Marion

Formed October 21, 1817 (39^th county)

Marion County (28,835), Jasper (3,614)

The tan brick and masonry Neo-Classical courthouse was built in 1925 and remodeled in 1986.  The courthouse is on a square at Betsy Pack, 1^st, Academy, and Main streets.  United States Highway 72 is Main Street in the town.  The original architect for the courthouse is William Chamberlain and Company.  A Justice Center has been added in 2001 and an Annex was added recently.  The courthouse grounds have veterans’ memorials.  There were 1824 and 1880 courthouses previously in Jasper.  Whitwell was the county seat until 1823 when Jasper assumed the role.  The county was organized on October 21, 1817 as the 39^th county.  Marion County is named for Revolutionary War General Francis Marion. The county seat was named for Revolutionary War hero Williams Jasper.  Marion County was the birthplace of 1 Tennessee Governor, Peter Turney. 

Marion County government consists of a sheriff, a County Mayor, and 15 Commissioners.  Three Circuit Court Judges, One Chancery Court Judge, One General Court Judge, and One Juvenile Court Judge serve Marion, Bledsoe, Franklin, Grundy, Rhea, and Sequatchie counties.  Marion County straddles the southern border with both Alabama and Georgia.  The Tennessee River flows through the county.  Chattanooga, Tennessee is directly east and Nashville, Tennessee is northwest of the county.  The county center is 7 miles North of Jasper nearer Sequatchie.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Grundy, Sequatchie, and Hamilton counties and Georgia and Alabama and Franklin County. 

The area of the county is 500 square miles.  It is 38 out of 95 in the state.  It ranks 51 out of 95 in population in the state.  It has a density of 57.7 persons per square mile making it 59 out of 95 in the state.  Marion County has 44.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 24 enters the county from the east, Hamilton County, and exits to the northwest, Grundy County.  United States Highway 41 parallels Interstate Highway 24 from Hamilton to Grundy counties.  United States Highway 64 is joined with United States Highway 41 from Hamilton County, splits and joins Interstate Highway 24 into Grundy County.  United States Highway 72 is joined with United States Highway 41 from Hamilton County, east, splits and heads southwest into Alabama.  The county looks like a fat wave.  Jasper is in the southern quarter of the county.  Jasper is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 12.5% of the county population.  This county is in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area.