Sparta, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sparta, Tennessee
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Sparta's business district
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| Nickname(s):
Bluegrass USA
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Location of Sparta in White County, Tennessee.
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | White |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.72 sq mi (17.41 km2) |
| • Land | 6.72 sq mi (17.41 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 919 ft (280 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,998 |
| • Density | 743.42/sq mi (287.05/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
38583
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| Area code(s) | 931 |
| FIPS code | 47-70180 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1269179 |
Sparta is a city in White County, Tennessee, United States. It is also the county seat, which means it's where the main government offices for the county are located. In 2020, about 5,000 people lived there.
The Calfkiller River flows right through Sparta. You can find seven important places in Sparta that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means they are special and protected for their history.
Contents
Sparta's Past: A Look at Its History
Sparta was officially started in 1809. It became the main town for White County, which was created a few years earlier in 1806. The city got its name from the famous ancient Greek city-state called Sparta.
Did you know Sparta almost became the capital of Tennessee? Early in Tennessee's history, lawmakers voted to pick a permanent capital city. The final vote was very close between Sparta and Nashville. Nashville won by just one vote!
Sparta grew quickly because it was located on a major road. This road connected two big cities: Knoxville and Nashville. In the 1830s, two brothers, Barlow and Madison Fisk, built the Sparta Rock House. This building was an inn where travelers could stop and rest. It was in a great spot where the Cumberland Plateau meets the Calfkiller valley. Many important people from Tennessee's early days, like Andrew Jackson and Sam Houston, stayed at the Rock House. Today, the Rock House is a state historic site. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sparta is also known for two famous airmen. Hawthorne C. Gray, who held aviation records, had an accident in a balloon over Sparta in 1927. Later, in 1938, Lansing Colton Holden Jr., a flying ace from World War I, crashed his plane near the city.
Where is Sparta? Understanding Its Geography
Sparta is located at 35°55′56″N 85°28′11″W / 35.93222°N 85.46972°W. It's about 15 miles south of Cookeville. The city sits on an area called the Highland Rim. This is near the western edge of the Cumberland Plateau, which is a large, flat area of land. The Calfkiller River flows through Sparta from north to south. It then joins another river called the Caney Fork a few miles south.
The center of Sparta is usually around its courthouse square. This area is along U.S. Route 70. This road connects Sparta to Crossville in the east and Smithville in the west. State Route 111 goes through the western part of Sparta. It links the city to Cookeville to the north and Spencer to the south. A newer shopping area has grown up where US 70 and SR 111 meet. State Route 84 travels through the Calfkiller Valley. It connects Sparta to Monterey to the northeast. U.S. Route 70S links Sparta to McMinnville to the southwest.
The Upper Cumberland Regional Airport is about 11 miles north of Sparta.
The United States Census Bureau says that Sparta covers about 6.3 square miles of land. There is no water area within the city limits.
Sparta's Weather: What's the Climate Like?
Sparta has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has mild winters and hot, humid summers. Plants like the Southern Magnolia and sometimes even the Needle Palm can grow well here.
