History of Spartanburg, South Carolina
Spartanburg is the largest city and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina|Spartanburg County{{GR|6}} in South Carolina, and is the second-largest city of the three primary cities in the Upstate region of South Carolina.
Spartanburg is located 98 miles (158 km) northwest of Columbia, South Carolina|Columbia, 80 miles (130 km) west of Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte, and about 190 miles (300 km) northeast of Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta. Spartanburg's population was 39,673 at the 2000 census. However, as is typical with South Carolina cities, the urbanized area of the city is much larger at almost 150,000 (according to 2000 U.S. Census Bureau figures), due to the fact that it is difficult for cities to annex surrounding unincorporated land in South Carolina. It is the principal city of the Spartanburg Metropolitan Statistical Area (population 266,809) which is included in the greater Greenville, South Carolina|Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson, South Carolina|Anderson Combined Statistical Area (population 1,185,534 according to 2005 estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau).
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