Spartanburg, city, seat of Spartanburg County, northwestern South Carolina, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains; incorporated 1831. It is a commercial, distribution, and manufacturing center situated in an agricultural area. Major manufactures include textiles; clothing; chemicals; rubber, plastic, and paper products; and processed food. Spartanburg is the site of Wofford College (1854), the University of South Carolina-Spartanburg (1967), Converse College (1889), several junior colleges, and a historical museum. The community, settled around 1785, is named for the Spartan regiment of American Revolution soldiers, who were recruited from the area. Several major encounters of the revolution, including the U.S. victory at the Battle of Cowpens (1781), took place in the area. Population 43,826 (1980); 43,467 (1990); 39,673 (2000).
