Our beautiful and family-oriented city of nearly
90,000 residents is located in the Truckee Meadows between the Carson and
Virginia Mountain Ranges at an elevation of nearly 4,500 feet. We share our
beautiful valley on the eastern slope of the Sierra with our neighbor to the
west, Reno.
Our climate is mild, with lots of sun, low humidity and rainfall, and a full
four seasons.
Since the 1990’s Sparks has grown tremendously, offering
residents and visitors a wide array of services and activities. Sparks was reported as the fastest growing city in Nevada between 1999 -
2008 and continues to grow. Quality of life is cited as one of the main reasons
people relocate to the Sparks area. Summer and
winter outdoor activities abound!
Sparks is known as the premiere special events venue for all of northern Nevada with attractions on our Victorian Square bringing thousands of visitors to such annual events as Hometown Farmer’s Market, Hot August Nights, Best in the West (Nugget) Rib Cook-off and Hometowne Christmas.
Sparks is also well known
for its outstanding Parks
and Recreation
system designed to appeal to young and old alike, with numerous neighborhood
parks, regional sports facilities and an unusually large number of fun and
exciting recreation programs for pre-schoolers to senior citizens.
And opening in 2009, is a new whitewater
attraction at Rock Park. Along with pools for kayaking, tubing
and rafting for all skill levels, the new features include improved riverbank
landscaping, shade and play structures, parking and better access for people
with disabilities.
New to the growing list of recreational activities
is the Golden Eagle Regional
Park,
located on 450 acres east of Wingfield Springs, south of Vista
Boulevard. The facility consists of six softball fields, two
baseball fields, two youth baseball/softball fields, stadium-size
soccer/football field and two multi-purpose fields, along with volleyball and
bocce ball. Plenty of sporting fun for the whole family!
Another wonderful destination park is the
picturesque Sparks Marina. Eighty acres of water accommodate swimming,
boating, fishing, scuba diving and picnicking facilities, and breath-taking
views of the nearby mountains. Few other cities in the country can offer such
an amenity to its residents and visitors.
As the city continues to develop as the ideal
tourist and local destination, the newest addition is The Legends at Sparks
Marina. Currently under construction, the
Legends project is to be a shopping experience unlike any other in northern Nevada. In addition to the exciting group of retail,
restaurant and entertainment options, The Legends also provides an enjoyable educational feature ideal for locals and visitors. Expected completion in
spring 2010, the first phase opens in fall 2008 including Scheels All-Sports Store, the largest total sports store in the world!
The Legends will honor legends of Nevada in athletics, music, exploration, science,
technology, politics, art and much more, recognizing the people who truly have
made the area unique. The Legends theme will be interwoven through the
landscape, hardscape, amenities and architectural motif, offering an experience
in Nevada’s history, heritage and environment.
The city's Community
Development and Planning Department and the Sparks Redevelopment Agency work closely with
current business owners and new developers to provide a "business friendly"
environment within which to pursue responsible economic activities. The Sparks industrial area provides many opportunities for a
wide range of businesses to open or expand their operations in western Nevada, with excellent road (I-80 and U.S. 395) and rail
(Union Pacific) transportation at one's doorstep.
Scheels-All Sports at Legends is 248,000
square feet of the world’s largest selection of sporting goods, sportswear, and
footwear under one roof. The Sparks Scheels is a collection of entertainment
venues, specialty shops and boutiques staffed by experts in their field. The
store features two 16,000 gallon aquariums; a 35-foot tall, 800-square foot
wildlife taxidermy mountain; a 65-foot, 16 car operating Ferris wheel and much
more.
The city provides a full range of municipal
services including police, fire, public works, wastewater treatment, municipal court, code enforcement, development and planning, business licensing, etc.
Come discover Sparks, Nevada.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised!