparks Boulevard and helps traffic move more easily between Reno and Sparks. It was finished in July 2018.

Sparks is also planning a big road project. This project will improve a road through a nearby area, making it easier for traffic to reach the main highways near Reno and Sparks. This will help connect several nearby places more directly.

Notable people

Sparks, Nevada has been home to many interesting people. Some well-known individuals from Sparks include Amadour, an artist, musician, and writer, and Mädchen Amick, an actress known for her roles in Twin Peaks and Witches of East End.

Other notable people from Sparks are T. J. Bell, a motorsport driver, and Jacob Dalton, an Olympic gymnast. The city has also been home to actors like Jena Malone, who appeared in The Hunger Games and Pride & Prejudice, and to public figures such as Jim Gibbons, a former governor of Nevada.