Marion is a city in Linn County,

Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...

, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census and was 41,535 in

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, an increase of 58%. The city is located next to Cedar Rapids and part of the

Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States, and its county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in u ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The town was named after

Francis Marion Brigadier general (United States), Brigadier General Francis Marion ( 1732 – February 27, 1795), also known as the "Swamp Fox", was an American military officer, planter, and politician who served during the French and Indian War and t ...

, a hero of the Revolutionary War. The site was selected in 1839 to be the first county seat of the newly organized Linn County. After years of debate over moving the county seat to

, it was put to a vote in 1919. The vote was 9,960 in favor of moving the seat and 4,823 not in favor. Each year, the city hosts the annual "Swamp Fox Festival", a celebration of Marion's heritage named in honor of the "Swamp Fox", Francis Marion's nickname during the Revolutionary War. The event typically includes a 5K run, parade, fireworks, and many other family friendly activities. The current site of the Indian Creek Country Club was once the home of a sulky horse racing track. The town was the home to St. Berchman's Seminary, established in 1905 by the

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute for women in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. In 2019, the institute had about 6,200 Religious sister, sisters worldwide, organized into a number ...

as a boarding school for small boys. The academy, which closed in 1942, consisted of five buildings spread over 23 acres. One of the most famous residents was actor

Don Ameche Don Ameche (; born Dominic Felix Amici; May 31, 1908 – December 6, 1993) was an American actor, comedian and vaudevillian. After playing in college shows, repertory theatre, and vaudeville, he became a major radio star in the early 19 ...

, who lived in the facility as a boy; he went on to star in the movie ''Cocoon''. Today, the main building, now housing apartments, is all that remains. In 2023, Mayor Nicholas AbouAssaly was re-elected for another term, being unopposed. AbouAssaly is, as of 2025, serving his third term, after winning the 2019 and 2015 elections in a landslide.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Climate

Economy

The Marion Economic Development Corporation, a

public–private partnership A public–private partnership (PPP, 3P, or P3) is a long-term arrangement between a government and private sectors, private sector institutions.Hodge, G. A and Greve, C. (2007), Public–Private Partnerships: An International Performance Revie ...

, was founded in 1984 to support business and

economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...

in the city.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 41,535 people, 16,885 households, and 10,994 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was 2,333.0 inhabitants per square mile (900.8/km²). There were 17,810 housing units at an average density of 1,000.4 per square mile (386.2/km²). The

racial Race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 16th century, when it was used to refer to groups of va ...

makeup of the city was 88.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 3.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.0%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.9% from other races and 5.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino persons of any race comprised 3.1% of the population. Of the 16,885 households, 32.5% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 6.8% were cohabitating couples, 26.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 16.6% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 34.9% of all households were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older. The median age in the city was 38.6 years. 27.6% of the residents were under the age of 20; 4.9% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 and 44; 24.2% were from 45 and 64; and 16.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2010 census

As of the

of 2010, there were 34,768 people, 14,108 households, and 9,308 families living in the city. The

was . There were 15,064 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 94%

, 2.0%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.3% Native American, 1.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population. There were 14,108 households, of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were

living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.0% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age in the city was 36.1 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 26,294 people, 10,458 households, and 7,174 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 10,968 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.01%

, 0.60%

, 0.19% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.03%

, 0.40% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population. There were 10,458 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were

living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 3.00. Age spread:26.4% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $48,591, and the median income for a family was $59,110. Males had a median income of $40,766 versus $26,241 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $23,158. About 3.9% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 7.2% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and culture

Museums

The Granger House Museum is a restored middle-class family home, representing the structural design of the American Victorian age. The house, built in the 1840s, showcases an extensive collection that includes many original furnishings. The brick

carriage house A ''carriage house'', also called a ''remise'' or ''coach house'', is a term used in North America to describe an outbuilding that was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and their related tack. Carriage houses were often two ...

