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Madison County
Madison County
County
	Madison County Courthouse in Huntsville
	Seal
	Location within the U.S. state of Alabama
	Alabama's location within the U.S.
	Coordinates: 34°45′57″N 86°33′28″W / 34.765833333333°N 86.557777777778°W
Country	United States
State	Alabama
Founded	December 13, 1808
Named for	James Madison
Seat	Huntsville
Largest city	Huntsville
Government
• Commission Chairman	Mac McCutcheon
Area
• Total	813 sq mi (2,110 km2)
• Land	802 sq mi (2,080 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2) 1.4%
Population (2020)
• Total	388,153
• Estimate (2023)	412,600
• Density	480/sq mi (180/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	5th
Website	www.madisoncountyal.gov
	County Number 47 on Alabama License Plates; Largest County by population not shuffled to top 2 on Alabama License Plates;

Madison County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 388,153, and according to a 2023 population estimate the county has become the second-most populous county in Alabama.^[3] Its county seat is Huntsville.^[4] Since the mid-20th century it has become an area of defense and space research and industry. The county is named in honor of James Madison,^[5] fourth President of the United States and the first President to visit the state of Alabama. Madison County covers parts of the former Decatur County. Madison County is included in the Huntsville, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Madison County was established on December 13, 1808, by the governor of the Mississippi Territory.^[1] It is recognized as the "birthplace" of the state of Alabama, which was admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. Huntsville was designated as the first capital of the new state.

For much of the county's history, its economy was based on agriculture, particularly cotton plantations, which were established across the uplands. These plantations and their owners' profits were dependent on the labor of enslaved African Americans before the Civil War. Madison County was one of the largest cotton-producing counties in the state.

Madison County was the largest county in Alabama in population from 1810 to 1840.^[6]^[7] In the 1810 census alone, Madison County made up nearly half of the population in what would become Alabama, though this did not include Native American tribes and their people. By 1850 however it would lose the title and be the 7th due to its population growth having slowed down. The likely reason was due to Madison County having mainly relied on cotton with little to no other industries.^[8]

Cotton remained important after the war. Most labor for cultivation was still provided by African Americans, but they worked as sharecroppers and tenant farmers. By the late 19th century, textile mills had been established around the county; they were restricted to white workers by the Jim Crow practices of racial segregation. During the early 20th century, the economy continued to be largely agricultural, although textile mills expanded their production.

During World War II, the Army established Redstone Arsenal here as a chemical weapon manufacturing site, and the county attracted related industries. After the war, it became a center of new weapon and rocket development. In 1950, a group of exiled German rocket scientists, led by Wernher von Braun, came to Redstone Arsenal from Fort Bliss, Texas in order to conduct research and development of new types of rockets.

By the 1960s, research expanded to rockets for space exploration. The Redstone rocket was modified to launch the first two Americans into space. The US began to emphasize investment in the Space Race, in order to compete with the Soviet Union during the Cold War years and to increase scientific gains. This work in the defense and space industries has generated tens of thousands of jobs in the area, most of them private contractors working in these fields. The population of Madison County has risen from 72,903 in 1950 to an estimated 403,565 in 2022.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 813 square miles (2,110 km²), of which 802 square miles (2,080 km²) is land and 11 square miles (28 km²) (1.4%) is water.^[9]

The topography in the southern and eastern portions of the county is dominated by the dissected remnants of the Cumberland Plateau, such as Keel Mountain, Monte Sano Mountain and Green Mountain. The northern and western portions of the county are flatter.

Rivers

Adjacent counties

National protected area

Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1810	4,699		—
1820	17,481		272.0%
1830	27,990		60.1%
1840	25,706		−8.2%
1850	26,427		2.8%
1860	26,451		0.1%
1870	31,267		18.2%
1880	37,625		20.3%
1890	38,119		1.3%
1900	43,702		14.6%
1910	47,041		7.6%
1920	51,268		9.0%
1930	64,623		26.0%
1940	66,317		2.6%
1950	72,903		9.9%
1960	117,348		61.0%
1970	186,540		59.0%
1980	196,966		5.6%
1990	238,912		21.3%
2000	276,700		15.8%
2010	334,811		21.0%
2020	388,153		15.9%
2023 (est.)	412,600	^[10]	6.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[11] 1790–1960^[12] 1900–1990^[13] 1990–2000^[14] 2010–2020^[3]

