Marion, Virginia
Town of Marion, Virginia | |
---|---|
2020) | |
• Town | 6,022 |
• Density | 1,347.31/sq mi (537.98/km2) |
• Metro | Approximately 14,500 total population |
FIPS code | 51-49464[2] |
GNIS feature ID | 1498513[3] |
Website | www |
Marion is a town in, and the county seat of, Smyth County, Virginia, United States. It is positioned upon Interstate 81, in the Blue Ridge portion of the Southern Appalachian mountains in Southwest Virginia.[4] The town is named for American Revolutionary War officer Francis Marion. The town limits had a population of approximately 6,000, per 2020 Census estimates. However, together with the neighborhoods, an additional 9,000 residents residing in unincorporated Smyth County have Marion mailing addresses, granting the Marion, VA ZIP code (24354) a total population of about 14,500, which is around half of the county's total population.
Geography
Marion, Virginia is the location of two large side-by-side ground storage water tower tanks, which are separately labeled "HOT" (in red letters) and "COLD" (in blue). The landmarks, positioned just off of Marion exit 47, are visible to both north and south bound Interstate 81 traffic lanes.[citation needed]
Marion is located at 36°50′N 81°31′W / 36.833°N 81.517°W (36.8370, −81.5165).[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 5.2 square miles (10.7 km2), all of it land.
Marion is home to Hungry Mother State Park, one of the six original Virginia State Parks from the 1930s.
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 445 | — | |
1870 | 368 | −17.3% | |
1880 | 919 | 149.7% | |
1890 | 1,651 | 79.7% | |
1900 | 2,045 | 23.9% | |
1910 | 2,727 | 33.3% | |
1920 | 3,253 | 19.3% | |
1930 | 4,156 | 27.8% | |
1940 | 5,177 | 24.6% | |
1950 | 6,982 | 34.9% | |
1960 | 8,385 | 20.1% | |
1970 | 8,158 | −2.7% | |
1980 | 7,287 | −10.7% | |
1990 | 6,858 | −5.9% | |
2000 | 6,500 | −5.2% | |
2010 | 6,252 | −3.8% | |
2020 | 6,022 | −3.7% | |
source:[6] [7] |
2020 census
Race | Num. | Perc. |
---|---|---|
White
|
5,213 | 87.17% |
Black or African American
|
261 | 4.54% |
Native American
|
12 | 0.21% |
Asian
|
59 | 1.03% |
Pacific Islander
|
1 | 0.02% |
Other/Mixed
|
224 | 3.89% |
Latino
|
181 | 3.15% |
As of the
2000 census
As of the
There were 2,677 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 14.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 36.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.4% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.
The current (2020) median income for a household in the town is $54,652.
History
Marion is also home to Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute.
Marion is the birthplace of the soft drink Mountain Dew.[10] Although Mountain Dew was first marketed under that name in Knoxville, TN, the original soft drink's formula changed drastically from Knoxville's formula to the syrup mixture that constitutes today's drink, which is Marion's version. In 1961, the rights to Mountain Dew were purchased by the Marion-based Tip Corporation. The Mountain Dew flavor was reworked by Marion resident William H. "Bill" Jones. Due to the success of the revised formulation, the Pepsi Corporation purchased the Tip Corporation in 1964.[11][12] Marion also hosted the Mountain Dew Festival for more than 50 years.[13]
Notable people
- Sherwood Anderson (1876–1941), American author/ New York Times best seller, Marion resident, was buried in Marion.
- William Pat Jennings (1919–1994) 28th Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.[15]
- Katherine Johnson (1918–2020), an American NASA mathematician, portrayed in the film Hidden Figures, taught in Marion.
- Otho B. Rosenbaum, (1871–1962), U.S. Army brigadier general[16]
- Nolan Ryan, Major League Baseball's Hall of Fame pitcher, was assigned to a minor league team in the Appalachian League called the Marion Mets (1965–1976) in Marion.
- Billy Wagner, 7X All-Star Major League Baseball pitcher.
Climate
The climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. According to the
References
- ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
- U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the originalon February 10, 2020. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
- ^ "Marion town Virginia, United States". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 27, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
- ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
- ^ Jessica Fuller (July 19, 2019). "Johnson City, Marion or Knoxville: Where did Mountain Dew begin?". News Channel 11 wjhl.com. Nexstar Media. Archived from the original on July 20, 2019. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
- ^ Maddry, Larry (August 6, 1994). "Reprinted Article: Soft drink finally gets its Dew from small Virginia town". Virginian Pilot. Norfolk, VA. Archived from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
- ISBN 9780738517568.
- ^ Glenna Elledge (July 27, 1994). "Town of Marion recognizes 'Home of Mountain Dew'". Smyth County News. Archived from the original on February 5, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2014 – via William H. Jones Mountain Dew.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ United States Congress. "W. Pat Jennings (id: J000098)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- ISBN 978-1-5719-7088-6 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Marion, Virginia Köppen Climate Classification". Weatherbase.