Marion County, Florida

Marion County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. At the 2020 census, 375,908 people lived there. Its county seat is Ocala.
Marion County is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Marion County was created in 1844 from portions of Alachua, Mosquito (Orange), and Hillsborough counties. Until 1853, Marion County included most of what are now Lake and Sumter counties. The county is named after General Francis Marion of South Carolina, a guerilla fighter and hero of the American Revolutionary War. Many of the early settlers of Marion County were from South Carolina. The county motto is "Kingdom of the Sun." Farms in the county are known for breeding champion race horses such as Affirmed and Needles.
Land
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 94.94%) is land and (or 5.06%) is water.
Marion County is generally composed of rolling hills, some high and some low. The majority of its trees consist of live oaks, pine, and palm trees. Marion County is considered the southernmost county in North Central Florida, and the northernmost county in Central Florida.
It is about a two hour drive from many of Florida's major cities. Orlando is 75 minutes to the southeast while Daytona Beach is about 90 minutes to the east. Tampa is about 75 minutes to the southwest. Jacksonville is roughly a two hour drive northeast. Miami is about five hours to the southeast. Fort Lauderdale is about a four-hour drive from Marion County.
Marion County also has three large lakes at its opposite borders. Orange Lake is in the far northern part of Marion County, near the border with Alachua County. Lake Kerr is in the northeastern part of the county, near the town of Salt Springs. Lake Weir, the largest of the three, is in the far southern region near the border with Lake County. Part of Lake George is also in Marion County.
Marion County is inland, centered between the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Gulf of Mexico to the west. Because of this, Marion County is not affected as much by hurricanes compared to the more coastal counties to its east and west. However, tornadoes are a major threat to this region of the state. Although Marion County is not near either of Florida's coasts, it is situated slightly to the west, so it takes a little less than an hour to get to the Gulf of Mexico while it takes about half an hour longer to get to the Atlantic Ocean.
Counties nearby
Putnam County, Florida - northeast
Volusia County, Florida - east
Lake County, Florida - southeast
Sumter County, Florida - south
Citrus County, Florida - southwest
Levy County, Florida - west
Alachua County, Florida - northwest
National protected area
Ocala National Forest (part)
People
As of the census of 2000, there were 258,916 people, 106,755 households, and 74,621 families living in the county. The population density was 164 people per square mile (63/km2). There were 122,663 housing units at an average density of 78 per square mile (30/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.16% White, 11.55% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.70% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.69% from other races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 6.03% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
According to the 2000 Census the largest European ancestry groups in Marion County were English (18.7%), German (16.7%) and Irish (14.0%).
There were 106,755 households out of which 24.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were married couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were not related. 25.00% of all households were made up of people living alone and 13.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.79.
In the county the population was spread out with 21.40% under the age of 18, 6.40% from 18 to 24, 23.80% from 25 to 44, 23.90% from 45 to 64, and 24.50% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 93.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.90 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $31,944, and the median income for a family was $37,473. Males had a median income of $28,836 versus $21,855 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,848. About 9.20% of families and 13.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.
Government
The Florida Department of Corrections operates facilities in unincorporated areas in the county, including the Lowell Correctional Institution and the Lowell Annex. The annex houses Florida's female death row.
Cities and towns
Cities
Belleview
Dunnellon
McIntosh
Ocala
Reddick
Unincorporated
Summerfield
Fort McCoy
Marion Oaks
Silver Springs Shores
Salt Springs
Anthony
The Villages (partly)
Orange Springs
Schools
Public school system
28 elementary schools
8 middle schools
1 4-8 school
1 k-8 center
8 high schools
3 charter schools
14 special needs schools
Elementary schools
Anthony Elementary School
Belleview Elementary School
Belleview-Santos Elementary School
College Park Elementary School
Dr. N.H. Jones Elementary (Magnet)
Dunnellon Elementary School
East Marion Elementary School
Eighth Street Elementary School
Emerald Shores Elementary School
Evergreen Elementary School
Fessenden Elementary School
Fort McCoy School (K-8)
Greenway Elementary School
Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School
Harbour View Elementary School
Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks(5th-8th)
Madison Street Academy of Visual and Performing Arts (Magnet)
Maplewood Elementary School
Oakcrest Elementary School
Ocala Springs Elementary School
Reddick-Collier Elementary School
Romeo Elementary School
Saddlewood Elementary School
Shady Hill Elementary School
South Ocala Elementary School
Sparr Elementary School
Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School
Sunrise Elementary School
Ward-Highlands Elementary School
Wyomina Park Elementary School
Middle schools
Belleview Middle School
Dunnellon Middle School
Fort King Middle School
Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks(5th-8th)
Howard Middle School
Lake Weir Middle School
Liberty Middle School
North Marion Middle School
Osceola Middle School
High schools
Vanguard High School
Belleview High School
Dunnellon High School
Forest High School
Lake Weir High School
Marion Technical Institute
North Marion High School
Trinity Catholic High School
West Port High School
References
Other websites
Government websites/Constitutional offices
Marion County Fire Rescue
Marion County Board of County Commissioners
Marion County Supervisor of Elections
Marion County Property Appraiser
Marion County Sheriff's Office
Marion County Tax Collector
Marion County Public Schools Homepage
Special districts
Marion County School Board
Southwest Florida Water Management District
St. Johns River Water Management District
Judicial branch
Marion County Clerk of Courts
Public Defender, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida serving Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties
Office of the State Attorney, 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Circuit and County Court for the 5th Judicial Circuit of Florida
Tourism websites
Everything you need to know about The Rainbow River, Dunnellon Florida
Ocala/Marion County Chamber of Commerce
Ocala/Marion Visitors' & Convention Bureau
Florida counties
1844 establishments in Florida Territory