Marion County, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marion County
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Location within the U.S. state of Indiana
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 Indiana's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| Founded | April 1, 1822 |
| Named for | Francis Marion |
| Seat | Indianapolis |
| Largest city | Indianapolis |
| Area | |
| • Total | 403.01 sq mi (1,043.8 km2) |
| • Land | 396.30 sq mi (1,026.4 km2) |
| • Water | 6.71 sq mi (17.4 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 977,203 |
| • Density | 2,466/sq mi (952/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 5th, 7th |
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Marion County is located in the U.S. state of Indiana. The 2020 United States Census reported a population of 977,203, making it the largest county in the state and 55th most populated county in the country. Indianapolis is the county seat, the state capital, and largest city. Marion County is consolidated with Indianapolis through an arrangement known as Unigov.
Marion County is the central county of the Indianapolis–Carmel–Anderson MSA in Central Indiana.
Contents
Geography
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 403.01 square miles (1,043.8 km2), of which 396.30 square miles (1,026.4 km2) (or 98.34%) is land and 6.71 square miles (17.4 km2) (or 1.66%) is water.
The White River flows through the county where it is joined by Eagle Creek and Fall Creek, both of which have dams in the county forming Eagle Creek Reservoir and Geist Reservoir, respectively.
Marion County contains two Indiana State Parks, Fort Harrison State Park and White River State Park, as well as numerous municipal parks.
Adjacent counties
- Hamilton County (north)
- Hancock County (east)
- Shelby County (southeast)
- Johnson County (south)
- Morgan County (southwest)
- Hendricks County (west)
- Boone County (northwest)
Major highways
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Interstate Highways
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US Highways
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Indiana Highways
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* I-69 currently ends in Indianapolis at the I-465 interchange in the northeast section of the county. The extension connecting Indianapolis and Evansville is expected to be completed around 2018.
Airports
- KIND - Indianapolis International Airport
- KEYE - Eagle Creek Airpark
- Post-Air Airport
History
Marion County was created on April 1, 1822, from part of the so-called "New Purchase" lands that had been obtained by the Treaty of St. Mary's; the Lenape had previously occupied the area. It is named for Francis Marion, a Brigadier General from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War.
The state capital was moved to Indianapolis in Marion County from Corydon on January 10, 1825. This began a period of rapid growth in population.
Climate and weather
| Weather chart for Indianapolis, Indiana | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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3.1
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3.8
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4.6
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4.1
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4.8
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3.9
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2.6
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2.9
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3.7
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34
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2.8
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| temperatures in °F precipitation totals in inches source: The Weather Channel |
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Metric conversion
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In recent years, average temperatures in Indianapolis have ranged from a low of 18 °F (−8 °C) in January to a high of 84 °F (29 °C) in July, although a record low of −22 °F (−30 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 104 °F (40 °C) was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 2.05 inches (52 mm) in January to 4.78 inches (121 mm) in July.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1830 | 7,192 | — | |
| 1840 | 16,080 | 123.6% | |
| 1850 | 24,103 | 49.9% | |
| 1860 | 39,855 | 65.4% | |
| 1870 | 71,939 | 80.5% | |
| 1880 | 102,782 | 42.9% | |
| 1890 | 141,156 | 37.3% | |
| 1900 | 197,227 | 39.7% | |
| 1910 | 263,661 | 33.7% | |
| 1920 | 348,061 | 32.0% | |
| 1930 | 422,666 | 21.4% | |
| 1940 | 460,926 | 9.1% | |
| 1950 | 551,777 | 19.7% | |
| 1960 | 697,567 | 26.4% | |
| 1970 | 792,299 | 13.6% | |
| 1980 | 765,233 | −3.4% | |
| 1990 | 797,159 | 4.2% | |
| 2000 | 860,454 | 7.9% | |
| 2010 | 903,393 | 5.0% | |
| 2016 (est.) | 941,229 | 4.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013 |
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As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 903,393 people, 366,176 households, and 218,338 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,279.6 inhabitants per square mile (880.2/km2). There were 417,862 housing units at an average density of 1,054.4 per square mile (407.1/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 62.7% white, 26.7% black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 5.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 9.3% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 18.9% were German, 11.8% were Irish, 8.4% were English, 6.6% were American, and 5.2% were Subsaharan African.
Of the 366,176 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 40.4% were non-families, and 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.08. The median age was 33.9 years.
The median income for a household in the county was $47,697 and the median income for a family was $54,142. Males had a median income of $42,215 versus $34,169 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,498. About 13.5% of families and 17.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.7% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.
Cities and towns
Marion County has a consolidated city-county government, known as Unigov, in which only four municipalities retain full government autonomy (including a mayor and city council) as "excluded cities". The remaining municipalities within the county are "included towns" and exercise very limited authority, mainly in zoning and appointing their own police departments and maintaining some of their own municipal services and town identities. They retain the ability to levy taxes for these purposes. Since many of these included towns were and remain fairly wealthy and influential within the county, they can still have considerable unofficial clout. Likewise, some neighborhoods that had already been formally incorporated into Indianapolis (such as Broad Ripple) possess similar influence.
Municipalities
Excluded cities in bold.
Townships
Marion County has nine townships roughly organized into a grid-like, three-by-three pattern. This arrangement can be seen below, with the top being north.
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Transportation
Major highways
I-65
I-69* 
I-70
I-74
I-465
US 31
US 36
US 40
US 52
US 136
US 421
SR 37
SR 67
SR 134
SR 135
* I-69 currently ends in Indianapolis at the I-465 interchange in the northeast section of the county. The extension connecting Indianapolis and Evansville is expected to be completed in 2024.
Airports
- KIND - Indianapolis International Airport
- KEYE - Eagle Creek Airpark
- Post-Air Airport
Images for kids
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Control tower at Indianapolis International Airport
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Marion (Indiana) para niños
