Sparks, Nevada

Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States. It was founded in 1904 and officially became a city on March 15, 1905. Sparks is situated just east of Reno and is part of the larger 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 served as the governor of Nevada from 1903 to 1908 and was a member of the Silver Party. Today, Sparks remains an important community in the region.

History

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

Sparks stayed a small town until the 1950s when growth in Reno caused many new homes to be 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 pleasant area for walking and community events.

A major manufacturing plant in Sparks, Gigafactory 1, makes batteries for electric vehicles and employed about 7,000 people in 2020.

Geography

Sparks is a city in Nevada. It covers an area of 35.9 square miles, with a small part of that being water. The city has a semi-arid climate, meaning it doesn't get much rain. Summers can be very hot, while winters are cool to cold. The temperature can change a lot from day to night, especially in the summer. On average, Sparks gets about 8 inches of rain each year, and it also gets some snow, usually around 7 inches per year. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 108 °F in 2002, and the coldest was -19 °F in 1989.

Demographics

2020 census

According to a survey in 2018, about 104,000 people lived in the city of Sparks. The city had many different groups of people, including 76.8% who were White, 2.5% African American, 1.5% Native American, 5.7% Asian, and others. Some people were of Hispanic or Latino background.

In 2018, about 23.5% of the people were younger than 18, and 15.3% were older than 65. Half of the people were female. The average amount of money a family made was about $60,785, 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 Library is a big building, covering 23,000 square feet (2,100 m²).

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 with seats 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 just south of a major road, 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 that will cost about $1.1 billion. 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.