Sparta, Michigan
Sparta is a village of 4,271 people in Kent County, Michigan, founded in 1846.
Why visit Sparta
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 10 parks and trails, 4 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Bettes Tower Hill, Balyeat Field Sparta Village Park and Gerritt J Buth Park.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 83°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 48 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Sparta
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Sparta
Sparta, officially the Village of 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.
From the Wikipedia article Sparta, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Museums and landmarks3
Parks, trails and playgrounds10
Restaurants and cafes4
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. 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."
From the History section of Sparta, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping3
Rogers Hardware Do it Best
Hardware store · 0.4 mi
155 East Division Street, Sparta
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries11
Healthcare1
Map of Sparta
40 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 14°F | 2.6 in | 13.9 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 14°F | 1.8 in | 7.7 in |
| Mar | 45°F | 22°F | 2.6 in | 5.7 in |
| Apr | 58°F | 32°F | 3.8 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 70°F | 44°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 79°F | 53°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 83°F | 57°F | 3.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 56°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 75°F | 48°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 38°F | 4.1 in | 0.3 in |
| Nov | 47°F | 28°F | 3.5 in | 4.2 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 21°F | 2.5 in | 15.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kent City 2 Sw (4 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Kent County has had 7 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2024-02-08: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-06-18: Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2004-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 22 miles away.
- Comstock Park 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Rockford 8 mi east, about 13 min by car
- Cedar Springs 9 mi northeast, about 15 min by car
- Northview 10 mi southeast, about 16 min by car
- Walker 11 mi south, about 18 min by car
- Coopersville 13 mi southwest, about 21 min by car
- Grant 13 mi north, about 21 min by car
- Grand Rapids 14 mi south, about 22 min by car
- East Grand Rapids 16 mi south, about 25 min by car
- Allendale 17 mi southwest, about 27 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
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