Overview

Introduction to Sparks, Nevada

The Nevada city of Sparks, part of Washoe County, is located in the Truckee Meadows of northwestern Nevada between the Carson and Virginia Mountain Ranges, only 4 miles east of Reno and about 12 miles from the California border. Perched at an elevation of 4,500 feet, the city is bisected by Interstate I-80. Named for former Nevada Governor John Sparks, the city which at various times had been called East Reno, New Wadsworth, and Harriman became incorporated as the City of Sparks in 1905. Although originally distinct from Reno, the city has grown close to its western neighbor to the point where today they are often referred to as a twin city ("Reno-Sparks").

Things to do in and near Sparks

Sparks is widely known as the premiere special events venue for much of northern Nevada. "Arts in Bloom," a Mothers Day festival held at the Sparks Marina Park, features artwork, food and entertainment. "Star Spangled Sparks" is a Fourth of July celebration which includes a milk carton boat regatta, a kite flying contest, arts and crafts, entertainment, food, and drink. Labor Day weekend is the setting for the Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-Off that features free entertainment, fun events and fantastic food. Oktoberfest is a fall event celebrating the sights and smells of Bavaria and featuring musical entertainment. On Thanksgiving Day, Sparks hosts its annual Turkey Trot, where participants can work off their Thanksgiving dinner by choosing between a 2-mile walk and a 2-mile or 10K (6.2 mile) run. The Sparks Hometown Farmers Market, held every Thursday evening from June through August, features fresh picked produce from some of the region's finest growers, a variety of international food and beverage, arts & crafts, stage music, and street performers.

The Sparks-Reno area is filled with entertainment and cultural sites. Gaming action is available at many local casinos, and the area includes museums and other attractions as well. Here are a few of the area's points of interest:

  • John Ascuaga's Nugget
  • Silver Club Hotel/Casino
  • Western Village Inn & Casino
  • Mint Casino
  • Rail City Casino
  • Victorian Penny Park
  • Tamarack Junction
  • Sparks Heritage Foundation and Museum
  • Atlantis Casino Resort (Reno)
  • Fleischmann Planetarium (Reno)
  • National Automobile Museum (Reno)
  • Nevada Historical Society (Reno)
  • Nevada Museum of Art (Reno)
  • Sheppard Fine Arts Gallery (Reno)
  • Wilbur D. May Museum (Reno)
  • W.M. Keck Museum (Reno)

Sports fans can take the very short trip to Sparks' neighboring city of Reno, home of the University of Nevada, Reno and its Wolf Pack athletic teams. The Wolf Pack participates in the NCAA's Division I (I-A for football) as members of the Western Athletic Conference. Reno is also the hometown of a minor league baseball team, the Reno Silver Sox. The Sox are an independent team playing in the Golden Baseball League (GBL). In 2006, their inaugural season, the Silver Sox won the GBL Championship.

Demographics

People

Total Population98,524
Male Share of the Population49.7%
Female Share of the Population50.3%
Senior Citizens15.3%
Employed Population 16+48,309
Age of the Population38

Families

% of people married51.3%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher19.4%
Median Earnings25+$38,521
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$26,480
Median Earnings With High School Degree$32,390

Wealth

Median Family Income$72,349
% Above Poverty Level90.1%
% Below Poverty Level9.9%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time22 minutes
% Working from Home2.8%
% Walking and Biking to Work2.2%
% Using Public Transportation1.5%

Housing

People Living Alone27.4%
Median Gross Rent$1,057
Median House Value$275,100

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)43.5%
German13.2%
Irish10.7%
English8.4%
Italian7%
French Except Basque2.7%
Scottish2.3%
Norwegian2.2%
Polish2.1%
Swedish1.7%
Dutch1.4%
Portuguese0.9%
Welsh0.6%
Danishn0.6%
Russian0.5%
Basque0.5%
African0.4%
Hungarian0.4%
Greek0.4%
Canadian0.4%
Arab0.3%
Swiss0.3%
Austrian0.3%
Lithuanian0.3%
Croatian0.2%
Czech0.2%
West Indian0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
Ukrainian0.1%
Ugandan0.1%
Iranian0.1%
Lebanese0.1%
US/American0.1%
Finnish0.1%
Romanian0.1%
Kenyan0.1%
Nigerian0.1%
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Sparks Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyWashoe County
Standard Zip Codes89431, 89434, 89441, 89436
P.O. Box Zip Codes89435, 89432
Phone Area Codes775
Time ZoneAmerica/Los_Angeles
Approximate Latitude39.54
Approximate Longitude-119.73

Sparks Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationSPARKS
Distance1.4 miles
Jan Temp22 to 46 F
Apr Temp34 to 65 F
Jul Temp52 to 90 F
Oct Temp34 to 71 F
Annual Precip7.4 inches
StationRENO CANNON INTL AP
Distance3.7 miles
Jan Temp22 to 46 F
Apr Temp33 to 64 F
Jul Temp51 to 91 F
Oct Temp34 to 70 F
Annual Precip7.4 inches
StationVIRGINIA CITY
Distance16 miles
Jan Temp23 to 40 F
Apr Temp34 to 54 F
Jul Temp58 to 82 F
Oct Temp40 to 61 F
Annual Precip14.2 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Reno242,633$69,237

Sparks Hospitals

Northern Nevada Medical Center
(Proprietary)
2375 East Prater Way
(775) 356-4001
Dini-townsend Hospital At Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services
(Proprietary)
480 Galleti Way
(775) 688-2001
Tahoe Pacific Hospitals-north
2375 E Prater Way-7th Floor
Lake's Crossing Center
(Proprietary)
500 Galletti Way
(775) 688-1900

