Marion

Formed April 1, 1820 (62^nd county)

Marion County (65,366), Marion (36,006)

The outstanding masonry and stone Second Empire courthouse was erected in 1886.  The location is on Main Street at Center Street.  Ohio State Highway 4 is Center Street in this part of the town.  The architect is David W. Gibbs and Company.  The building features a tower with a working clock and veteran memorials on the grounds.  Marion County was created on April 1, 1820 from Delaware County as the 62^nd county.  There was an 1833 courthouse earlier in Marion, the only county seat.  The county and county seat are named for American Revolutionary War General Francis Marion. 

Marion County government consists of an auditor, a sheriff, an attorney, and a coroner (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Three Common Pleas Court Judges and a court clerk serve Marion County (judicial.)  The county is in north central Ohio.  Columbus, Ohio is south and Toledo, Ohio is north of the county.  The county center is in Marion .3 miles South of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Crawford, Morrow, Delaware, Union, Hardin, and Wyandot counties. 

The area of the county is 403.8 square miles.  It is 76 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 37 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 161.9 persons per square mile making it 31 out of 88 in the state.  Marion County has 60.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 23 crosses from the north, Wyandot County, to the south, Delaware County.  Warren G. Harding, the 28^th President, is buried in this county.  The county resembles the State of Mississippi lying on its west side.  The City of Marion is located near the center of the county.  Marion is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 55.1% of the county population.  This county is in the Marion Micropolitan Statistical Area.