Madison, West Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madison
|
|
|---|---|
Main Street in Madison in 2007
|
|
| Nickname(s):
The Gateway to the Coal Fields
|
|
Location of Madison in Boone County, West Virginia.
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| County | Boone |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.06 sq mi (18.29 km2) |
| • Land | 7.01 sq mi (18.14 km2) |
| • Water | 0.06 sq mi (0.15 km2) |
| Elevation | 702 ft (214 m) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 2,911 |
| • Estimate
(2021)
|
2,838 |
| • Density | 381.53/sq mi (147.32/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
25130
|
| Area code(s) | 304 |
| FIPS code | 54-50524 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1542678 |
Madison is a city in Boone County, West Virginia, United States. It is the main town, or county seat, of Boone County. In 2020, the city had a population of 2,911 people. Madison was once a town known for its coal mining. It is often called "The Gateway to the Coal Fields." This is because it sits on a key route to the southern coal mining areas.
Contents
History
How Madison Began
Madison first started as a place called Boone Court House. Around 1865, the town was renamed Madison. Many believe it was named after James Madison, who was the fourth president of the United States.
Other ideas suggest it was named for a lawyer named James Madison Laidley. It might also have been named for William Madison Peyton. He was an early coal operator and helped create Boone County. Madison officially became a city in 1906.
Important Buildings
The first courthouse in Madison was a log building. It was burned down by Union soldiers early in the American Civil War. A second courthouse, made of brick, was used until 1913. County officials then used a wooden building for several years.
The current Boone County Courthouse opened in 1921. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a very important historical building. The Madison National Bank building is also on this list.
Coal and Conflicts
Madison is known as the "Gateway to the Coalfields." This is because it is on a main road that leads into the southern coal mining areas. The city played an important role during the Mine Wars. This was a big conflict between coal miners and coal companies in 1921.
Miners gathered twice at the town ballpark in August 1921. They met to decide if they should continue their march to nearby Logan and Mingo counties. Thousands of armed marchers passed through Madison. They were on their way to and from the fighting at Blair Mountain. This mountain is located up Spruce Fork from Madison.
Today, the WV Coal Festival is held in Madison every June. It has been a yearly event since 1994.
Geography
Location and Rivers
Madison is located at 38°3′43″N 81°49′6″W / 38.06194°N 81.81833°W. The Little Coal River begins in Madison. This happens where its two branches, Spruce Fork and Pond Fork, join together.
The United States Census Bureau states that Madison covers about 7.07 square miles (18.29 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 7.01 square miles (18.14 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.06 square miles (0.15 square kilometers), is water.
Climate
| Climate data for Madison, West Virginia (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1894–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 82 (28) |
83 (28) |
89 (32) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
100 (38) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
101 (38) |
97 (36) |
89 (32) |
80 (27) |
104 (40) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 69.4 (20.8) |
72.5 (22.5) |
80.4 (26.9) |
87.9 (31.1) |
89.9 (32.2) |
93.5 (34.2) |
95.2 (35.1) |
94.1 (34.5) |
92.0 (33.3) |
85.6 (29.8) |
78.8 (26.0) |
70.2 (21.2) |
96.4 (35.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 44.8 (7.1) |
48.7 (9.3) |
57.7 (14.3) |
70.1 (21.2) |
77.5 (25.3) |
84.2 (29.0) |
87.2 (30.7) |
86.2 (30.1) |
81.0 (27.2) |
70.3 (21.3) |
58.6 (14.8) |
48.3 (9.1) |
67.9 (19.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 34.7 (1.5) |
37.8 (3.2) |
45.3 (7.4) |
55.9 (13.3) |
65.0 (18.3) |
72.6 (22.6) |
76.3 (24.6) |
75.2 (24.0) |
69.0 (20.6) |
57.2 (14.0) |
46.0 (7.8) |
38.4 (3.6) |
56.1 (13.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 24.6 (−4.1) |
26.9 (−2.8) |
33.0 (0.6) |
41.7 (5.4) |
52.4 (11.3) |
61.0 (16.1) |
65.4 (18.6) |
64.1 (17.8) |
56.9 (13.8) |
44.2 (6.8) |
33.4 (0.8) |
28.4 (−2.0) |
44.3 (6.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 4.3 (−15.4) |
8.4 (−13.1) |
15.5 (−9.2) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
36.6 (2.6) |
48.2 (9.0) |
55.9 (13.3) |
54.3 (12.4) |
43.5 (6.4) |
29.8 (−1.2) |
19.3 (−7.1) |
12.3 (−10.9) |
1.2 (−17.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −25 (−32) |
−19 (−28) |
−8 (−22) |
20 (−7) |
27 (−3) |
35 (2) |
40 (4) |
42 (6) |
30 (−1) |
16 (−9) |
6 (−14) |
−16 (−27) |
−25 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.60 (91) |
3.51 (89) |
4.43 (113) |
4.37 (111) |
5.41 (137) |
4.47 (114) |
5.42 (138) |
4.26 (108) |
3.41 (87) |
3.25 (83) |
3.19 (81) |
4.23 (107) |
49.55 (1,259) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.0 (15) |
3.6 (9.1) |
3.3 (8.4) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.6 (1.5) |
3.6 (9.1) |
17.3 (44) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 16.3 | 14.7 | 16.1 | 14.2 | 14.8 | 13.9 | 14.0 | 11.0 | 9.9 | 11.3 | 12.1 | 15.9 | 164.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.8 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.9 | 12.3 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
People of Madison
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 295 | — | |
| 1920 | 604 | 104.7% | |
| 1930 | 1,156 | 91.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,205 | 4.2% | |
| 1950 | 2,025 | 68.0% | |
| 1960 | 2,215 | 9.4% | |
| 1970 | 2,342 | 5.7% | |
| 1980 | 3,228 | 37.8% | |
| 1990 | 3,051 | −5.5% | |
| 2000 | 2,677 | −12.3% | |
| 2010 | 3,076 | 14.9% | |
| 2020 | 2,911 | −5.4% | |
| 2021 (est.) | 2,838 | −7.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population Changes
The population of Madison has changed over the years. In 1910, there were 295 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 2,911. The city's population was estimated to be 2,838 in 2021.
Who Lives Here?
In 2010, Madison had 3,076 people living in 1,299 households. A household is a group of people living in one home. The city had about 439 people per square mile.
Most residents, 96.3%, were White. About 2.3% were African American, and 0.4% were Asian. About 0.9% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.
About 29.9% of households had children under 18. Many households, 51.7%, were married couples. The average household had 2.36 people. The average family had 2.86 people.
The average age in Madison was 42.1 years old. About 21.2% of residents were under 18. About 16% were 65 years old or older. There were slightly more females (51.8%) than males (48.2%).
In 2000, there were 2,677 people in Madison. The average income for a household was $29,911. For families, it was $37,232. About 21.4% of the population lived below the poverty line. This included 31.8% of those under 18.
Famous People
- Fred Haddad - He helped start and was president of the discount store chain called Heck's.
See also
In Spanish: Madison (Virginia Occidental) para niños
