Marion County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the North Central region of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 375,908. 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 use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

is Ocala. Marion County comprises the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. It includes part of

Ocala National Forest The Ocala National Forest is the second largest nationally protected forest in the U.S. State of Florida. It covers of North Central Florida. It is located east of Ocala, Florida, Ocala and southeast of Gainesville, Florida, Gainesville. The ...

, which also extends into three other counties.

History

Native Americans

Evidence of ancient indigenous cultures has been found in Marion County, as well as of the earliest encounter between European explorers and historic indigenous peoples. In 1976, an archaeological investigation found ancient artifacts in Marion County that appear to be the oldest in mainland United States. Excavations at an ancient stone

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...

(on the

Container Corporation of America Container Corporation of America (CCA) was founded in 1926 and manufactured corrugated boxes. In 1968 CCA merged with Montgomery Ward & Company, Inc., becoming MARCOR. MARCOR maintained separate management for the operations of each company, but ...

site (8Mf154) in Marion County) yielded "crude stone implements". Thousands of pieces of

chert Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a prec ...

were found at the site. These showed signs of extensive wear and were found in deposits below those holding

Paleo-Indian Paleo-Indians were the first peoples who entered and subsequently inhabited the Americas towards the end of the Late Pleistocene period. The prefix ''paleo-'' comes from . The term ''Paleo-Indians'' applies specifically to the lithic period in ...

artifacts.

Thermoluminescence dating Thermoluminescence dating (TL) is the determination, by means of measuring the accumulated radiation dose, of the time elapsed since material containing crystalline minerals was either heated (lava, ceramics) or exposed to sunlight (sediment ...

and

weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals (as well as wood and artificial materials) through contact with water, atmospheric gases, sunlight, and biological organisms. It occurs '' in situ'' (on-site, with little or no move ...

analysis independently gave dates of 26,000 to 28,000 Years Before Present (YBP) for the production of these artifacts, prior to Clovis points. The findings suggested human habitation in this area much earlier than documented by other evidence.Barbara A. Purdy, "Investigations into the Use of Chert Outcrops by Prehistoric Floridians: The Container Corporation of America Site"
''Florida Anthropologist'', Vol. 34, No. 2, June 1981, pp. 90- Barbara Purdy had bipoint evidence from the CCA site, which also predated Clovis points, which she reported in a 2008 paper.Wm Jack Hranicky
''Bipoints Before Clovis: Trans-Oceanic Migrations and Settlement of Prehistoric Americas''
Universal-Publishers, 2012, p. 225 The county seat of

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making ...

, is named for a

Timucua The Timucua were a Native American people who lived in Northeast and North Central Florida and southeast Georgia. They were the largest indigenous group in that area and consisted of about 35 chiefdoms, many leading thousands of people. The va ...

n village visited and recorded by the Spanish

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...

expedition in the sixteenth century. During the colonial period, Spain and Great Britain traded control of this area.

Settlement

After acquisition of the Florida territory by the United States in the 1820s, Marion County was created in 1844 from portions of Alachua, Mosquito ( Orange), and Hillsborough counties. Until 1853, Marion County included most of what are now

Lake A lake is often a naturally occurring, relatively large and fixed body of water on or near the Earth's surface. It is localized in a basin or interconnected basins surrounded by dry land. Lakes lie completely on land and are separate from ...

and

Sumter Sumter may refer to: People Given name * Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist * Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general Surname * Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer * Shavonda E. Sumt ...

counties. In 1849, Putnam County was created and took the northeast portion of Marion. Levy County's creation took some of the western portion of Marion in 1877, near the end of the Reconstruction era. Marion County is named after General

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 ...

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

, a

guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

fighter and hero of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

who was known as the "Swamp Fox". Numerous early settlers of this area were natives of South Carolina and likely picked their local hero as the county's namesake. The Act creating the county of Marion of the Territory of Florida was signed on March 14, 1844, by the territorial governor, R. K. Call. The county motto is "Kingdom of the Sun."

