Marion County
Mt. Jefferson rises above Detroit Lake. (Oregon State Archives Photo No. marD0026a)
Contact
County Seat: Courthouse Square, 555 Court St. NE, Salem 97309-5036
Phone: 503-588-5225 (General); 503-588-5368 (Court Administrator)
Fax: 503-373-4408
E-mail: commissioners@co.marion.or.us
Web: www.co.marion.or.us
About
Population (2009): 318,170
Established: July 5, 1843
Elev. at Salem: 154'
Area: 1,194 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 39.3° July 66.3°
Assessed Value: $19,627,632,200
Real Market Value: $34,978,576,014
Annual Precipitation: 40.35"
Economy: Government, agriculture, food processing, forest products, manufacturing, education and tourism
Related resources
History
Historical
Records Inventory
Scenic
Image
Economic
Information (from OBDD)
"County
Quick Facts" (from U.S.
Census Bureau)
County
Seat Map (from Yahoo!
Maps)
County
Map (from ODOT)
Incorporated cities
Aumsville | Aurora | Detroit | Donald | Gates | Gervais | Hubbard | Idanha | Jefferson | Keizer | Mill
City | Mt. Angel | Salem | Scotts
Mills | Silverton | St. Paul | Stayton | Sublimity | Turner | Woodburn
Points of interest
State Capitol, Champoeg State Park, Silver Falls State Park, The Oregon Garden, Wheatland Ferry, Buena Vista Ferry, Detroit Dam and Santiam River, Breitenbush Hot Springs, Mt. Angel Abbey, food processing plants, Willamette University, Chemeketa Community College, Mission Mill Museum Village, Bush House, Deepwood House and the Gilbert House Children’s Museum
History and general information
Marion County, then called Champooick, was created by the Provisional Government in 1843, 16 years before Oregon gained statehood. In 1849, the name was changed to Marion in honor of General Francis Marion.
The county, located in the heart of the Willamette Valley, has the Willamette River as its western boundary and the Cascade Range on the east. Salem, the county seat, is one of the valley’s oldest cities. Among its public buildings are the Marion County Courthouse, Courthouse Square county office building and Cherriots bus transit mall (opened in September 2000), State Capitol, Capitol Mall buildings and Salem Civic Center. The county was presided over by the Marion County Court until January 1, 1963, when the court was abolished and replaced by a Board of Commissioners.
County officials
Commissioners—Sam Brentano (R) 2013, Janet Carlson (R) 2015, Patricia Milne (R) 2015; Dist. Atty. Walter Beglau 2015; Interim Assess. Shawn Beaton; Clerk Bill Burgess 2013; Justices of the Peace Steven R. Summers 2015, Janice D. Zyrynoff 2013; Sheriff Jason Myers 2015; Surv. Mark Riggins; Treas. Laurie Steele 2015; Co. Admin. John Lattimer