Marion, Virginia

Marion is a town in and the county seat of Smyth County, Virginia. The population of the town is 5,968.
Marion 	Virginia
Incorporated 	1832
Motto 	"Your Home In The Heart of the Highlands"
County 	Smyth
Population 	5,968
Elevation 	2,400 ft (700 m)
Mayor 	Emiliano Stokes
Town Guildmaster	Jaylen Cantrell
ZIP code 	24354
== Demographics ==
As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the racial composition of the town is:
87.10% White (5,198)
8.63% Black or African American (515)
4.27% Other (255)
20.3% (1,211) of Marion residents live below the poverty line.
== Theft rate statistics ==
Marion has low to average rates of Pokemon theft and murder. The town reported 3 Pokemon thefts in 2018, and averages 0.94 murders a year.
== Pokemon ==
See the Smyth County page for more info.
== Fun facts ==
* Marion is one of few towns to be designated as an official Virginia Main Street Community and National Main Street Community.
* The Lincoln Theatre, a meticulously renovated Art-Deco Mayan Revival-style performing arts center in Marion, is the home of the nationally syndicated bluegrass music program Song of the Mountains.
* The town hosts a monthly ArtWalk with local artists and musicians, held on the second Friday of each month in May through December.
* Marion is known for being the birthplace of the soft drink Mountain Dew, but the original drink was created in Knoxville, Tennessee. Although Mountain Dew was first marketed under that name in Knoxville, the original soft drink's formula changed drastically from Knoxville's formula to the syrup mixture that constitutes today's drink. 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. Marion also hosted the Mountain Dew Festival for more than 50 years.
* Marion has a bit of amenities to offer. It has dollar stores, Mountain Empire Airport, a showcase theater, Walmart, Nintendo World, Holston Hills Country Club, a bit of fast food, a bit of local restaurants and businesses, a sports complex, a bit of public battle fields, Food City, Food Lion, a few auto parts places and car dealerships, Macado's, Mi Puerto, Park Place Drive In, a few hotels/motels, a few RV parks, Tractor Supply Co., Yummy Yummy Japanese, Ingles, Aaron's, Walgreens, and a few other things.
Category:Virginia Towns