Marion County is a county in Tennessee, United States, at the point where the state meets Georgia and Alabama in the Sequatchie Valley of the southeastern Cumberland Plateau. It had a population of 28,837 at the 2020 census and covers 512 square miles (1,330 km2), of which 498 square miles (1,290 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) is water, centred near 35°08′N 85°37′W.
Jasper is the county seat, and its postal code is 37347. Marion County has three incorporated cities (New Hope, South Pittsburg and Whitwell), five incorporated towns (Jasper, Kimball, Monteagle, Orme and Powells Crossroads) and several dozen unincorporated communities. The county sits in the Central time zone, while neighboring Chattanooga to the east runs on Eastern time.
Towns & Villages in Marion County
The table below lists every settlement carried on record for Marion County: 3 cities, 5 towns, and more than 30 unincorporated communities and crossroads. Tennessee has no civil-township layer, so places are grouped only by incorporation status. Population and ZIP figures are given only where verified; unlisted cells are marked with an em dash rather than estimated.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jasper | Town · seat | — | 37347 |
| South Pittsburg | City | — | 37380 |
| Whitwell | City | 1,641 | 37397 |
| New Hope | City | — | — |
| Kimball | Town | — | — |
| Monteagle | Town | — | — |
| Orme | Town | — | — |
| Powells Crossroads | Town | — | — |
| Sequatchie | Unincorp. | — | 37374 |
| Whiteside | Unincorp. | — | 37396 |
| Cedar Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Clifftops | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Comfort | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Condra | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Dixie Lee | Unincorp. | — | — |
| East Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ebenezer | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Elder Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Glover Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Greentown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Griffith Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Haletown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hamburg | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Inman | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ketner Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Ladds | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Martin Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mineral Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mount Olive | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Nickletown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pine Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Pinhook | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Rankin Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Raulstontown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Red Hill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Richard City | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shake Rag | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shirleyton | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Smithtown | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Stanley | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Suck Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sulphur Springs | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Sweetens Cove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| The Crossroads | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Victoria | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Vulcan | Unincorp. | — | — |
Two entries on the old page duplicated each other (Oak Grove was listed twice); the duplicate has been dropped. Sequatchie and Whiteside are unincorporated communities that share their names with, and should not be confused with, neighboring Sequatchie County to the north or the Whiteside community found elsewhere in the region.
ZIP Codes
- 37347 — Jasper (county seat)
- 37380 — South Pittsburg
- 37397 — Whitwell
- 37374 — Sequatchie
- 37396 — Whiteside
- 37340 — Guild (also serves nearby unincorporated communities)
Kimball, Monteagle, Orme, New Hope and Powells Crossroads, along with most of the smaller unincorporated places listed above, use the ZIP code of their nearest post office town rather than one of their own; those specific assignments are not published here to avoid guessing at addresses.
Geography
Marion County straddles the Sequatchie Valley, a long, narrow trough cut through the southeastern Cumberland Plateau, and is one of three Tennessee counties — alongside Bledsoe and Sequatchie — that share the valley. The Sequatchie River drains the valley and empties into the Tennessee River just south of Jasper, and the Tennessee River itself crosses the southern part of the county near South Pittsburg. Elevation ranges from the river bottoms to plateau rim country above 1,800 feet.
Marion County borders Grundy County to the north, Sequatchie County to the northeast, Hamilton County to the east, Dade County, Georgia, to the southeast, Jackson County, Alabama, to the south, and Franklin County to the west.
Demographics
Marion County had 28,837 residents at the 2020 census, spread across a mostly rural county at a density of roughly 58 people per square mile. South Pittsburg and Whitwell (population 1,641 in 2020) are the county’s two largest incorporated communities; Jasper, the seat, is smaller but anchors most county government and services. Median household income in Marion County runs below the Tennessee median of $67,631, consistent with other rural counties along the Cumberland Plateau.
Economy & Local Life
Manufacturing and light industry anchor much of the county’s economy alongside agriculture and forestry in the Sequatchie Valley bottomlands. South Pittsburg is home to Lodge Cast Iron, a cookware foundry that has operated there since 1896 and draws thousands of visitors each spring for the town’s National Cornbread Festival. Whitwell is known nationally for the Whitwell Middle School Paper Clips Project, a Holocaust-remembrance effort that assembled millions of paper clips and a rail car memorial now housed at the school. Tourism tied to the Cumberland Trail, South Cumberland State Park’s outlying tracts, and Nickajack Lake recreation also supports local businesses.
History
Marion County was formed in 1817 from Native American land cessions and named for Francis Marion, the South Carolina Revolutionary War general known as the “Swamp Fox.” Jasper was established as the county seat in the early 19th century. The county’s cement and coal-mining industries, centered on communities such as Richard City and Whitwell, drove population growth through the early 20th century before manufacturing diversified in the decades after World War II.
Getting There
Interstate 24 crosses the northeastern part of the county, and U.S. Routes 41, 64 and 72 provide the main local highway connections, along with several state routes through the Sequatchie Valley.
- South Pittsburg — about 9 miles west of Jasper
- Whitwell — about 12 miles north of Jasper
- Chattanooga — about 30 miles east of Jasper
- Monteagle — about 20 miles northwest of Jasper
Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, east of the county via Interstate 24, is the nearest commercial airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Marion County, Tennessee?
Marion County sits in the southeastern corner of Tennessee, in the Sequatchie Valley where the state borders Georgia and Alabama, roughly 30 miles southwest of Chattanooga.
What is the population of Marion County?
Marion County had a population of 28,837 at the 2020 census.
How big is Marion County?
The county covers 512 square miles (1,330 km2), of which 498 square miles is land and 14 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Marion County?
Jasper is the county seat.
How many towns and cities are in Marion County?
The county has three incorporated cities (New Hope, South Pittsburg, Whitwell) and five incorporated towns (Jasper, Kimball, Monteagle, Orme, Powells Crossroads), plus more than 30 unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Marion County?
Verified ZIP codes include 37347 (Jasper), 37380 (South Pittsburg), 37397 (Whitwell), 37374 (Sequatchie), 37396 (Whiteside) and 37340 (Guild).
What is Whitwell, Tennessee known for?
Whitwell is known for the Paper Clips Project, a Holocaust-remembrance initiative started by its middle school that collected millions of paper clips and now displays them in a memorial rail car at the school.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Tennessee.