| County: | Madison County |
| State: | Illinois |
| Founded Date: | September 14 |
| Founded Year: | 1812 |
| Ex Image: | Madison County Courthouse, Edwardsville.jpg |
| Ex Image Cap: | Madison County Courthouse in Edwardsville |
| Seat Wl: | Edwardsville |
| Largest City Wl: | Granite City |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 741 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 716 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 25 |
| Area Percentage: | 3.4 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 264776 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Est: | 262752 |
| Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| District2: | 13th |
| District3: | 15th |
| Time Zone: | Central |
| Web: | www.madisoncountyil.gov |
Madison County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a part of the Metro East in southern Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 264,776,[1] making it the eighth-most populous county in Illinois and the most populous in the southern portion of the state. The county seat is Edwardsville, and the largest city is Granite City.[2]
Madison County is part of the Metro East region of Greater St. Louis. The pre-Columbian city of Cahokia Mounds, a World Heritage Site, was located near Collinsville. Edwardsville is home to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. To the north, Alton is known for its abolitionist and American Civil War-era history. It is also the home of the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. Godfrey, the village named for Captain Benjamin Godfrey, offers Lewis and Clark Community College formerly the Monticello Female Seminary.
Madison County was established on September 14, 1812. It was formed from parts of Randolph and St. Clair counties and named for President James Madison. At the time of its formation, Madison County included all of the modern State of Illinois north of St. Louis, as well as all of Wisconsin, part of Minnesota, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
In the late 19th century, Madison County became an industrial region, and in the 20th century was known first for Graniteware, and later for its steel mills, oil refineries, and other heavy industries. The county had a large working population, and the county and surrounding area was a center of strength for the Democratic Party.
Industrial restructuring cost many jobs and reduced the population. The county now is part of the eastern St. Louis metropolitan area (nicknamed "Metro East"), as is neighboring St. Clair County.
In 2009, the EPA issued an air pollution report that ranked Madison County as the county with the second-highest cancer risk in the country due to air pollution, second only to Los Angeles County, California.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (3.4%) is water. Madison County is on the Mississippi River, while the other major body of water is Horseshoe Lake.
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Edwardsville have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of was recorded in July 2012. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in May. Climate Zone 4A per the International Energy Conservation Code.
Madison County Transit serves the county with 25 bus routes and 85miles of bike trails. Intercity rail service is provided by Amtrak at Alton station. Trains on the Lincoln Service route travel between Chicago and St. Louis.
According to the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the county was 81.4% white (80.4% white non-Hispanic), 9.4% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 6.3% two or more races, and 1.5% some other race. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.1% of the population.[3]
According to the 2010 census, there were 269,282 people, 108,094 households, and 71,756 families residing in the county.[4] The population density was . There were 117,106 housing units at an average density of .[5] The racial makeup of the county was 88.2% white, 7.9% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population.[4] In terms of ancestry, 32.7% were German, 14.9% were Irish, 10.5% were English, 7.5% were American, and 5.7% were Italian.[6]
Of the 108,094 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.6% were non-families, and 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 38.6 years.[4]
The median income for a household in the county was $51,941 and the median income for a family was $64,630. Males had a median income of $50,355 versus $35,543 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,127. About 9.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.[7]
Madison County is divided into twenty-four townships:
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Madison County.
† county seat
| Rank | Place | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Granite City | City | 27,549 |
| 2 | † Edwardsville | City | 26,808 |
| 3 | Alton | City | 25,676 |
| 4 | Collinsville (partially in St. Clair County) | City | 24,366 |
| 5 | Godfrey | Village | 17,825 |
| 6 | Glen Carbon | Village | 13,842 |
| 7 | Troy | City | 10,960 |
| 8 | Wood River | Village | 10,464 |
| 9 | Highland | City | 9,991 |
| 10 | Bethalto | Village | 9,310 |
| 11 | Maryville | Village | 8,221 |
| 12 | Pontoon Beach | Village | 5,876 |
| 13 | East Alton | Village | 5,786 |
| 14 | Rosewood Heights | CDP | 3,971 |
| 15 | Madison (partially in St. Clair County) | City | 3,171 |
| 16 | Holiday Shores | CDP | 2,840 |
| 17 | Fairmont City (partially in St. Clair County) | City | 2,265 |
| 18 | South Roxana | Village | 1,891 |
| 19 | Venice | City | 1,498 |
| 20 | Roxana | Village | 1,454 |
| 21 | St. Jacob | Village | 1,358 |
| 22 | Mitchell | CDP | 1,217 |
| 23 | Hartford | Village | 1,185 |
| 24 | Worden | Village | 1,096 |
| 25 | Hamel | Village | 929 |
| 26 | Marine | Village | 912 |
| 27 | Livingston | Village | 763 |
| 28 | Alhambra | Village | 622 |
| 29 | Pierron | Village | 459 |
| 30 | Moro | CDP | 397 |
| 31 | New Douglas | Village | 350 |
| 32 | Grantfork | Village | 341 |
| 33 | Williamson | Village | 183 |
Like much of southern Illinois, Madison County was a predominantly Democratic area for much of its history, but in recent elections has been moving toward Republican. Mitt Romney narrowly carried the county in the 2012 presidential election, becoming the first Republican presidential nominee to do so since 1984. In 2016, Donald Trump carried the largest share of the vote for any Republican presidential candidate since 1972. The county also supported the Republican candidates for governor in 2010, 2014, 2018, and 2022.