| Climate data for Sparta, Tennessee (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 77 (25) |
81 (27) |
88 (31) |
91 (33) |
94 (34) |
108 (42) |
106 (41) |
103 (39) |
100 (38) |
96 (36) |
91 (33) |
78 (26) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 68.2 (20.1) |
72.6 (22.6) |
79.1 (26.2) |
85.2 (29.6) |
88.7 (31.5) |
93.5 (34.2) |
95.2 (35.1) |
94.7 (34.8) |
91.9 (33.3) |
85.0 (29.4) |
77.8 (25.4) |
69.4 (20.8) |
96.4 (35.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 47.3 (8.5) |
51.9 (11.1) |
60.7 (15.9) |
70.3 (21.3) |
77.9 (25.5) |
84.8 (29.3) |
87.9 (31.1) |
87.3 (30.7) |
82.1 (27.8) |
71.8 (22.1) |
59.9 (15.5) |
50.7 (10.4) |
69.4 (20.8) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 37.5 (3.1) |
40.9 (4.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
57.7 (14.3) |
66.2 (19.0) |
73.9 (23.3) |
77.3 (25.2) |
76.3 (24.6) |
70.4 (21.3) |
58.8 (14.9) |
47.8 (8.8) |
40.8 (4.9) |
58.0 (14.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 27.8 (−2.3) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
36.7 (2.6) |
45.1 (7.3) |
54.5 (12.5) |
63.1 (17.3) |
66.7 (19.3) |
65.3 (18.5) |
58.6 (14.8) |
45.8 (7.7) |
35.8 (2.1) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
46.7 (8.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 8.1 (−13.3) |
12.6 (−10.8) |
19.3 (−7.1) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
38.0 (3.3) |
50.6 (10.3) |
56.8 (13.8) |
55.7 (13.2) |
43.3 (6.3) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
5.5 (−14.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −15 (−26) |
−20 (−29) |
6 (−14) |
21 (−6) |
28 (−2) |
34 (1) |
47 (8) |
46 (8) |
29 (−2) |
19 (−7) |
7 (−14) |
−16 (−27) |
−20 (−29) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.09 (129) |
5.11 (130) |
5.63 (143) |
5.30 (135) |
5.03 (128) |
5.51 (140) |
4.83 (123) |
4.42 (112) |
4.02 (102) |
3.28 (83) |
4.45 (113) |
6.02 (153) |
58.69 (1,491) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.5 (3.8) |
2.5 (6.4) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.4 (1.0) |
5.0 (13) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 12.7 | 12.1 | 13.2 | 12.0 | 12.2 | 12.0 | 11.8 | 9.9 | 8.2 | 8.4 | 10.0 | 12.3 | 134.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.9 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 3.0 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Sparta? A Look at the Population
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1860 | 452 | — | |
| 1870 | 414 | −8.4% | |
| 1890 | 712 | — | |
| 1900 | 895 | 25.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,409 | 57.4% | |
| 1920 | 1,517 | 7.7% | |
| 1930 | 2,211 | 45.7% | |
| 1940 | 2,506 | 13.3% | |
| 1950 | 4,299 | 71.5% | |
| 1960 | 4,510 | 4.9% | |
| 1970 | 4,930 | 9.3% | |
| 1980 | 4,864 | −1.3% | |
| 1990 | 4,681 | −3.8% | |
| 2000 | 4,599 | −1.8% | |
| 2010 | 4,925 | 7.1% | |
| 2020 | 4,998 | 1.5% | |
| Sources: | |||
Sparta's Population in 2020
In 2020, the census counted 5,001 people living in Sparta. There were 1,697 households and 1,035 families.
| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 4,244 | 84.91% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 236 | 4.68% |
| Native American | 18 | 0.36% |
| Asian | 56 | 1.12% |
| Other/Mixed | 241 | 4.82% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 205 | 4.1% |
Famous Faces from Sparta: Notable People
Many interesting people have connections to Sparta:
- Foster V. Brown: A U.S. Congressman.
- David Culley: An NFL (National Football League) coach.
- John D. Defrees: A newspaperman and politician.
- George Gibbs Dibrell: A general during the Civil War and a U.S. Congressman.
- Lester Flatt: A famous bluegrass musician, known for being part of the Foggy Mountain Boys.
- John C. Floyd: Another U.S. Congressman.
- Erasmus Lee Gardenhire: A politician and judge who lived in Sparta. He served in the Confederate States Congress and the Tennessee House of Representatives.
- Kellie Harper: A former player and head coach for the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team. She grew up in Sparta.
- Benny Martin: A bluegrass musician who invented the eight-string fiddle.
- Ethan Roberts: A Major League Baseball pitcher.
- Tom Rogers: Another Major League Baseball pitcher.
- Charles Edward Snodgrass: A U.S. Congressman.
- Henry C. Snodgrass: A U.S. Congressman, and the nephew of Charles Edward Snodgrass.
- Lefty Stewart: A Major League Baseball pitcher.
- James W. Throckmorton: The 12th Governor of Texas and a U.S. Congressman.
- Earl Webb: A Major League Baseball outfielder.
Images for kids
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Sparta's business district
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Location of Sparta in White County, Tennessee.
See also
In Spanish: Sparta (Tennessee) para niños