Civil War era

Marion County was a hotbed of secessionist activity. Organizers petitioned the state to host the Florida Secession Convention and break away from the United States with other Southern states. The area had many plantations and more than half of the population was enslaved African Americans. Several Confederate Army units were organized by plantation owners, including the Marion Rifle Guards, organized May 2, 1861, by Captain W.L. Fletcher, county treasurer. It served as part of the Fourth Florida Infantry under Col. Edward Hopkins. Other company's included the Hammock Guards, commanded by Captain J.S. Hopkins; Marion Dragoons, a cavalry unit organized and financed by William A. Owens, Marion Hornets, commanded by Captain Wade Eichelberger, and the Marion Light Artillery, commanded at one time by John Marshall Martin. The Civil War and its aftermath disrupted local society and strained the economy. The population declined in its wake as many African Americans moved to towns or cities for better opportunities.

Post-Reconstruction era to mid-20th century

During the post-Reconstruction period, there was considerable racial violence in Marion County. Locals lynched between 19 and 26 African Americans in the county from the 1880s to 1935.

Mid-20th century to present

Since the mid-20th century, thoroughbred horse farms have been established in the county. Such thoroughbred farms have become known for such race champions as Needles, bred at Bonnie Heath Farm, and in 1956, becoming the first Florida-bred horse to win the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

. In 1978

Affirmed Affirmed (February 21, 1975 – January 12, 2001) was a champion American Thoroughbred horse racing, racehorse who is the eleventh winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States), American Triple Crown. Affirmed was well known ...

from Harbor View Farm won the Triple Crown. Carl G. Rose, who had come to Florida in 1916 from Indiana to oversee construction of the first asphalt road in the state, is credited with developing the first thoroughbred horse farm in 1943. As an engineer, he had become familiar with the area's limestone, which he realized supported good pasture for raising strong horses. (Limestone also nurtures central Kentucky's noted

Bluegrass Region The Bluegrass region is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It makes up the central and northern part of the state, roughly bounded by the cities of Frankfort, Kentucky, Frankfort, Paris, Kentucky, Paris, Richmond, Kentucky, Ric ...

.) In 1943, Rose bought land along State Highway 200, at $10 per acre, establishing Rosemere Farm. The next year one of his horses, Gornil, won at Miami's Tropical Park, becoming the first Florida-raised thoroughbred to win a Florida race. This raised the profile of Marion County in the racing world. Close on Rose's heels, entrepreneur Bonnie Heath set up his own thoroughbred farm, producing Needles. In 1956 the horse was the state's first native-bred winner of the

. (see further below). Bonnie Heath Farm is owned and operated by Bonnie Heath III and his wife Kim. In 1978, Marion County-bred-and-raised

won the Triple Crown. Today, Marion County is a major world thoroughbred center with more than 1200 horse farms. There are about 900 thoroughbred farms, totaling some . Ocala is well known as a "horse capital of the world."

Tourism

The nearby community of Silver Springs developed around the Silver Springs, a group of artesian springs on the Silver River. In the 19th century, this site became Florida's first tourist destination. Today, well known for glass-bottom boat tours of the area, Silver Springs is owned by the State of Florida; it was incorporated into Silver Springs State Park in 2013. Other nearby natural attractions include the

and the Florida Trail. Several prominent man-made attractions in the Ocala area existed in the past, such as the Western-themed Six Gun Territory

theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...

(operated from 1963 to 1984) and the Wild Waters

water park A water park (also waterpark, water world, or aquapark) is an amusement park that features water play areas such as swimming pools, water slides, splash pads, water playgrounds, and lazy rivers, as well as areas for floating, bathing, swimming ...

(operated from 1978 to 2016).

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Marion is the fifth largest county in the state, with a total area of , of which is land and (4.7%) is water. Marion County is generally composed of rolling hills. The highest elevation is about . The majority of its trees consist of live oaks, pines, and palm trees. It is about a two-hour drive from Marion County to many of Florida's major cities;

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

is 75 minutes to the southeast, while Daytona Beach is about 90 minutes to the east.

