Marion is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census and was 41,535 in 2020, an increase of 58%. The city is located next to Cedar Rapids and part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. Marion was designated as the first Linn County seat before it was moved to the larger neighbor Cedar Rapids in 1919. Today, Marion is a primarily suburban community with a historic downtown center, and is one of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa.
History
The town was named after Francis Marion, a hero of the Revolutionary War. The site was selected in 1839 to be the first county seat of the newly organized Linn County. After years of debate over moving the county seat to Cedar Rapids, it was put to a vote in 1919. The vote was 9,960 in favor of moving the seat and 4,823 not in favor.
The current site of the Indian Creek Country Club was once the home of a sulky horse racing track.
The town was the home to St. Berchman's Seminary, established in 1905 by the Sisters of Mercy as a boarding school for small boys. The academy, which closed in 1942, consisted of five buildings spread over 23 acres. One of the most famous residents was actor Don Ameche, who lived in the facility as a boy; he went on to star in the movie Cocoon. Today, the main building, now housing apartments, is all that remains.
In 2023, Mayor Nicholas AbouAssaly was re-elected for another term, being unopposed. AbouAssaly is, as of 2025, serving his third term, after winning the 2019 and 2015 elections in a landslide.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Climate
Economy
The Marion Economic Development Corporation, a public–private partnership, was founded in 1984 to support business and economic development in the city.