Stark City is a village in Newton County, Missouri, United States. The population was 156 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a town. It is part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was formerly called Chester, but was renamed in the 1930s for the Stark Brother's Nursery, which was a previous prevalent industry to the town and its close neighbor, Newtonia. It is adjacent to the battlefield of the Second Battle of Newtonia.