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

is about 75 minutes to the southwest,

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

is roughly a two-hour drive northeast, and

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

is about six hours to the southeast. There are several significant lakes within or bordering Marion County. Orange Lake is in the far northern part of Marion County, near the border with Alachua County. Lake Kerr is in the northeastern part of the county, near the town of Salt Springs, which is near the border with Putnam County. Lake Weir, the largest of the three, is in the far southern region, near the border with Lake County. Part of Lake George is also in Marion County. Marion County is inland, centered between the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

to the east and the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...

to the west. Because of this, the area is generally not affected as much by hurricanes as the more coastal counties to its east and west. The largest threats from natural disasters are high winds and flooding; tornadoes are also of concern.

Adjacent counties

* Putnam County, Florida – northeast * Volusia County, Florida – east *

Lake County, Florida Lake County is a county in the central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 383,956. Its county seat is Tavares, and its largest city is Clermont. Lake County is included in the Orlando–Kissimme ...

– southeast * Sumter County, Florida – south *

Citrus County, Florida Citrus County is a County (United States), county located on the northwest central coast of the State (United States of America), U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 153,843. Its county s ...

– southwest *

Levy County, Florida Levy County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the North central Florida part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 42,915. Its county seat is Bronson, Florida, Brons ...

– west *

Alachua County, Florida Alachua County ( ) is a county in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 278,468. The county seat is Gainesville, the home of the University of Florida. History Prehistory and ear ...

– northwest

National protected area

(part)

Demographics

2020 census

The 2020 United States census counted 375,908 people, 156,906 households, and 102,412 families in Marion County, Florida. The population density was 236.7 per square mile (91.4/km). There were 177,380 housing units at an average density of 111.7 per square mile (43.1/km). The racial makeup was 71.44% (268,563)

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 ...

European American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

(67.53%

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

), 11.81% (44,411)

black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

, 0.41% (1,527) Native American or

Alaska Native Alaska Natives (also known as Native Alaskans, Alaskan Indians, or Indigenous Alaskans) are the Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples of Alaska that encompass a diverse arena of cultural and linguistic groups, including the I ...

, 1.62% (6,072) Asian, 0.05% (171)

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 ...

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

, 4.75% (17,865) from other races, and 9.92% (37,299) 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 was 14.87% (55,910) of the population. Of the 156,906 households, 22.6% had children under the age of 18; 47.5% were married couples living together; 28.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. 28.4% of households consisted of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.9. The percent of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher was estimated to be 15.0% of the population. 18.0% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 29.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older, there were 112.4 males. The 2016-2020 5-year

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

estimates show that the median household income was $46,587 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,434). The median family income was $56,181 (+/- $1,758). Males had a median income of $32,045 (+/- $865) versus $25,585 (+/- $601) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,739 (+/- $827). Approximately, 10.7% of families and 15.5% 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 26.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those ages 65 or over.

2000 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 2000, there were 258,916 people, 106,755 households, and 74,621 families residing in the county. 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 . There were 122,663 dwelling units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 84.16%

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 ...

, 11.55%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

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 ...

, 0.45% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02%

, 1.69% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 6.03% of the population were

or Latino of any race. According to the 2000 Census the largest European ancestry groups in Marion County were English (18.7%), German (16.7%) and Irish (14.0%). There were 106,755 households, out of which 24.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% 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, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.79. In the county, the population was spread out, with 21.40% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 24.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,944, and the median income for a family was $37,473. Males had a median income of $28,836 versus $21,855 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 county was $17,848. About 9.20% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the

, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

The county is governed by the Marion County Board of County Commissioners. The five-person board currently consists of Craig Curry, Kathy Bryant, Matt McClain, Carl Zalak and Michelle Stone

The Florida Department of Corrections operates facilities in

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

s in the county, including the Lowell Correctional Institution, and the Lowell Annex which houses Florida's female death row.Death Row Fact Sheet
." Florida Department of Corrections. Retrieved on August 15, 2010. Marion County has been a stronghold for the Republican Party since 1980. In 2016, 2020 and 2024,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

each time broke the record for the best performance by a Republican in the county since 1988.

