Marion is proud to be the best place in Iowa to raise a family and grow a business. Here we reach higher and achieve more. In business and in life.

Did you know?

• Marion was recognized for its commitment to resident-centered decision-making with five 2024 Voice of the People (VOP) Awards. Marion was recognized for excellence and transformation in community design, transformation in parks and recreation, transformation in mobility and transformation in the natural environment. The VOP Awards are the only nationally recognized honors given to local governments based on resident input, government performance and the use of community data in decision-making.
  
  
• Marion's 7th Avenue Reconstruction and Streetscape Project and RDG Planning & Design were recognized with a Design Built, Merit Award in Sept. 2024 by the Iowa Chapter of American Society of Landscape Architects. The project transformed a vehicle-focused corridor into a pedestrian-friendly, festival hub.
  

• For the past 24 years, based on population and reported crimes, Marion continues to be one of the safest cities in Iowa.

• In April 2024, the National Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Forestry Bureau awarded Marion the Tree City USA Growth Award. Marion has achieved Tree City USA status every year since 1993 and has received the Growth Award since 1994.

• Marion was named 2023 Community of the Year by Community Playmaker. The national award recognizes innovative programs and initiatives that drive economic development, promote community engagement, provide places for residents to work and play, support public safety, amplify the arts and culture and build open, inclusive, high-quality environments for all people. 

• In September 2023, the Iowa Chapter of the American Public Works Association presented the City of Marion with the Project of the Year Award in the category of Transportation Greater than $2.5 million for the Central Corridor 7th Avenue Reconstruction and Streetscape Project from 8th to 12th Streets.

• In May 2023, with support from the Friends of Marion Parks and Iowa BIG, Marion was redesignated a Bird Friendly Iowa Community. Marion is proud to contribute to the creation and preservation of wildlife and bird habitat in our community.

• The American Council of Engineering Companies of Iowa presented the City of Marion and Shoemaker & Haaland the 2023 Honor Award for Engineering Excellence in the Special Projects Category for CeMar Trail: The Milwaukee Road Pedestrian Bridge.
  
  

• Uptown Marion received two awards from Main Street Iowa during the Main Street Development Awards in Des Moines in April 2023. Broad & Main received the Best Housing Project Award and the 7th Avenue Streetscape & North Plaza received the Comprehensive Placemaking Award.

• The Marion Fire Department Headquarters, and its use of biophilic design principles to support firefighter physical and mental wellness, continues to earn national and international recognition. In 2023 alone, it received the American Institute of Architects Justice Facilities Review Award; Architizer A+ Awards Special Mention; International Living Future Institute Stephen R. Kellert Biophilic Design Award; Rethinking the Future Awards Public Building (Built) Winner; and the American Institute of Architects Iowa Chapter Impact Award and Honor Award.

• Marion was proud to receive the All-Star Community Award in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021 from the Iowa League of Cities. Marion was among three of Iowa's 945 cities to garner such recognition. In 2017, the Klopfenstein Amphitheater for the Performing Arts at Lowe Park was recognized. In 2018, the community won the award for the Uptown Artway placemaking project. In 2020, the Prospect Meadows Sports Complex received top honors. In 2021, the award recognized the Marion YMCA & Community Rec Center.

• In July 2018, an effort let by the Marion Chamber of Commerce resulted in our community being re-designated as one of Iowa’s Great Places. The program celebrates communities with a bold vision for the future and supports the development of new and existing infrastructure. Marion will be able to apply for funding for projects tied to the community's vision plan, established as part of the ImagiNEXT visioning process.

• In June 2018, Marion was one of 20 cities to be honored at the 2018 City Livability Awards Program during the U.S. Conference of Mayors' 86th Annual Meeting in Boston. The award recognizes programs that improve the quality of life in America's cities. Mayor Nicolas AbouAssaly accepted the award for the Uptown Artway placemaking project.

• In September 2015, Marion became the first community in the Corridor to be Blue Zones certified. Over the course of 18 months, community volunteers developed and implemented a blueprint for making permanent environmental, social and policy changes that promote healthy living.

• In January 2013, Marion was selected the 49^th Main Street Iowa Community in the state. The local organization is known as Uptown Marion and is a division of the Marion Chamber of Commerce. It focuses on historic preservation with high economic impact in the Uptown district.
  
  
• In 2010, Marion was recognized as a Preserve America Community for protecting and celebrating its heritage and using its historic assets for economic development and community revitalization.
  
  
• In 2009, efforts of the Marion Chamber of Commerce resulted in our community being designated one of Iowa’s Great Places. The program provided state resources over a three year period to invigorate and invest in the infrastructure and cultural amenities of select Iowa communities. Marion’s projects included the Lowe Park Greenhouse, Lindale Trail, Thomas Park Maintenance Facility, and the Klopfenstein Amphitheater for the Performing Arts.