Marion County is a county in Georgia, United States, part of the Columbus metropolitan area in the west-central part of the state. It had a population of 7,498 at the 2020 census and covers 367 square miles (950 km2), of which 366 square miles are land, centred near 32°21′N 84°32′W.
Buena Vista is the county seat, and its postal code is 31803. The county has one incorporated city, one census-designated place and two unincorporated communities, sits in the Eastern time zone, and carries FIPS code 13197.
Towns & Villages in Marion County
Marion County’s population centres are small and rural. Buena Vista is the only incorporated city; Tazewell is a census-designated place; Juniper and Mauk are unincorporated communities. “CDP” below means Census-Designated Place, an unincorporated area the Census Bureau tracks separately; “Unincorp.” means the place has no municipal government of its own.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buena Vista | City · seat | — | 31803 |
| Tazewell | CDP | — | 31803 |
| Juniper | Unincorp. | — | 31803 |
| Mauk | Unincorp. | — | 31058 |
Several names that circulated in older place lists for Marion County — among them Berginville, Blueville, Brantley, Church Hill, Doyle, Draneville, Elmview, Five Points, Glen Alta, Oakland, Pineville, Putnam, Union and Zellobee — do not appear in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Gazetteer or in Wikipedia’s list of Marion County communities. They have been left off this table rather than published unverified; see notes for detail.
ZIP Codes
- 31803 — Buena Vista (also serves Tazewell and Juniper)
- 31058 — Mauk
The county has just two ZIP codes; every community listed above uses one of them.
Geography
Marion County sits on the Fall Line transition between Georgia’s Piedmont and coastal plain, a landscape of pine woods, pasture and farmland drained toward the Chattahoochee River to the west. Of its 367 square miles, 1.5 square miles are water. The art environment Pasaquan, built by folk artist Eddie Owens Martin (“St EOM”), sits just outside Buena Vista and is the county’s best-known landmark.
Marion County borders Talbot County to the north, Taylor County to the northeast, Schley County to the east, Sumter County to the southeast, Webster County to the south, Stewart County to the southwest, and Chattahoochee County to the west.
Demographics
Marion County had 7,498 residents at the 2020 census, a population density of about 20 people per square mile. Buena Vista, the county seat, and Tazewell are the county’s two largest communities. The county’s 2020 racial makeup was roughly 61% White and 29% Black or African American, with about 8% identifying as Hispanic or Latino. Median household income data specific to Marion County is not independently verified here; Georgia’s statewide median household income is $74,632.
Economy & Local Life
Marion County’s economy is anchored in agriculture — row crops, pine timber and cattle — alongside county government and school-system employment centred in Buena Vista. Its location on the edge of the Columbus, GA-AL metropolitan area draws some commuting workforce toward Columbus and Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning) to the west. Pasaquan, restored and opened to the public as a museum site, draws visitors and is the county’s main cultural attraction.
History
Marion County was created on December 14, 1827, from land taken from Muscogee and Lee counties, and was named for General Francis Marion of South Carolina, the Revolutionary War guerrilla leader known as the “Swamp Fox.” Buena Vista was established as the county seat and later took its name from the 1847 Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican-American War. In the twentieth century the county became known nationally for Pasaquan, the elaborate visionary-art compound built by Eddie Owens Martin between the 1950s and his death in 1986.
Getting There
U.S. Route 27 and Georgia Route 41 both run through Buena Vista, giving the county its main north-south and connecting routes.
- Columbus, Georgia — about 40 miles west
- Americus, Georgia — about 25 miles east
- Fort Moore (Columbus area) — about 45 miles west
- Atlanta — about 130 miles north
The nearest commercial airport is Columbus Airport in Columbus, Georgia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Marion County, Georgia?
It is in the west-central part of the state, part of the Columbus metropolitan area, bordering Alabama-adjacent Chattahoochee County to its west.
What is the population of Marion County?
7,498 at the 2020 census.
How big is Marion County?
367 square miles (950 km2), including 1.5 square miles of water.
What is the county seat of Marion County?
Buena Vista is the county seat.
How many towns are in Marion County?
One incorporated city (Buena Vista), one census-designated place (Tazewell) and two unincorporated communities (Juniper and Mauk).
What ZIP codes are in Marion County?
31803 (Buena Vista) and 31058 (Mauk).
What is Marion County, Georgia known for?
Pasaquan, the visionary folk-art environment built by artist Eddie Owens Martin near Buena Vista, now operated as a museum.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Georgia.