Law enforcement

* Marion County Sheriff's Office * Belleview Police Departments * Dunnellon Police Departments * Ocala Police Departments Marion County's Sheriff's Office was in the news in August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida after Sheriff Billy Woods forbade the wearing of masks by deputies unless in high risk areas, such as the hospital. Visitors to the Sheriff's Office are also required to not cover their face.

Education

County public education is supervised under the Marion County School District.

Public school system

* 28 elementary schools * 8 middle schools * 1 4–8 school * 1 K–8 center * 10 high schools * 3 charter schools * 14 special needs schools

Elementary schools

* Anthony Elementary School * Belleview Elementary School * Belleview-Santos Elementary School * College Park Elementary School * Dr. N.H. Jones Elementary (magnet) * Dunnellon Elementary School * East Marion Elementary School * Eighth Street Elementary School * Emerald Shores Elementary School * Evergreen Elementary School (Closed in May 2021) * Fessenden Elementary School * Fort McCoy School (K–8) * Greenway Elementary School * Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School * Harbour View Elementary School * Legacy Elementary School * Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (magnet) * Maplewood Elementary School * Oakcrest Elementary School * Ocala Springs Elementary School * Reddick-Collier Elementary School * Romeo Elementary School * Saddlewood Elementary School * Shady Hill Elementary School * South Ocala Elementary School * Sparr Elementary School * Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School * Sunrise Elementary School * Ward-Highlands Elementary School * Wyomina Park Elementary School

Middle schools

* Belleview Middle School * Dunnellon Middle School * Fort King Middle School * Fort McCoy School (K–8) * Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks * Howard Middle School * Lake Weir Middle School * Liberty Middle School * North Marion Middle School * Osceola Middle School

High schools

* Belleview High School * Dunnellon High School * Forest High School * Lake Weir High School * Marion Technical Institute * North Marion High School * Vanguard High School * West Port High School

Private schools

:*Ambleside School Of Ocala, grades K–8 :*Belleview Christian Academy, grades PK–9 :*Blessed Trinity School, grades K–8 :*Children's Palace East & Academy, grades K–2 :*The Cornerstone School, grades PK–8 :*Crossroads Academy, grades 3–12 :*Grace Building Blocks School, grades K–2 :*Grace Christian School, grades PK–8 :*Meadowbrook Academy, grades K–12 :*Montessori Preparatory School, grades K–5 :*New Generation School, grades K–12 :*Ocala Christian Academy, grades PK–12 :*Ocean's High School, grades PK–12 :*Promiseland Academy, grades K–7 :*First Assembly Christian School, grades PK–12 :*The Reading Clinic, grades 2–6 :*Redeemer Christian School, grades K–12 :*The Rock Academy, grades PK–9 :*The School of the Kingdom, grades 1–12 :*Shiloh SDA Church School :*St John Lutheran School, grades PK–12 :*Trinity Catholic, grades 9–12

Libraries

The Marion County Public Library System operates eight branch libraries.

Transportation

Airports

* Dunnellon/Marion County Airport * Ocala International Airport

Interstates and expressways

* runs north and south across the central part of the county, with interchanges at County Road 484 (exit 341), SR 200 (exit 350) SR 40 (exit 352), US 27 (exit 354) SR 326 (exit 358), and CR 318 (exit 368).

Surface roads

* runs north and south through Dunnellon and the southwestern corner of the county. * runs northwest and southeast throughout the county. It is multiplexed with US 441 north from the Lake-Marion County line and then with US 301 from Belleview, until it reaches SR 492 in Ocala, then runs northwest through Williston, Perry, Tallahassee, and beyond. * is the main local north and south road through the county entering from the northern outskirts of Wildwood in Sumter County. It joins a multiplex with US 27 between Belleview and Ocala, and with US 441 from Belleview to Sparr. From there it runs northeast towards Citra and eastern Alachua County. * runs mostly northwest and southeast throughout the county. It is multiplexed with US 27 north from the Lake-Marion County line and then with US 301 into Sparr, where it runs northwest again into McIntosh and Evinston, before crossing the Marion-Alachua County Line on its way to Gainesville, High Springs, Lake City, and points north. * runs north and south along the far eastern edge of the county in

