Marion is located in
Smyth County, of which it is the county seat, 92 miles SW of
Roanoke near the Tennessee and North Carolina state lines along Interstate 81 near
Hungry Mother State Park in the
Western Region of the state. A popular vacation base, Marion is surrounded by the George Washington and
Jefferson National Forests and is near Hungry Mother State Park. Marion is located in southwestern Virginia, on I81; Mt Rogers National Recreation Area and
Grayson Highlands State Park are also nearby. The population estimate for July 1, 1998 was 6,519, a decrease of 111 since 1990.