[9] On January 23, 2018, a mass shooting occurred at Marshall County High School, near Benton, resulting in 19 injuries and 2 fatalities.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10 km2), all land.

Benton lies in the center of the county encompassing the hills just south and west of Clarks River.

Shape note singers gather annually at Benton on the fourth Sunday in May to sing from a tunebook called The Southern Harmony.

[14] Tater Day was started in 1843 as a celebration of spring, and a time when all of the townsfolk would get together and trade in sweet potato slips, used to grow the plants.

[15] It is also the oldest continuous trade day in the United States, in which goods such as guns, 'coon hounds, tobacco, or livestock are swapped or sold.

It includes political floats, Marshall County High School marching band, horses and buggies, clowns, vintage cars, horses, Miss Tater Day, and other things for which Marshall County is known.

There is also an annual Tater day derby that is hosted at the dirt track at the Benton City Park.