Editing Marion, Virginia

{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name                   = Town of Marion, Virginia
| settlement_type                 = [[Town]]
| nickname                        = 
| motto                           = America's Coolest Hometown
| website                         = {{URL|http://www.marionva.org/}}
| image_skyline                   = LincolnTheatreMarionVA.jpg
| imagesize                       = 
| image_caption                   = The Lincoln Theatre in Marion, Virginia.
| image_flag                      = 
| image_seal                      = Marion_Seal.PNG
| pushpin_map                     = Virginia#USA
| pushpin_label_position          = 
| pushpin_label                   = Marion
| pushpin_map_caption             = Location in the Commonwealth of [[Virginia]]
| image_map1                      = 
| mapsize1                        = 
| map_caption1                    = 
| subdivision_type                = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1               = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of counties in Virginia|County]]
| subdivision_name                = [[United States]]
| subdivision_name1               = [[Virginia]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Smyth County, Virginia|Smyth]]
| government_type                 = 
| leader_title                    = 
| leader_name                     = 
| established_date                = 
| area_magnitude                  = 
| area_total_sq_mi                = 5.17
| area_land_sq_mi                 = 5.11
| area_water_sq_mi                = 0.03
| area_water_percent              = 
| population_as_of                = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_total                = 6,026
| population_metro                = Approximately 14,500
total population
| population_density_sq_mi        = 1348.34
| timezone                        = [[Eastern Standard Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset                      = &minus;5
| timezone_DST                    = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST                  = &minus;4
| coordinates                     = {{coord|36|50|N|81|31|W|region:US-VA_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type                = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code                     = 24354
| area_code                       = [[Area code 276|276]]
| blank_name                      = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info                      = 51-49464<ref name="GR2" />
| blank1_name                     = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info                     = 1498513<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| footnotes                       = 
| unit_pref                       = Imperial
| area_footnotes                  = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2019">{{cite web|title=2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2019_Gazetteer/2019_gaz_place_51.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>
| area_total_km2                  = 10.76
| area_land_km2                   = 10.69
| area_water_km2                  = 0.08
| population_density_km2          = 537.98
| pop_est_as_of                   = 
| pop_est_footnotes               = 
| population_est                  = 
| elevation_ft                    = 2,500
| name                            = 
}}
'''Marion''' is a town in and the [[county seat]] of [[Smyth County, Virginia|Smyth County]], [[Virginia]], United States.  It is positioned upon [[Interstate 81 in Virginia|Interstate 81]], in the Blue Ridge portion of the Southern Appalachian mountains in [[Southwest Virginia]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties}}</ref> The town is named for [[American Revolutionary War]] officer [[Francis Marion]]. Within the town limits it had a population of approximately 6,000, per [[2020 United States census|2020 Census]] counts. However, together with the neighborhoods, an additional 9,000 residents residing in unincorporated Smyth County have Marion mailing addresses, granting the Marion ZIP code (24354) a total population of about 14,500, which is approximately half of the county's total population.

==Geography==
Marion, Virginia is the location of two large side-by-side ground storage water tower tanks, which are separately labeled "HOT" (in red letters) and "COLD" (in blue). The landmarks, positioned just off of Marion exit 47, are visible to both north and south bound Interstate 81 traffic lanes.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 5.2&nbsp;square miles (10.7&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all  land.

Marion is home to [[Hungry Mother State Park]], one of the six original [[List of Virginia state parks|Virginia State Parks]] from the 1930s.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1860= 445
|1870= 368
|1880= 919
|1890= 1651
|1900= 2045
|1910= 2727
|1920= 3253
|1930= 4156
|1940= 5177
|1950= 6982
|1960= 8385
|1970= 8158
|1980= 7287
|1990= 6858
|2000= 6503
|2010= 6294
|2020= 6022
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2019CenPopScriptOnlyDirtyFixDoNotUse">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-evaluation-estimates/2010s-cities-and-towns-total.html|date=May 27, 2021|title=Population and Housing Unit Estimates|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>
|footnote=source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US5170096&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US51%7C16000US5170096&_street=&_county=Marion&_cityTown=Marion&_state=04000US51&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200210213118/http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US5170096&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US51%7C16000US5170096&_street=&_county=Marion&_cityTown=Marion&_state=04000US51&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=population_0&ds_name=null&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null:null&_keyword=&_industry=|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 10, 2020|title=Population Finder: Marion, Virginia|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|access-date=July 17, 2014}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/mariontownvirginia,US/PST045221|title=Marion town Virginia, United States|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=February 12, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2020 census===
{| class="wikitable"
|+Marion Racial Composition<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US5149464&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=December 7, 2021|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!Race
!Num.
!Perc.
|-
|[[White (U.S. Census)|White]]
|5,213
|87.17%
|-
|[[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]]
|261
|4.54%
|-
|[[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
|12
|0.21%
|-
|[[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
|59
|1.03%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
|1
|0.02%
|-
|[[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
|224
|3.89%
|-
|[[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
|181
|3.15%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States Census]], there were 6,022 people, 2,573 households, and 1,394 families residing within the town limits.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 6,503 people, 2,677 households, and 1,648 families residing in the town. The [[population density]] was 1,528.3 people per square mile (590.7/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 2,865 housing units at an average density of 689.6 per square mile (266.6/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 91.98% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 5.94% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.24% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.52% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.38% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.93% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.13% of the population.

There were 2,677 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The current (2020) median income for a household in the town is $54,652.

==History==

[[Marion College, Virginia|Marion College]], a two-year Lutheran [[women's college]], operated from 1873 to 1967. Marion Hall, constructed in 1968 and named in honor of Francis Marion, is a residence hall at [[Roanoke College]].

