Marion County, Alabama Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Marion County
U.S. county
Marion County Courthouse in Hamilton
Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
Alabama's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	February 13, 1818
Named for	Francis Marion
Seat	Hamilton
Largest city	Hamilton
Area
• Total	744 sq mi (1,930 km²)
• Land	742 sq mi (1,920 km²)
• Water	1.3 sq mi (3 km²) 0.2%
Population (2020)
• Total	29,341
• Estimate (2023)	29,244
• Density	39.437/sq mi (15.227/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	4th
County Number 49 on Alabama Licence Plates

Marion County is a county in the state of Alabama, United States. In 2020, about 29,341 people lived here. The main town and county seat is Hamilton. The county was started on February 13, 1818. It was named after General Francis Marion, a hero from the American Revolutionary War.

Marion County is in the northwest part of Alabama. It shares a border with Mississippi to the west. The county covers about 743 square miles (1,924 square kilometers). In most of Marion County, selling alcohol is not allowed. However, you can buy alcohol in the cities of Guin, Hamilton, and Winfield.

History of Marion County
Geography of Marion County
- Neighboring Counties
Population Information
Education in Marion County
- Marion County School System
- Winfield City School System
Local Events
Transportation
Communities
Images for kids
See also

History of Marion County

Marion County was created on February 13, 1818. This was almost two years before Alabama became a state. The land came from the Chickasaw Native American tribe. At first, Marion County was much larger. It included parts of what are now other counties in Alabama and Mississippi.

The county was named after General Francis Marion. He was a famous soldier from South Carolina. People called him "The Swamp Fox" because of his clever fighting style. Many early settlers moved here from Kentucky and Tennessee. They came after General Andrew Jackson built the Military Road. Some of the first towns were Pikeville, Hamilton, Winfield, and Guin.

The first county seat was in Cotton Gin Port in 1818. It moved a few times before settling in Pikeville in 1820. Pikeville was the county seat until 1882. Today, Pikeville is a ghost town, meaning it's mostly abandoned. In 1882, Hamilton became the new county seat. The first courthouse in Hamilton burned down in 1887. A new one was built, but it also burned. The current courthouse was built in 1901. It was updated in 1959 with a modern design.

Geography of Marion County

Marion County covers about 744 square miles (1,927 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. Only a small part is water.

Neighboring Counties

Marion County is next to these other counties:

Population Information

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1830	4,058	—
1840	5,847	44.1%
1850	7,833	34.0%
1860	11,182	42.8%
1870	6,059	−45.8%
1880	9,364	54.5%
1890	11,347	21.2%
1900	14,494	27.7%
1910	17,495	20.7%
1920	22,008	25.8%
1930	25,967	18.0%
1940	28,776	10.8%
1950	27,264	−5.3%
1960	21,837	−19.9%
1970	23,788	8.9%
1980	30,041	26.3%
1990	29,830	−0.7%
2000	31,214	4.6%
2010	30,776	−1.4%
2020	29,341	−4.7%
2023 (est.)	29,244	−5.0%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2020

In 2020, the population of Marion County was 29,341 people. There were about 11,997 households. Most people living in the county were White (88.93%). About 3.73% were Black or African American. About 2.94% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

In 2010, the population was 30,776. The average age was 42.8 years old. About 21.7% of the people were under 18. The median household income was $32,769. This means half of the households earned more, and half earned less. About 17.8% of the population lived below the poverty line.

Education in Marion County

Marion County has two public school systems. They are Marion County Schools and Winfield City Schools. Hamilton is also home to a campus of Bevill State Community College.