Evidence of ancient indigenous cultures has been found in Marion County, as well as of the earliest encounter between European explorers and historic indigenous peoples. In 1976, an archaeological investigation found ancient artifacts in Marion County that appear to be the oldest in mainland United States. Excavations at an ancient stonequarry (on theContainer Corporation of America site (8Mf154) in Marion County) yielded "crude stone implements". Thousands of pieces ofchert were found at the site. These showed signs of extensive wear and were found in deposits below those holdingPaleo-Indian artifacts.Thermoluminescence dating andweathering analysis independently gave dates of 26,000 to 28,000 Years Before Present (YBP) for the production of these artifacts, prior toClovis points. The findings suggested human habitation in this area much earlier than documented by other evidence.[5] Barbara Purdy had bipoint evidence from the CCA site, which also predated Clovis points, which she reported in a 2008 paper.[6]
The county seat ofOcala is named for aTimucuan village visited and recorded by the SpanishHernando de Soto expedition in the sixteenth century. During the colonial period, Spain and Great Britain traded control of this area.
After acquisition of the Florida territory by the United States in the 1820s, Marion County was created in 1844 from portions ofAlachua, Mosquito (Orange), andHillsborough counties. Until 1853, Marion County included most of what are nowLake andSumter counties. In 1849,Putnam County was created and took the northeast portion of Marion. Levy County's creation took some of the western portion of Marion in 1877, near the end of the Reconstruction era.
Marion County is named after GeneralFrancis Marion ofSouth Carolina, aguerrilla fighter and hero of theAmerican Revolutionary War who was known as the "Swamp Fox".[7] Numerous early settlers of this area were natives of South Carolina and likely picked their local hero as the county's namesake.[8] The Act creating the county of Marion of the Territory of Florida was signed on March 14, 1844, by the territorial governor,R. K. Call. The county motto is "Kingdom of the Sun".
Marion County was a hotbed of secessionist activity. Organizers petitioned the state to host theFlorida Secession Convention and break away from the United States with other Southern states.[9] The area had many plantations and more than half of the population wasenslaved African Americans.
Several Confederate Army units were organized by plantation owners, including theMarion Rifle Guards, organized May 2, 1861, by Captain W.L. Fletcher, county treasurer. It served as part of the Fourth Florida Infantry under Col. Edward Hopkins. Other company's included theHammock Guards, commanded by Captain J.S. Hopkins;Marion Dragoons, a cavalry unit organized and financed by William A. Owens,Marion Hornets, commanded by CaptainWade Eichelberger, and theMarion Light Artillery, commanded at one time byJohn Marshall Martin.[10][9] The Civil War and its aftermath disrupted local society and strained the economy. The population declined in its wake as many African Americans moved to towns or cities for better opportunities.
During the post-Reconstruction period, there was considerable racial violence in Marion County. Localslynched between 19 and 26 African Americans in the county from the 1880s to 1935.[11]
Since the mid-20th century, thoroughbred horse farms have been established in the county. Such thoroughbred farms have become known for such race champions asNeedles, bred at Bonnie Heath Farm, and in 1956, becoming the first Florida-bred horse to win theKentucky Derby. In 1978Affirmed fromHarbor View Farm won theTriple Crown.
Carl G. Rose, who had come to Florida in 1916 from Indiana to oversee construction of the first asphalt road in the state, is credited with developing the first thoroughbred horse farm in 1943. As an engineer, he had become familiar with the area's limestone, which he realized supported good pasture for raising strong horses. (Limestone also nurtures central Kentucky's notedBluegrass Region.) In 1943, Rose bought land along State Highway 200, at $10 per acre, establishing Rosemere Farm. The next year one of his horses, Gornil, won at Miami'sTropical Park, becoming the first Florida-raised thoroughbred to win a Florida race. This raised the profile of Marion County in the racing world.
Close on Rose's heels, entrepreneur Bonnie Heath set up his own thoroughbred farm, producingNeedles. In 1956 the horse was the state's first native-bred winner of theKentucky Derby. (see further below). Bonnie Heath Farm is owned and operated by Bonnie Heath III and his wife Kim.
In 1978, Marion County-bred-and-raisedAffirmed won theTriple Crown. Today, Marion County is a major world thoroughbred center with more than 1,200 horse farms. There are about 900 thoroughbred farms, totaling some 77,000 acres (310 km2). Ocala is well known as a "horse capital of the world".[12]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, Marion is the fifth largest county in the state, with a total area of 4,310 km2 (1,660 sq mi), of which 3,962 km2 (1,530 sq mi) is land and 195 km2 (75 sq mi) (4.7%) is water.[15]
Marion County is generally composed of rolling hills. The highest elevation is about 60 meters (200 feet). The majority of its trees consist of live oaks, pines, and palm trees.
It is about a two-hour drive from Marion County to many of Florida's major cities;Orlando is 75 minutes to the southeast, whileDaytona Beach is about 90 minutes to the east.Tampa is about 75 minutes to the southwest,Jacksonville is roughly a two-hour drive northeast, andMiami is about six hours to the southeast.
There are several significant lakes within or bordering Marion County. Orange Lake is in the far northern part of Marion County, near the border withAlachua County.Lake Kerr is in the northeastern part of the county, near the town ofSalt Springs, which is near the border withPutnam County.Lake Weir, the largest of the three, is in the far southern region, near the border withLake County. Part ofLake George is also in Marion County.
Marion County is inland, centered between theAtlantic Ocean to the east and theGulf of Mexico to the west. Because of this, the area is generally not affected as much by hurricanes as the more coastal counties to its east and west. The largest threats from natural disasters are high winds and flooding; tornadoes are also of concern.
