Marion County, FL
| Marion County, Florida | ||
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| County | ||
| Marion County | ||
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Marion County Courthouse in Ocala
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 Location in the U.S. state of Florida |
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 Florida's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | March 14, 1844 | |
| Named for | Francis Marion | |
| Seat | Ocala | |
| Largest city | Ocala | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 1,663 sq mi (4,307 km2) | |
| • Land | 1,585 sq mi (4,105 km2) | |
| • Water | 78 sq mi (202 km2), 4.7% | |
| Population (est.) | ||
| • (2015) | 343,254 | |
| • Density | 209/sq mi (81/km²) | |
| Congressional districts | 2nd, 3rd, 11th | |
| Time zone | Eastern: UTC-5/-4 | |
| Website | www |
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Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 331,298. Its county seat is Ocala.
Marion County comprises the Ocala, FL Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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. 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. The county is named after General Francis Marion of South Carolina, a guerilla fighter and hero of the American Revolutionary War. A large share of the early settlers being natives of South Carolina likely caused the name to be selected. 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. 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.
It is notable that in Marion County, a controversial site and archaeological investigation found ancient artifacts. Excavations at an ancient stone quarry (the Container Corporation of America site in Marion County) yielded "crude stone implements" showing signs of extensive wear from deposits below those holding Paleo-Indian artifacts. Thermoluminescence dating and weathering analysis independently gave dates of 26,000 to 28,000 years ago for the creation of the artifacts. The findings are controversial, and funding has not been available for follow-up studies.
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