2020 census

**Madison County, Alabama – Racial and Ethnic Composition**
(*NH = Non-Hispanic*)
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity	Pop 2000^[15]	Pop 2010^[16]	Pop 2020^[17]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	196,496	221,445	237,497	71.01%	66.14%	61.19%
Black or African American alone (NH)	62,602	79,517	91,079	22.62%	23.75%	23.46%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	2,067	2,335	2,132	0.75%	0.70%	0.55%
Asian alone (NH)	5,107	8,167	10,179	1.85%	2.44%	2.62%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	140	321	450	0.05%	0.10%	0.12%
Other race alone (NH)	300	471	1,702	0.11%	0.14%	0.44%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	4,762	7,151	20,178	1.72%	2.14%	5.20%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	5,226	15,404	24,936	1.89%	4.60%	6.42%
Total	276,700	334,811	388,153	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

As of the 2020 census, there were 388,153 people, 157,770 households, and 101,684 families residing in the county.^[18] The population density was 484.2 inhabitants per square mile (187.0/km²) There were 169,820 housing units.

2010

As of the 2010 census, there were 334,811 people, 109,955 households, out of which 33.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 53.40% were married couples living together, 11.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.50% were non-families. Nearly 27.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45, and the average family size was 3.00.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 25.60% under the age of 18, 9.40% from 18 to 24, 31.50% from 25 to 44, 22.70% from 45 to 64, and 10.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $44,704, and the median income for a family was $54,360. Males had a median income of $40,779 versus $26,534 for females. The per capita income for the county was $23,091. About 8.10% of families and 10.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 9.60% of those age 65 or over.

2000

As of the 2000 census, there were 276,700 people, 109,955 households, and 75,319 families residing in the county. The population density was 344 people per square mile (133 people/km²). There were 120,288 housing units at an average density of 149 units per square mile (58 units/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 72.06% White, 22.78% Black or African American, 0.77% Native American, 1.86% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. Nearly 1.91% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

According to the 2000 census, the largest ancestry groups in Madison County were English 50.2%, African 22.78%, Scots-Irish 8.71%, Irish 4.3%, Scottish 4.12%, and Welsh 2.9%.

Communities

Cities

Huntsville (county seat; partly in Limestone County and partly in Morgan County)
Madison (partly in Limestone County)
New Hope
Owens Cross Roads

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Education

The Madison County School System runs public schools throughout the unincorporated areas of the county and the incorporated and unincorporated communities of: Gurley, Harvest, Hazel Green, Meridianville, Moores Mill, New Hope, Owens Cross Roads, New Market, Redstone Arsenal. It also includes a few parcels of Huntsville.^[19] The system also includes Toney and Monrovia.^{[citation needed]} The system runs 14 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 5 high schools and a ninth grade school, and a career/technical center.

High schools in the Madison County School System are:

There are a number of private schools serving Madison County. These include Randolph School, Madison Academy, Westminster Christian Academy, Faith Christian Academy, and several others.

Madison City and the vast majority of Huntsville both have their own separate school systems (Madison City School District and Huntsville City School District).^[19] The Madison City School District also includes the town of Triana.

Transportation

Major highways

Interstate 565
U.S. Highway 72 (University Drive in Huntsville city limits)
U.S. Highway 231 (Memorial Parkway in Huntsville city limits)
U.S. Highway 431 (Governors Drive in Medical District of Huntsville; Memorial Parkway for rest of length in Huntsville City Limits)
State Route 53 (Jordan Lane in much of Huntsville city limits)
State Route 255 (Research Park Boulevard)

Transit

Orbit

Rail

Air travel

The Port of Huntsville provides both passenger air service, via Huntsville International Airport which allows access to most of the rest of the United States, and shipping air service, via the International Intermodal Center. There are also three smaller public airports in the county: Hazel Green Airport, Madison County Executive Airport, and Moontown Airport.

