Marion is an unincorporated community in Cole County,

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Marion is in the northwest corner of the county, in historic Marion Township, and very near the post-1845 county boundary line with Moniteau County. The community is located on Missouri Route 179 and overlooks the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

to the east. (Note: This community should not be confused, as it has sometimes been, with

Marion County, Missouri Marion County is a county located in the northeastern portion of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 28,525. Its county seat is Palmyra. Unique from most third-class counties in the state, Marion has two county courthouses, t ...

, about 90 miles to its NNE).

History

Marion was laid out in 1820, and was the Cole County government seat until 1829, prior to its move to

Jefferson City Jefferson City, informally Jeff City, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital of the U.S. state of Missouri. It had a population of 43,228 at the 2020 United States census, ranking as the List of cities in Missouri, 16th most popu ...

(and during which time Cole county included what became the eastern half of a new Moniteau County in 1845). The community was named for

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 ...

, an officer in the Revolutionary War. A post office was established at Marion in 1823, and remained in operation until 1953.

References

Unincorporated communities in Cole County, Missouri Unincorporated communities in Missouri Jefferson City metropolitan area {{ColeCountyMO-geo-stub