Smyth

Formed February 23, 1832 (84^th county)

Smyth County (29,800), Marion (5,746)

The tan brick Neo-Classical structure was erected in 1905.  It is on a square at Main, Park, Court, and Church streets.  Main Street is United States Highway 11 in the community.  Frank Milburn is the courthouse designer.  The building was enlarged in 1974, 1976 and 2012.  It features columns and a flat dome (which is difficult to see from ground level.)  The county was established on February 23, 1832 from parts of Washington and Wythe counties as the 84^th county with Marion as the only county seat.  Smyth County is named for War of 1812 General Alexander Smyth.  The county seat was named for Revolutionary War General Francis Marion.  Smyth County is the birthplace to 1 Virginia Governor, David Campbell. 

Smyth County government consists of a sheriff and 6 Supervisors.  Three Circuit Court Judges and Four District Court Judges serve Smyth and Washington counties and Bristol City and Fifty-three Magistrate Court Judges serve Smyth, Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Floyd, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe counties and Bristol, Galax, Norton, and Radford cities.  The county is in the western part of the state.  Roanoke, Virginia is northeast and Charleston, West Virginia is northwest of the county.  The county center is 3.3 miles Northwest of Marion.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tazewell, Bland, Wythe, Grayson, Washington, and Russell counties. 

The area of the county is 452 square miles.  It is 36 out of 133 in the state.  It ranks 59 out of 133 in population in the state.  It has a density of 65.9 persons per square mile making it 86 out of 133 in the state.  Smyth County has 30.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 81 crosses through county from the east to the west from Wythe County to Washington County.  United States Highway 11 parallels Interstate Highway 81 from Wythe to Washington counties.  United States Highway 58 goes east to west from Grayson County to Washington County.  The highest point in Virginia, Mount Rogers, is on the southeast border.  The county is a rectangle is a chimney on the northwest corner.  Marion is located near the center of the county.  Marion is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 19.3% of the county population.  The county is pronounced SMITH.