Minnesota State Highways 38 and 286 are two of the main routes in the community.

Marcell is located 28 miles north of Grand Rapids.

Nearby places include Bigfork, Talmoon, Bowstring, Deer River, and Effie.

Despite its unincorporated status, Marcell appears on most more detailed maps of Minnesota due to the presence of several locally important businesses and the lack of larger communities in the surrounding area.

The site of the town center was originally at a store operated by John Lundeen on Big Turtle Lake, but was moved in 1910 to its present location near the railway.