Located in the heart of Kentucky’s Bluegrass Region, Marion County is equidistant from Louisville, Lexington and Frankfort. Lebanon, Marion’s county seat, is within one day’s traveling distance of two-thirds of the nation’s population.
ELEVATION:
560-800 Ft. Above Sea Level
CLIMATE:
Average annual temperature is 54.90 degrees.
Marion County averages 44.55 inches of rainfall and 15.90 inches of snowfall.
HISTORY:
Marion County is Kentucky's geographic center, amidst rolling bluegrass hills and rangy knoblands. Some of its first communities, established almost 200 years ago, were from one of Maryland's first migration movements in 1785. First settled in 1789, Marion County was later named after Revolutionary War General Francis Marion in 1834. Two historic churches mark the countryside: Holy Cross Church, dating back to 1823, and the Loretto Motherhouse, dating back to 1812. Maker's Mark Distillery, with its cypress vats dating back at least 100 years, is the only continuously operating distillery designated a National Historic Landmark. Lebanon was established on January 28, 1815. In the 1860's Lebanon was a crucial location on the L&N Railroad and the scene of considerable Civil War activity. It served as a recruiting center, a hospital center, and headquarters for the Union Army and Confederate Army. To the south of Lebanon, the Lebanon National Cemetery is the site of internment for many Union soldiers killed in the Battle of Perryville, Kentucky. In recent years Lebanon has established itself as a center of trade, commerce and industry in Central Kentucky.
POPULATION TRENDS:
2005 2010 2015
Marion County 19,138 20,049 20,975
Labor Market Area 270,614 283,317 296,258
EDUCATION:
Total enrollment for the Marion County School District in 2005 is 3,056 students. Marion County also has one non-public elementary school, St. Augustine, with 206 students. The Marion County Area Technology Center, located in Lebanon, offers career opportunities to area high school graduates and is also used for adult classes in the evening. Within 70 miles of Lebanon are 18 colleges and universities, which also provide job placement for area graduates.
MEDICAL:
Spring View Hospital represents a combination of advanced medical skills and technology, providing the best and the most modern technology and clinical procedures. Because they are part of our community, you still get the friendly smile, caring touch and genuine interest that make the patients and families feel right at home.
Spring View Hospital serves the residents of central Kentucky with 65 acute care beds, 10 beds assigned to skilled nursing care and 10 beds assigned to the Women's Center. Spring View has 285 employees and 25 active staff physicians, covering a broad spectrum of specialties.
RECREATION:
Public recreation facilities in or near Lebanon include eight tennis courts, one park, four playgrounds; one year-round covered aquatic center, three baseball diamonds, two football fields and a 3,400 foot jogging track. Sportsman's Lake, near the Lebanon city limits, is a public recreational area owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and operated by Marion County. The lake and surrounding area offers a clubhouse, a playground, and facilities for fishing, picnicking and archery. Set in the knobs of Central Kentucky, the Cecil L. Gorely Nature Trail covers 3.1 miles around Fagan Branch Reservoir. A moderate hike of approximately two hours duration takes the hiker through typical knob and woodland terrain and across more than forty log footbridges, some of which cross the reservoir backwater area. Wildlife and forest fauna are abundant. The Lebanon Country Club, a privately owned facility, offers a nine-hole golf course, a swimming pool and tennis courts. The Maker's Mark Distillery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Tours are offered Sunday through Saturday. A fitness center is located at the Marion County High School and is fully equipped with the latest exercise equipment. The facility is open to the public during the evenings and used by the high school students daily. Green River Lake State Park, comprising 1,300 acres of land and an 8,200-acre lake, provides year-round activities. Its beaches, boat docks, fishing, picnic areas and 96 campsites are open to the public.
MEDIA:
The Lebanon Enterprise is distributed weekly to a circulation of 6,450. Marion County-based radio stations include WLBN-AM and WLSK-FM. Local television is provided by WO6AY Channel Six TV. Cable stations are received from Campbellsville, Louisville and Lexington, from elsewhere in Kentucky, and from Alabama and Georgia.
ANNUAL EVENTS:
Lebanon/Marion County Farm, Home and Garden Show - April
Marion County Fair - July
Marion County Civil War Drama/Musical - July
Marion County Country Ham Days - Last full weekend in September
Halloween in the Park - October
Dickens Christmas - Last weekend of November
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:
Lebanon/Marion County Chamber of Commerce
239 Spalding Avenue
Suite 201, Lebanon, KY 40033
(270) 692-9594
Fax (270) 692-2661
chamber@hamdays.com
www.lebanonky.org
CHURCHES:
Lebanon is home to a wide variety of denominations, with almost every branch represented among its 33 churches. A.M.E., Baptist, C.M.E., Catholic, Christian, Church of Christ, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Jehovah's Witness, Methodist, Pentecostal and Presbyterian churches are all located in Marion County.
LARGEST EMPLOYERS:
TG Kentucky - 640
Marion County Public Schools - 630
Curtis-Maruyasu America - 543
Spring View Hospital - 333
Wilbert Plastics - 207
Kentucky Cooperage - 174
Marion Adjustment Center - 150
Portland Forge - 118
Angell Manufacturing - 103
Montebello Packaging - 102
Summa Technologies, Inc. Ken-Mar Division - 83
Plastic Products - 96
Maker's Mark Distillery - 71
TRANSPORTATION:
Highways: Lebanon is served by U.S. Highway 68 and Kentucky Highway 55, both "AAA"- rated (80,000 - pound gross load limit) trucking highways. The Martha Layne Collins Parkway, which provides easy access to Interstate 64, 65, and 75, is located 23 miles north via Kentucky 55 and 555. Interstate 65 is located 44 miles northwest of Lebanon, while Interstates 64 and 75 are located 65 miles northeast of Lebanon. The Louie B. Nunn Parkway is accessible 40 miles south via Kentucky 55.
Railroads: R.J. Corman Railroad provides the nearest branch line rail service at Bardstown, Kentucky, 25 miles northwest of Lebanon. The nearest intermodal facilities are located in Louisville, Kentucky, 66 miles northwest.
Motor Freight: Lebanon has 15 truck lines that have both interstate and intrastate trucking service.
Airports: Three easy-access airports are available in the area. The closest airport, the Lebanon-Springfield Airport, only four miles away, has a paved runway of 5,000 feet. Blue Grass Field, 57 miles northeast in Lexington, and Louisville International Airport, 61 miles northwest of Lebanon, provide commercial service.
UTILITIES:
Electric: Lebanon/Marion County is served by two companies, the Kentucky Utilities Company and the Inter County Energy Cooperative.
Natural Gas: Supplied by the Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, the Atmos Energy Company provides Lebanon with its gas service.
Water: With a treatment plant capacity of 5.2 million gallons per day, the Lebanon Water Works Company gets its raw water from Rolling Fork River to better serve the community's water needs. Average daily consumption is approximately 2.2 million, with a storage capacity of 2.3 million gallons.
Sewage: The City of Lebanon Sewer Department
Design capacity: 3 million gallons
Average daily flow: 1 million gallons per day
Treatment: Primary, secondary using aeration, clarification and post-treatment aeration and ultraviolet disinfectant.
MARION COUNTY TOTAL RETAIL SALES:
$126,000,000
Source: Sales and Marketing Management Magazine
TOTAL PERSONAL INCOME:
(2003) $396,066,000
PER CAPITA PERSONAL INCOME:
(2003) $21,105
Source: US Bureau of Economic Analysis
PROPERTY TAXES: (per $1,000 assessed value) 2004
City: $ 1.86
County School District: $ 7.37
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