, built in 1879 next to the Granger home, is an untouched treasure and the only one of its design in the Midwest. The Granger house is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

, and embodies the lifestyle of a middle-class family living in the late 19th century. The museum has guided tours, demonstrations, and seasonal activities bringing the town's history to life. The Marion Heritage Center is a church building used originally by the Methodists from the 1850s until 1875. Currently it serves as a community center for educational programs. The history of Marion and its citizens are on display, including art exhibits. Lectures, workshops and other cultural events are scheduled to provide insights into the town's past. In 2008 the center became the permanent home for the fresco mural ''Communication by Mail'' painting, by the artist Dan Rhodes in 1939. The building is open all year.

Festivals

The Marion Arts Festival is a one-day event showcasing 50 artists from across the country. Continuous live music and specialty food vendors are also featured. There is a 5K run with prizes awarded to the top four winners and for the top three placers in 15 different age categories, thanks to race sponsors. In a less competitive event there is the 5K fun walk. The race uses "chip time technology" allowing every participant to know their exact time to complete the race. The Swamp Fox Festival and Parade is a celebration of the past and the present, the annual Swamp Fox Festival honors Marion's namesake and Revolutionary War hero,

, aka the Swamp Fox. Some of the many scheduled events include a golf outing, picnic in the park, live music, craft show, 5K run and fun walk, a pancake breakfast and a community parade. The Uptown Marion Market features fresh produce, baked goods, honey, flowers, plants, meat, wines, and an array of artisan items. In addition, food vendors onsite offer a variety of take-and-eat items. The market also features live entertainment, cooking demonstrations, children's entertainment, and healthy living programming for all ages.

Sports

Hunters Ridge Golf Course and Country Club is a public golf course featuring bentgrass from tee to green, four sets of tees, 50 bunkers, and 10 water hazards. Hunters Ridge is spread over 400 acres. The front nine winds through a development while holes 10–18 are narrow with many ponds and wetlands entering the field of play. Indian Creek Golf and Country Club is a 9-hole private course and Country Club facility in Marion, Iowa opened in 1926 features 2,680 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 34 . The course rating is 35.2 and it has a slope rating of 114 on Rye grass. Gardner Golf Course is a public course constructed in 1968 and designed by Herman Thompson. Greens are Bent Grass and Fairways are Bluegrass. The course is owned and maintained by Linn County.

Education

;Public education facilities Marion is served by three public school districts: Marion Independent School District, Linn-Mar Community School District, and Cedar Rapids Community School District. Marion ISD encompasses much of the south and east sides of Marion.
Linn-Mar, which operates Linn-Mar High School, includes land primarily on Marion's north, west, and far east sides and areas of

. Linn-Mar is one of the fastest growing school systems in the state of

. ;Private education facilities St. Joseph School (of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Dubuque () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in the northeastern quarter of the state of Iowa in the United States. The Diocese of Dubuque was erected in 1837 and ...

)) is a prekindergarten through 8th Grade school founded in 1947. It is a Co-ed school with approximately students enrolled.
Grace Baptist School is a K-12 co-ed school with students enrolled. Being part of the Cedar Rapids metropolitan area Marion citizens have access to all of the advanced education opportunities that are available in the area. See the Cedar Rapids Education section for more details.

Media

Print

'' The Gazette'' is the primary daily newspaper for the Cedar Rapids / Marion metro area. ''The Marion Times'' was a weekly newspaper primarily covering Marion Community and school news. It folded in 2021.

Transportation

U.S. 151 and

Iowa Highway 13 Iowa Highway 13 (Iowa 13) is a north–south highway in eastern Iowa. It has a length of . The southern terminus of Iowa Highway 13 is at U.S. Highway 30 (US 30) south of Bertram and southeast of Cedar Rapids. The northern terminus is a ...

run north-south through Marion. Seventh Avenue is the major arterial road heading toward Cedar Rapids. Until 1971, the

Milwaukee Road The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (CMStP&P), better known as the Milwaukee Road , was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwestern United States, Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Northwest of the United States from 1847 ...

operated several streamliner passenger trains from major cities in the west to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

in the east, making their Cedar Rapids regional stop at Marion station. Bus Route 20 of

Cedar Rapids Transit Cedar Rapids Transit, stylized as CR Transit, is the primary provider of mass transportation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Prior to 2008, the Cedar Rapids public transportation system was known as Environmental Alternative for a Greater Lifestyle (EAGL) ...

serves Marion. Marion also has a small public airport on the east side of the city limits just south of U.S. 151.

