Sparta is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Georgia, United States. It used to be part of the Milledgeville micropolitan statistical area until 2023. The city's population was 1,400 at the 2010 census.

History

Sparta was founded in 1795 in the newly formed Hancock County. The town was designated county seat in 1797. It was incorporated as a town in 1805 and as a city in 1893. The community was named after Sparta, a city-state in Ancient Greece. In 1864, during Sherman's March to the Sea, the town remained completely unscathed, reportedly due to the efforts of Confederate Captain Henry Culver, the son-in-law of local industrialist William Fraley, who successfully diverted Union troops away from the area.

Geography

Sparta is located at 33.28333°N, -82.96667°W (33.2773, -82.9715). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.8 sqmi, all land.

Major highways

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 1,357 people, 669 households, and 419 families residing in the city.

Economy

Sparta is the site of Georgia's Hancock State Prison.

Education

Hancock County School District

The Hancock County School District holds pre-school to grade twelve, and consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 103 full-time teachers and over 1,659 students.

Notable people