Bicycle routes

There are several bicycle routes in the city of Huntsville. Madison County has a master plan to develop a 70-mile bicycle and walking trail.^[20]

Politics

Madison County was formerly an overwhelmingly Democratic county as with most of the rest of Alabama, with only a narrow loss by Al Smith in 1928 due to Prohibitionist anti-Catholicism^[21] disrupting this trend until the 1960s. Even in 1964, the county nearly voted against Barry Goldwater due to its opposition to the Arizona Senator's privatization plans for the Tennessee Valley Authority. However, since that time, the county has become solidly Republican, with the only national Democratic nominee to carry the county since 1960 being Deep South native Jimmy Carter in 1976. In the 2016 election, Gary Johnson had his best showing in the state, carrying 4.05 percent of the vote. The county is trending less Republican recently, 58.9% in 2004, 56.9% in 2008, 54.8% in 2016, and in 2020 the Republican margin of victory was the lowest since 1980. For Alabama counties supporting Donald Trump in 2016, it was the fourth narrowest margin, and in 2020 the third-narrowest after Conecuh and Barbour.

The governing body of the county is a commission. The commission is responsible for levying the county tax, establish, maintain, and discontinue county roads and bridges. The commission is also responsible for the county jail as well as the sheriff's department. The County Commission is composed of seven members. A Chairman is elected at-large by the county while each of the other six members is elected by their districts. Each commissioner serves a four-year term.^[22] In 2020, Violet Edwards made history becoming the first black woman to be elected to the Madison County Commission.^[23]

United States presidential election results for Madison County, Alabama^[24]
Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party(ies)
Year	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	105,430	53.35%	87,824	44.44%	4,363	2.21%
2020	102,780	52.77%	87,286	44.82%	4,701	2.41%
2016	89,520	54.79%	62,822	38.45%	11,047	6.76%
2012	90,884	58.47%	62,015	39.90%	2,529	1.63%
2008	86,965	56.88%	64,117	41.93%	1,817	1.19%
2004	77,173	58.88%	52,644	40.17%	1,245	0.95%
2000	62,151	54.85%	48,199	42.53%	2,968	2.62%
1996	50,390	49.96%	42,259	41.90%	8,209	8.14%
1992	51,444	47.71%	38,974	36.14%	17,416	16.15%
1988	53,575	67.06%	25,800	32.29%	519	0.65%
1984	50,428	64.54%	26,881	34.40%	825	1.06%
1980	30,604	47.03%	30,469	46.82%	3,999	6.15%
1976	20,959	36.59%	35,497	61.96%	831	1.45%
1972	38,899	73.42%	13,108	24.74%	977	1.84%
1968	13,213	25.43%	8,004	15.41%	30,736	59.16%
1964	14,279	51.93%	0	0.00%	13,217	48.07%
1960	5,299	32.34%	10,959	66.88%	128	0.78%
1956	2,993	24.63%	9,054	74.52%	103	0.85%
1952	1,623	16.36%	8,216	82.82%	81	0.82%
1948	466	13.22%	0	0.00%	3,060	86.78%
1944	455	8.39%	4,951	91.33%	15	0.28%
1940	566	9.28%	5,515	90.44%	17	0.28%
1936	514	8.26%	5,661	91.01%	45	0.72%
1932	559	10.35%	4,792	88.76%	48	0.89%
1928	2,695	50.11%	2,681	49.85%	2	0.04%
1924	368	14.23%	2,166	83.76%	52	2.01%
1920	489	14.64%	2,822	84.49%	29	0.87%
1916	215	8.69%	2,206	89.17%	53	2.14%
1912	150	5.47%	2,146	78.21%	448	16.33%
1908	277	11.13%	2,168	87.10%	44	1.77%
1904	182	7.87%	2,119	91.61%	12	0.52%
1900	1,679	31.27%	3,641	67.80%	50	0.93%
1896	2,548	37.73%	4,056	60.06%	149	2.21%
1892	3	0.05%	3,046	45.72%	3,614	54.24%
1888	2,595	54.77%	2,136	45.08%	7	0.15%

Places of interest

Madison County is home to Monte Sano State Park, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and part of the Flint River. It also contains Hampton Cove Golf Course, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. There is a historical marker for Lincoln School and Village which were incorporated into Huntsville in 1956.^[25]