Sparks Public Schools

Agnes Risley Elementary School
1900 Sullivan Lane
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5760
Primary
Total Enrollment 493
Alice Maxwell Elementary School
2300 North Rock Boulevard
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5580
Primary
Total Enrollment 632
Alyce Savage Taylor Elementary School
252 Egyptian Way
ZIP: 89431
(775) 425-7700
Primary
Total Enrollment 614
Florence Drake Elementary School
2755 4th Street
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5510
Primary
Total Enrollment 333
George L Dilworth Middle School
255 Prater Way
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5740
Middle
Total Enrollment 583
Greenbrae Elementary School
1840 4th Street
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5530
Primary
Total Enrollment 395
Kate M Smith Elementary School
1925 F Street
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5720
Primary
Total Enrollment 325
Lena Juniper Elementary School
225 Queens Way
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5540
Primary
Total Enrollment 464
Lincoln Park Elementary School
201 Lincoln Way
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5570
Primary
Total Enrollment 425
Robert Mitchell Elementary School
1216 Prater Way
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5590
Primary
Total Enrollment 443
Sparks High School
820 15th Street
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5550
High
Total Enrollment 1222
Sparks Hs Preschool
820 15th St.
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5500
Primary
Total Enrollment 13
Sparks Integrated Preschool
2275 18th Street
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5770
Primary
Total Enrollment 14
Sparks Middle School
2275 18th Street
ZIP: 89431
(775) 353-5770
Middle
Total Enrollment 732
Esther Bennett Elementary
5900 Sidehill Drive
ZIP: 89433
(775) 674-4444
Primary
Total Enrollment 530
Lois Allen Elementary School
5155 Mcguffy Road
ZIP: 89433
(775) 674-4430
Primary
Total Enrollment 618
Sun Valley Elementary School
5490 Leon Drive
ZIP: 89433
(775) 674-4420
Primary
Total Enrollment 668
Virginia Palmer Elementary School
5890 Klondike
ZIP: 89433
(775) 674-4400
Primary
Total Enrollment 502
Alpine Academy
605 Boxington Way Suite 112
ZIP: 89434
(775) 356-1166
High
Total Enrollment 109
Edward C Reed High School
1350 Baring Blvd
ZIP: 89434
(775) 353-5700
High
Total Enrollment 1992
Hillside Elementary School
1250 Peri Ranch Road
ZIP: 89434
(775) 342-0400
Primary
Total Enrollment 43
Jerry Whitehead Elementary School
3570 Waterfall Drive
ZIP: 89434
(775) 626-5200
Primary
Total Enrollment 473
Katherine Dunn Elementary School
1135 O'callaghan Drive
ZIP: 89434
(775) 353-5520
Primary
Total Enrollment 533
Lloyd Diedrichsen Elementary School
1735 Del Rosa Way
ZIP: 89434
(775) 353-5730
Primary
Total Enrollment 412
Lou Mendive Middle School
1900 Whitewood Drive
ZIP: 89434
(775) 353-5990
Middle
Total Enrollment 1089
Marvin Moss Elementary School
2200 Primio Way
ZIP: 89434
(775) 353-5507
Primary
Total Enrollment 590
Bud Beasley Elementary School
2100 Canyon Parkway
ZIP: 89436
(775) 626-5250
Primary
Total Enrollment 779
Jesse Hall Elementery School
185 Shelby Drive
ZIP: 89436
(775) 425-7755
Primary
Total Enrollment 630
Miguel Sepulveda Elementary School
5075 Ion Drive
ZIP: 89436
(775) 626-5257
Primary
Total Enrollment 749
Spanish Springs Elementary School
100 Marilyn Mae Drive
ZIP: 89436
(775) 425-7710
Primary
Total Enrollment 713
Spanish Springs High School
1065 Eagle Canyon Drive
ZIP: 89436
(775) 425-7733
High
Total Enrollment 2315
Van Gorder Elementary School
7650 Campello Drive
ZIP: 89436
(775) 425-7722
Primary
Total Enrollment 789
Yvonne Shaw Middle School
600 Eagle Canyon Drive
ZIP: 89436
(775) 425-7777
Middle
Total Enrollment 1008

Sparks Private Schools

Excel Christian School
2285 Oddie Blvd
ZIP: 89431
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 97
Happy Days Preschool & Kindergarten
1231 Pyramid Way
ZIP: 89431
Elementary
Total Enrollment 3
Kindercare Learning Center
2055 E Prater Way
ZIP: 89434
Elementary
Total Enrollment 16
Lamplight Christian School
780 E Lincoln Way
ZIP: 89434
Elementary
Total Enrollment 31
Imagination Station
1410 Iratcabal Dr
ZIP: 89436
Elementary
Total Enrollment 35
Legacy Christian School
6255 Pyramid Way
ZIP: 89436
Elementary
Total Enrollment 69
Northern Nevada Teen Challenge
7555 Pyramid
ZIP: 89436
Secondary
Total Enrollment 9
Pebbles Preschool - The Rock Church
4950 Vista Blvd
ZIP: 89436
Elementary
Total Enrollment 10
Summit Ridge Christian School
7075 Pyramid Way
ZIP: 89436
Elementary
Total Enrollment 13
The Goddard School - Sparks
751 Los Altos Pkwy
ZIP: 89436
Elementary
Total Enrollment 13
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