Sparta is a city in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,095 at the 2020 census. The city was the principal filming location for the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night. Consumer ammunition manufacturer Underwood ammo is headquartered and solely based in Sparta. Geography Sparta is located at (38.1282, −89.7061). According to the 2010 census, Sparta has a total area of , of which (or 97.61%) is land and (or 2.39%) is water. Printing industry After World War II, Sparta became known as "Magazineland, U.S.A." due to the presence of numerous printing plants that produced most of the mass-market color comic books in the United States. Spartan Printing employed as many as 1,000 people at its peak. Later, major comics distributors situated their warehouses in and around Sparta. Sparta was featured in the sixteenth episode of the Small Town News Podcast, an improv comedy podcast that takes listeners on a fun and silly virtual trip to a small town in America each week, in which the hosts improvise scenes inspired by local newspaper stories. World Shooting and Recreational Complex In 2005, the expansion of the Dayton International Airport forced the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA) to relocate from its previous headquarters in Vandalia, Ohio. The association chose to move to the vicinity of Sparta, following extensive lobbying by the city and the state. In 2006, then-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and local dignitaries opened the World Shooting and Recreational Complex north of Sparta. The ATA hosted its first Grand American at the facility in August, with several thousand shooters attending. In 2012 the ATA moved their national headquarters to 1105 East Broadway, Sparta, Illinois. All day-to-day operations for the Association are now handled at this location. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 4,486 people, 1,783 households, and 1,164 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 2,014 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 81.39% White, 15.65% African American, 0.36% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population. There were 1,783 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 13.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families.