Marion

Formed November 3, 1835 (33^rd county)

Marion County (16,832), Yellville (1,173), Bull Shoals (1,954)

The stone and red brick courthouse sits on a square at Church, Berry, Mill and Old Main streets.  United States Highway 62 passes through the middle of the city as Church Street.  The courthouse was built in 1943 and has gone through two remodelings.  The 1905 courthouse burnt in 1943 and was the model for the current courthouse.  Tom Eads is the architect for this Romanesque Revival and Art Deco style courthouse.  Yellville is the only county seat.  Yellville was named for Colonel Archibald Yell.  Yell County also gets its name from Yell.  The county is named for American hero, Francis Marion.  He is also the namesake for the Crittenden County seat.  Izard County was the source form Marion County on November 3, 1835 as the 33^rd county.  It was originally named Searcy County but changed to Marion County in 1836. 

Marion County government consists of a sheriff, assessor, treasurer, and coroner (executive).  It has 9 Quorum Court members (legislative.)  Four Circuit Court Judges serve Marion, Baxter, Boone, and Newton counties and a District Court Judge, an Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Marion County (judicial.)  Marion County is in far north central Arkansas.  Fayetteville, Arkansas is West and Little Rock, Arkansas is South of the county.  The center of the county is 9.1 miles North of Yellville nearer Summit.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Missouri and Baxter, Searcy, and Boone counties. The county is a tall rectangle except for the river border on the southeast.  Missouri is on its north border.  Yellville is in the southern half.  Bull Shoals is located in the northeast corner of the county.  Yellville is the county seat and Bull Shoals is the largest city.  Yellville is 7.0% of the county population while Bull Shoals is 11.6% of the county population.  

The area of the county is 640.4 square miles.  It is 43 of 75 in size.  It ranks 43 out of 75 in population in the state.  It has a density of 26.3 persons per square mile making it 40 out of 75 in the state.  Marion County has 30.9% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highways 62/412 go from Baxter County in the east into Boone County to the west.