, which includes the communities of Astor Park and Salt Springs. * is a south-to-north interrupted route that enters the county from Lake County as a bi-county route around Lake Weir. The route briefly becomes a state route between SR 35 and US 27-301-441, and spends the rest of its journey through the county as a "hidden state road" of US 441. * enters the county as a hidden state road along US 301, then turns southeast along US 27–441 in Belleview before turning back north again onto Baseline Road, where it runs until reaching SR 40 in Silver Springs. The route continues as County Road 35 until it reaches SR 326. * is the main west to east road in the county, spanning from US 41 north of Dunnellon, then passing through Ocala, Silver Springs, and Ocala National Forest, crossing the Marion-Lake County line just east of SR 19. * runs northeast and southwest from Stoke's Ferry in Citrus County through US 27-301-441 in Ocala where it becomes a hidden state road along US 301 throughout most of the state further north. * is a bi-county west-to-east road running from Gulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area in Levy County through I-75 where it becomes a state road north of Ocala that turns southeast towards SR 40 in Silver Springs. * runs east and west from SR 200 through the southeastern part of Ocala running along some numbered streets before becoming Maricamp Road, then turns into a county road southeast of SR 35, and continues towards the northern coast of Lake Weir in Ocklawaha. * runs east and west from the northern terminus of US 27's overlap with US 301/441 along northern Ocala to SR 40 in eastern Ocala just before that route enters Silver Springs.

Railroads

CSX CSX Transportation , known colloquially as simply CSX, is a Railroad classes, Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Operating about 21,000 route miles () of trac ...

operates one rail line within the county.

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak (; ), is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates intercity rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

formerly provided passenger rail service to Ocala Union Station, but the stop was terminated in late 2004. The line is a former Seaboard Airline Railroad line known as the Wildwood Subdivision, and is part of the CSX-S Line. Nearby that line within Ocala is a former line owned by the Florida Northern Railroad, which was previously owned by the

Atlantic Coast Line Railroad The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad was a United States Class I railroad formed in 1900, though predecessor railroads had used the ACL brand since 1871. In 1967, it merged with long-time rival Seaboard Air Line Railroad to form the Seaboard Coast ...

. It begins in Candler running northwest along Marion County Road 464 towards Ocala Union Station then continues northwest along Marion County 25A to Lowell. Another FNOR rail line includes a freight line to the

Crystal River Energy Complex The Crystal River Energy Complex consists of seven power-generating plants on a site near the mouth of the Crystal River in Citrus County, Florida. Crystal River 1, 2, 4, and 5 are fossil fuel power plants. Crystal River 3 was previously t ...

in northern Citrus County, which was previously owned by the

. It runs primarily along US 41 between the Citrus and Levy County Lines. Other lines that used to run through Marion County were either converted into rail trails or abandoned.

Public surface transportation

Local bus service is provided by SunTran.

Communities

Cities

* Belleview * Dunnellon * Ocala

Towns

* McIntosh * Reddick

Census-designated places

* Lake Kerr * Liberty Triangle * Marion Oaks * Ocala Estates * Ocklawaha * On Top of the World * Rainbow Lakes Estates (partly in Levy County) * Rainbow Park * Rainbow Springs * Silver Springs * Silver Springs Shores * Silver Spring Shores East * The Villages (partly in Lake and Sumter Counties)

Other unincorporated communities

* Anthony * Citra * Early Bird * Evinston (partly in Alachua County) * Fort McCoy * Flemington * Ocklawaha * Orange Lake * Orange Springs * Salt Springs * Shiloh * Summerfield * Wacahoota (partly in Alachua and Levy Counties) * Weirsdale * Woods and Lakes, Florida

Notes

References

External links

*
Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce

Marion County Public Schools homepage
{{Coord, 29.21, -82.06, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-FL_source:UScensus1990 Florida counties 1844 establishments in Florida Territory Populated places established in 1844 North Florida