| Town of Marion, Virginia | |||
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| Motto: At Home In The Heart Of The Highlands | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Virginia | ||
| County | Smyth | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | David Helms | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 4.2 sq mi (10.8 km²) | ||
| - Land | 4.2 sq mi (10.8 km²) | ||
| - Water | 0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²) | ||
| Elevation | 2,172 ft (662 m) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - Total | 6,349 | ||
| - Density | 1,528.4/sq mi (590.1/km²) | ||
| U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Population Estimates | |||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 24354 | ||
| Area code(s) | 276 | ||
| FIPS code | 51-49464GR2 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 1498513GR3 | ||
| Website: http://www.marionva.org/ | |||
Marion is a town in Smyth County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,349 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Smyth CountyGR6.
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Geography
Marion is located at (36.836953, -81.516483)GR1. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 4.2 square miles (10.7 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 6,349 people, 2,647 households, and 1,614 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,528.3 people per square mile (590.7/km²). There were 2,865 housing units at an average density of 689.6/sq mi (266.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 91.98% White, 5.94% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.52% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.13% of the population. There were 2,647 households out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were 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 age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,609, and the median income for a family was $34,257. Males had a median income of $27,960 versus $22,027 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,372. About 13.2% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 17.9% of those age 65 or over.
Trivia
Sherwood Anderson (1876-1941), American author of the celebrated novel Winesburg, Ohio, is buried at Round Hill Cemetery in Marion. Click on the link below for an image of his grave marker with the inscription, Life not death is the great adventure.'[1] The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion. Marion College, a two-year Lutheran women's college, operated here from 1873 to 1967. Marion Hall, constructed in 1968 and named in honor of Marion College, is a women's residence hall at Roanoke College. Marion is known for being the birthplace of Mountain Dew, the soft drink. This was declared by the Marion city council and many other cities also claim to be the drink's birthplace. In 1965, after graduating from Alvin High School, one of Major League Baseball's Hall of Famer pitchers Nolan Ryan signed a professional baseball contract with the New York Mets, and was assigned to a minor league team in the Appalachian League called the Marion Mets (1965-1976) in Marion, Virginia. Three years later he was pitching in the major leagues, debuting with the Mets in 1968. Resident Steve "Chicken" Morris was a contestant on Survivor: China. He was the first contestant voted out. Marion is the gateway for Hungry Mother State Park.
External links
- Marion, Virginia is at coordinates Coordinates:
![[1]](http://spec.lib.vt.edu/imagebase/civilwar/full/LHDAVIS0001.jpg){kind=link}