Notable people

* Carey Bender (born 1972),

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...

* Ray Cheetany (born 1977), All American football player at

UNLV The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The campus is about east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. ...

Cherry Sisters The Cherry Sisters – Addie (1859–1942), Effie (1867–1944), Ella (1854–1934), Lizzie (1857–1936), and Jessie Cherry (1871–1903) – were five sisters from Marion, Iowa who formed a notorious vaudeville touring act in the late 19th cent ...

, siblings who formed

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

touring act in late 19th century * Swati Dandekar, Iowa State Senator District 18 * W. Franklin Dove, educator * George Greene, Justice of

Iowa Supreme Court The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. The Court is composed of a chief justice and six associate justices. The Court holds its regular sessions in Des Moines in the Iowa Judicial Branch Building located at 1111 ...

* John L. Grindell, Wisconsin State Assemblyman * Richard Haines (1906–1984), painter and muralist * Bryce Janey, blues rock musician * Ben F. Jensen (1892–1970),

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

for former Iowa's 7th congressional district * Christian Joy, fashion designer * Frank Lanning, actor *

Ron Livingston Ronald Joseph Livingston (born June 5, 1967) is an American actor. He is best known for playing Peter Gibbons in ''Office Space'' (1999) and Captain Lewis Nixon III in the miniseries ''Band of Brothers (miniseries), Band of Brothers'' (2001). Liv ...

, actor in various shows *

Thomas J. McKean Thomas Jefferson McKean (August 21, 1810 – April 19, 1870) was an American engineer, soldier, politician, and farmer. A West Point graduate, he fought in the United States Army during the Seminole Wars, in the Mexican–American War, and he ...

, general in Union Army during

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

Lee Moorhouse Lee Moorhouse (1850–1926) of Pendleton, Oregon, United States, was a photographer and an Indian agent for the Umatilla Indian Reservation. From 1888 to 1916, he produced over 9,000 images documenting urban, rural, and Native Americans in th ...

, photographer * Sarah Lacina, police officer, and winner of Survivor: Game Changers *

Bob Nielson Bob Nielson (born September 28, 1959) is an American former college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Ripon College (Wisconsin), Ripon College (1989–1990), Wartburg College (1991–1995), the University of Wisconsin–Eau ...

, football head coach,

University of South Dakota The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is t ...

* Marcus Paige (born 1993), basketball player at

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the Public university, public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referre ...

* Christopher Reed, former Republican candidate for U.S. Senate * Hartzell Spence, writer * Kiah Stokes (born 1993), basketball player for

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university system with its main campus in Storrs, Connecticut, United States. It was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School, named after two benefactors. In 1893, ...

* Dale O. Thomas, wrestling coach at Oregon State *

Elizabeth Wilson Elizabeth Welter Wilson (April 4, 1921 – May 9, 2015) was an American actress whose career spanned nearly 60 years, including memorable roles in film and television. In 1972 she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for ...

, member of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

* Marshal Yanda, former eight-time

Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...

NFL offensive lineman

References

External links

Official Site of Marion, Iowa
Statistical Data and more about Marion, Iowa
Marion Economic Development CompanyMarion Chamber of CommerceSt. Joseph SchoolGrace Baptist SchoolThe History of Linn county, Iowa
not authored Western Historical Company (1878 copyright expired) This searchable and pdf downloadable book was scanned into the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

by Google books.
History of Linn County Iowa
by Luther A. Brewer and Barthinius L. Wick The Pioneer Publishing Company (1911 copyright expired) This searchable and pdf downloadable book was scanned into the

by Google books. {{Authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Linn County, Iowa Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area Populated places established in 1839 1839 establishments in Iowa Territory

History

Geography

Climate

Economy

Demographics

2020 census

2010 census

2000 census

Arts and culture

Museums

Festivals

Sports

Education

Media

Print

Transportation

Notable people

See also

References

External links