Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Its county seat is Ocala. Marion County was created in 1844 and named after General Francis Marion of South Carolina, a guerilla fighter and hero of the American Revolutionary War. The county motto is "Kingdom of the Sun." Marion County has a total area of approximately 1,663 square miles of which 95% is land and 5% water. As of the 2000 census, there were 258,916 people, 106,755 households, and 74,621 families residing in Marion County, FL.