U.S. Decennial Census[17] 1790-1960[18] 1900-1990[19] 1990-2000[20] 2010-2019[2]
Marion County, Florida – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, the county had a population of 375,908, 156,906 households, and 102,412 families, and the population density was 236.7 per square mile (91.4/km2).[30]
The median age was 50.3 years. 18.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 29.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.0 males age 18 and over.[30]
As of the 2020 census, 70.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 29.3% lived in rural areas.[32]
There were 156,906 households in the county, of which 22.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 47.5% were married-couple households, 16.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[30]
There were 177,380 housing units, of which 11.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.5% were owner-occupied and 24.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.5%.[30]
The 2016–2020 five-yearAmerican Community Survey estimates show that the average household size was 2.4 and the average family size was 2.9.[33] The percent of those with a bachelor's degree or higher was estimated to be 15.0% of the population.[34]
The 2016–2020 five-year American Community Survey estimates show that the median household income was $46,587 (with a margin of error of +/- $1,434) and the median family income was $56,181 (+/- $1,758).[35] Males had a median income of $32,045 (+/- $865) versus $25,585 (+/- $601) for females. The median income for those above 16 years old was $28,739 (+/- $827).[36] Approximately, 10.7% of families and 15.5% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 26.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.4% of those ages 65 or over.[37][38]
As of thecensus[39] of 2000, there were 258,916 people, 106,755 households, and 74,621 families residing in the county. Thepopulation density was 164 people per square mile (63 people/km2). There were 122,663 dwelling 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 orAfrican American, 0.45%Native American, 0.70%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 1.69% fromother races, and 1.44% from two or more races. 6.03% of the population wereHispanic orLatino of any race. According to the2000 Census the largest European ancestry groups in Marion County wereEnglish (18.7%),German (16.7%) andIrish (14.0%).
There were 106,755 households, out of which 24.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% weremarried couples living together, 10.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.10% were non-families. 25.00% of all households were made up of individuals, 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. Theper capita income for the county was $17,848. About 9.20% of families and 13.10% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 7.40% of those age 65 or over.
The county is governed by the Marion County Board of County Commissioners. The five-person board currently consists of Craig Curry, Kathy Bryant, Matt McClain, Carl Zalak and Michelle Stone.[40]
Marion County's Sheriff's Office was in the news in August 2020 during theCOVID-19 pandemic in Florida after Sheriff Billy Woods forbadethe wearing of masks by deputies unless in high risk areas, such as the hospital. Visitors to the Sheriff's Office are also required to not cover their face.[49][50]
County public education is supervised under theMarion County School District. The public school system includes 28 elementary schools, 8 middle schools, 1 4–8 school, 1 K–8 center, 10 high schools, 3 charter schools, and 14 special needs schools.[citation needed]
I-75 runs north and south across the central part of the county, with interchanges at County Road 484 (exit 341), SR 200 (exit 350) SR 40 (exit 352), US 27 (exit 354) SR 326 (exit 358), and CR 318 (exit 368).
US 41 runs north and south throughDunnellon and the southwestern corner of the county.
US 27 runs northwest and southeast throughout the county. It is multiplexed with US 441 north from the Lake-Marion County line and then with US 301 fromBelleview, until it reaches SR 492 inOcala, then runs northwest through Williston, Perry, Tallahassee, and beyond.
US 301 is the main local north and south road through the county entering from the northern outskirts ofWildwood in Sumter County. It joins a multiplex with US 27 between Belleview and Ocala, and with US 441 from Belleview toSparr. From there it runs northeast towardsCitra and eastern Alachua County.
US 441 runs mostly northwest and southeast throughout the county. It is multiplexed with US 27 north from the Lake-Marion County line and then with US 301 into Sparr, where it runs northwest again intoMcIntosh andEvinston, before crossing the Marion-Alachua County Line on its way to Gainesville, High Springs, Lake City, and points north.
SR 25 is a south-to-north interrupted route that enters the county from Lake County as a bi-county route around Lake Weir. The route briefly becomes a state route between SR 35 and US 27–301–441, and spends the rest of its journey through the county as a "hidden state road" of US 441.
SR 35 enters the county as a hidden state road along US 301, then turns southeast along US 27–441 in Belleview before turning back north again onto Baseline Road, where it runs until reaching SR 40 in Silver Springs. The route continues asCounty Road 35 until it reaches SR 326.
SR 40 is the main west to east road in the county, spanning from US 41 north of Dunnellon, then passing through Ocala, Silver Springs, and Ocala National Forest, crossing the Marion-Lake County line just east of SR 19.
SR 200 runs northeast and southwest from Stoke's Ferry in Citrus County through US 27-301-441 in Ocala where it becomes a hidden state road along US 301 throughout most of the state further north.
SR 326 is a bi-county west-to-east road running fromGulf Hammock Wildlife Management Area in Levy County through I-75 where it becomes a state road north of Ocala that turns southeast towards SR 40 in Silver Springs.
SR 464 runs east and west from SR 200 through the southeastern part of Ocala running along some numbered streets before becoming Maricamp Road, then turns into a county road southeast of SR 35, and continues towards the northern coast of Lake Weir inOcklawaha.
SR 492 runs east and west from the northern terminus of US 27's overlap with US 301/441 along northern Ocala to SR 40 in eastern Ocala just before that route enters Silver Springs.
Nearby that line within Ocala is a former line owned by theFlorida Northern Railroad, which was previously owned by theAtlantic Coast Line Railroad. It begins inCandler running northwest along Marion County Road 464 towards Ocala Union Station then continues northwest along Marion County 25A toLowell.
Another FNOR rail line includes a freight line to theCrystal River Energy Complex in northern Citrus County, which was previously owned by theAtlantic Coast Line Railroad. It runs primarily along US 41 between the Citrus and Levy County Lines. Other lines that used to run through Marion County were either converted into rail trails or abandoned.
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