Marion

Formed July 5, 1843 (2^nd county)

Marion County (345,910), Salem (175,472)

The Modern concrete and marble building was erected in 1954.  It replaced a classic 1873 courthouse in Salem, the only county seat.  It is sited on a square at High, Church, Court, and State streets.  Oregon State Highway 99 East is one block south of the courthouse.  The designer is Pietro Belluschi.  A County Administrative Building was added in 2000.  The county was created on July 5, 1843 as an original county (2^nd county.)  It is named for American Revolutionary War General Francis Marion.  Salem is named for Salem, Massachusetts.  Marion County is the birthplace of 1 Oregon Governor, Theodore T. Geer. 

Marion County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  Fourteen District Court Judges serve Marion County.  Marion County is in northwest Oregon.  Portland, Oregon is north and Eugene, Oregon is south of the county.  The county center is 31.1 miles East-Southeast of Salem nearer Mehama.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Clackamas, Wasco, Jefferson, Linn, Polk, and Yamhill counties. 

The area of the county is 1185 square miles.  It is 25 out of 36 in the state.  It ranks 5 out of 36 in population in the state.  It has a density of 291.9 persons per square mile making it 3 out of 36 in the state.  Marion County has 74.2% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 5 travels north to south through the county from Clackamas County to Linn County.  The county looks like a hammer.  Salem is located on the western border of the county and extends into Polk County.  Salem is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 50.7% of the county population.  This county is in the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.