Marion is also home to Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute.

In December 1864, during the Civil War, it was the site of the [[Battle of Marion]].

Marion is the birthplace of the soft drink [[Mountain Dew]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Jessica Fuller |date=July 19, 2019 |url=https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-marion-or-knoxville-where-did-mountain-dew-begin/ |title=Johnson City, Marion or Knoxville: Where did Mountain Dew begin? |website=News Channel 11 wjhl.com |publisher=Nexstar Media |access-date=December 27, 2022 |archive-date=July 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720163208/https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-marion-or-knoxville-where-did-mountain-dew-begin/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Although Mountain Dew was first marketed under that name in Knoxville, TN, the original soft drink's formula changed drastically from Knoxville's formula to the syrup mixture that constitutes today's drink, which is Marion's version. In 1961, the rights to Mountain Dew were purchased by the Marion-based Tip Corporation. The Mountain Dew flavor was reworked by Marion resident William H. "Bill" Jones. Due to the success of the revised formulation, the Pepsi Corporation purchased the Tip Corporation in 1964.<ref>{{cite news|last=Maddry |first=Larry |url=http://www.frederickshome.net/mtdew/mtdew_vapilot080694.htm |title=Reprinted Article: Soft drink finally gets its Dew from small Virginia town |work=Virginian Pilot |location=Norfolk, VA |date=August 6, 1994 |access-date=December 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181217083706/http://www.frederickshome.net/mtdew/mtdew_vapilot080694.htm |archive-date=December 17, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Byrd|first1=Kimberly|last2=Williams|first2=Debra |title=Smyth County, Virginia (Images of America Series)|year=2005|publisher=Arcadia Publishing |isbn=9780738517568 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EkpYozzuKnQC&q=Town+of+Marion+recognizes+%27Home+of+Mountain+Dew%27&pg=PA9}}</ref> Marion also hosted the Mountain Dew Festival for more than 50 years.<ref>{{cite web|author=Glenna Elledge |date=July 27, 1994 |work=Smyth County News |url=http://www.frederickshome.net/mtdew/mtdew_smyth72794.htm |title=Town of Marion recognizes 'Home of Mountain Dew' |access-date=December 23, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205113023/http://www.frederickshome.net/mtdew/mtdew_smyth72794.htm |archive-date=February 5, 2016 |via=William H. Jones Mountain Dew}}</ref>

The [[Emory and Henry College School of Health Sciences]] was established in 2014.

[[Back of the Dragon]], a segment of SR16 popular among motorcycle and sports car enthusiasts for its sharp turns and scenic overlooks, begins in Marion, Virginia.

Marion's [[Park Place Drive-In Theatre]], originally constructed in 1954, was named the eighth best drive-in in the United States by ''[[USA Today]]'' in May 2024.<ref>{{Cite web|author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line-->|url=https://10best.usatoday.com/awards/travel/best-drive-in-theater-2024/|title=See movies under the stars at the 10 best drive-in theaters|date=May 22, 2024|website=[[USA Today]]|access-date=August 29, 2024}}</ref>

[[R. T. Greer and Company (Marion, Virginia)|R. T. Greer and Company]], [[Henderson Building]], [[Hotel Lincoln (Marion, Virginia)|Hotel Lincoln]], [[Hungry Mother State Park Historic District]], [[Lincoln Theatre (Marion, Virginia)|Lincoln Theatre]], [[Marion Historic District (Marion, Virginia)|Marion Historic District]], [[Marion Male Academy]], [[Norfolk & Western Railway Depot]], [[Preston House (Marion, Virginia)|Preston House]], and the [[Abijah Thomas House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>

In late September 2024, the town suffered from flooding and destruction from the impacts of [[Hurricane Helene]].

== Notable people ==
* [[Sherwood Anderson]] (1876–1941), American author/ ''New York Times'' best seller, Marion resident, was buried in Marion.
* [[William Pat Jennings]] (1919–1994) 28th Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.<ref>United States Congress. "W. Pat Jennings (id: J000098)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.</ref>
* [[Katherine Johnson]] (1918–2020), an American [[NASA]] mathematician, portrayed in the film ''Hidden Figures'', taught in Marion.
* [[Otho B. Rosenbaum]], (1871–1962), U.S. Army brigadier general<ref name="Davis">{{cite book |last=Davis |first=Henry Blaine Jr. |date=1998 |title=Generals In Khaki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fJvvAAAAMAAJ&q=otho+bane+rosenbaum+(0-455) |location=Raleigh, NC |publisher=Pentland Press |page=316 |isbn=978-1-5719-7088-6 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
* [[Nolan Ryan]], Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame pitcher, was assigned to a minor league team in the [[Appalachian League]] called the [[Marion Mets]] (1965–1976) in Marion.
* [[Billy Wagner]], 7X All-Star Major League Baseball pitcher and member of the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] (2025).

==Climate==
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Marion has a [[humid subtropical]] climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps. Marion's normal temperature numbers are typically at or near 45/25 F in January (coldest month), and 85/65 F in July (warmest month).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Marion, Virginia Köppen Climate Classification |website=Weatherbase |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=172544&cityname=Marion,+Virginia,+United+States+of+America&units=}}</ref>

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{Smyth County, Virginia}}
{{Virginia towns}}
{{Virginia}}
{{Virginia county seats and independent cities}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Smyth County, Virginia]]
[[Category:Towns in Virginia]]
[[Category:County seats in Virginia]]
[[Category:U.S. Route 11]]