Marion County, Arkansas

Marion County
Marion County courthouse in Yellville
Marion County courthouse in Yellville
Map of Arkansas highlighting Marion County
Location within the U.S. state of Arkansas
Map of the United States highlighting Arkansas
Arkansas's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 36°16′47″N 92°42′57″W / 36.279722222222°N 92.715833333333°W / 36.279722222222; -92.715833333333
Country United States
State Arkansas
FoundedSeptember 25, 1836
Named forFrancis Marion[1]
SeatYellville
Largest cityBull Shoals
Area
 • Total640 sq mi (1,700 km2)
 • Land597 sq mi (1,550 km2)
 • Water43 sq mi (110 km2)  6.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total16,826
 • Estimate 
(2023)
17,514 Increase
 • Density26/sq mi (10/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district1st
Websitemarioncounty.arkansas.gov

Marion County is located in the Ozark Mountains in the U.S. state of Arkansas. The county is named for Francis Marion, the famous "Swamp Fox" of the Revolutionary War. Created as Arkansas's 35th county in 1836, Marion County is home to one incorporated town and four incorporated cities, including Yellville, the county seat. The county is also the site of numerous unincorporated communities and ghost towns. The county included part of what is now Searcy County, Arkansas, with many opposing to dividing them, which helped fueled the bloody Tutt-Everett War between 1844 and 1850.

Occupying 640 square miles (170,000 ha), the county's population was 16,826 as of the 2020 Census.[2] Based on population, the county ranks 42nd of the 75 in Arkansas.[3] Located in the Ozarks, the county is largely covered with rugged terrain and waterways, with the exception of King's Prairie in the southwestern portion. It is drained by the White River, Buffalo River, Crooked Creek, and the Little North Fork of White River. Protected areas of the county include Bull Shoals-White River State Park, Ozark National Forest, the Buffalo National River and four wildlife management areas (WMAs).

Although no Interstate highways are located in Marion County, two United States highways (U.S. Route 62 [US 62] and US 412) and eight Arkansas state highways run in the county.[4]

  1. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 200.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Marion County township, Marion County, Arkansas". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  3. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. ^ General Highway Map - Marion County, Arkansas (PDF) (Map) (April 15, 2008 ed.). Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved June 6, 2016.