Map of Sparta village, Michigan

Sparta is a village in Kent County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,244 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Sparta Township.

Sparta is part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area and is located about 10 miles (16 km) north of the city of Grand Rapids.

Sparta village overview:
Name:	Sparta village
LSAD Code:	47
LSAD Description:	village (suffix)
State:	Michigan
County:	Kent County
Incorporated:	1883
Elevation:	800 ft (243 m)
Total Area:	2.56 sq mi (6.63 km²)
Land Area:	2.55 sq mi (6.60 km²)
Water Area:	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km²)
Total Population:	4,244
Population Density:	1,663.01/sq mi (642.17/km²)
ZIP code:	49345
Area code:	616
FIPS code:	2675420
GNISfeature ID:	0638470

Online Interactive Map

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Sparta online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Sparta location map. Where is Sparta village?

Sparta location on the U.S. Map. Where is Sparta village. — Sparta location on the U.S. Map.

Sparta location on the Michigan map. Where is Sparta village. — Location of Sparta in Michigan.

History

The Sparta area was first settled in 1844, with the township formally organized in 1846. The first settler in what is now the village was Jonathan Nash in 1846. Calling the place Nashville, he built a sawmill on Lick Creek. Subsequently, he changed the name of the creek to Nash Creek. Seeing as there was already a Nashville in Michigan, the state legislature suggested Sparta, meaning land of the fair women. The village was platted in 1867 and incorporated in 1883.

During World War II, Sparta was host to a German prisoner of war camp. The POWs were put to work as farmhands because many of the farmhands from the town had left to go fight in the war. The prisoners were treated relatively well, and later even wrote letters to the owner of the farm they worked on saying such things as, “I like to think back on the nice time we could spend on your farm.”

Music

In the early to late 1960s, Sparta was home to Fenton Records, an independent record company and recording studio. The label recorded many local bands, as well as other Michigan garage bands. Due to the limited runs of the records, Fenton vinyl 45rpms are highly collectable, often selling for hundreds of dollars each. Many of the records were compiled on a CD called Scream Loud!!!: The Fenton Records Story (Way Back Records).

Sparta Road Map

Sparta city Satellite Map

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 2.56 square miles (6.63 km), of which 2.55 square miles (6.60 km) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km) (0.40%) is water.

The Rogue River flows through the western portion of the village.