Madison, Connecticut facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Madison, Connecticut
Town
Town of Madison
Waterfront in Madison
Seal
New Haven County and Connecticut  South Central Connecticut Planning Region and Connecticut
Country	United States
U.S. state	Connecticut
County	New Haven
Region	South Central CT
Incorporated	1826
Government
• Type	Selectman-town meeting
Area
• Total	36.8 sq mi (95.3 km2)
• Land	36.2 sq mi (93.8 km2)
• Water	0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2)
Elevation	223 ft (68 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,691
• Density	480.7/sq mi (185.63/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (Eastern)
ZIP code	06443
Area code(s)	203/475
FIPS code	09-44560
GNIS feature ID	0213454
Commuter Rail
Major highways

Madison is a town located in the southeastern part of New Haven County, Connecticut. It sits right on the Long Island Sound shoreline. Madison is part of the South Central Connecticut Planning Region. In 2020, about 17,691 people lived there.

Discovering Madison's Past

Madison was first settled way back in 1641. For a long time in the 1700s, it was known as East Guilford. It officially became its own town in 1826. The town was named after James Madison, who was the 4th President of the United States.

From 1935 to 1942, Madison was home to Camp Hadley. This was one of 23 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps in Connecticut. The CCC was a program during the Great Depression that put young men to work on public projects.

Exploring Madison's Location

Madison covers about 36.8 square miles (95.3 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small part being water.

Madison shares its borders with several other towns:

• To the east are Clinton and Killingworth.
• To the north is Durham.
• To the west is Guilford.
• To the south is the Long Island Sound.

Main Areas in Madison

Madison has several important communities within its borders:

• East River
• Hammonasset Point
• Madison Center: This is the main business area. It's where you'll find the library and the historic Madison Green Historic District. In 2010, about 2,290 people lived here.
• North Madison
• Rockland

People of Madison

The population of Madison has grown a lot over the years. In 1850, there were just over 1,800 people. By 2020, the population had grown to 17,691.

In 2000, there were 17,858 people living in Madison. Most residents were White (96.62%). About 1.71% were Asian, and 0.40% were African American. About 1.34% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

Many households in Madison have children under 18. The average household had about 2.72 people. The median age in town was 41 years old.

Arts and Culture in Madison

E.C. Scranton Memorial Library

The E.C. Scranton Memorial Library is a beautiful building. It was built in 1901 and designed by architect Henry Bacon. The library was made even bigger in 1989.

E.C. Scranton Memorial Library, c. 1906

Historic Places to Visit

Madison has several buildings and sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These places are important because they tell us about the town's history.

• Allis-Bushnell House
• Deacon John Grave House
• Hammonasset Paper Mill Site
• Madison Green Historic District
• Meigs-Bishop House
• Jonathan Murray House
• Shelley House
• State Park Supply Yard

The historic Deacon John Grave House

Parks and Recreation in Madison

Beautiful Beaches

Madison is famous for its beaches!

• Hammonasset Beach State Park has the longest public beach in Connecticut. It's a great place for camping, picnics, and fishing.
• Other popular beaches include Surf Club Beach, East Wharf, and West Wharf.
• The Madison Beach Club is also located here.

Education in Madison

Madison Public Schools serve students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

• Elementary Schools: Ryerson Elementary School and Jeffery Elementary School.
• Middle Schools: Brown Middle School and Polson Middle School.
• High School: Daniel Hand High School.

There are also private elementary schools in Madison:

• Our Lady of Mercy Preparatory Academy
• The Country School
• Grove School

Getting Around Madison

Major Roads

Important roads that go through Madison include:

• I-95
• US 1
• State highways Route 79 and Route 80

Train Service

The Madison train station is served by the Shore Line East commuter railroad. You can take a train west to New Haven's Union Station or east to the Old Saybrook train station. From these stations, you can connect to other train services like Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak.

The Madison train station is a stop on the Shore Line East commuter rail line.

Bus Service

River Valley Transit offers public bus service. Routes 641 and 645 connect Madison Center to Old Saybrook and Middletown. CT Transit's route 201 bus connects Madison Center to New Haven.

In June 2024, River Valley Transit launched a new service called XtraMmile. This is a special type of on-demand bus service (called microtransit) that operates in Madison and Guilford, Connecticut.

Famous People from Madison

Many interesting people have lived in Madison, including:

• Jill Abramson: A former top editor at The New York Times.
• Brad Anderson: A film director.
• Sally Benson: The writer of Meet Me in St. Louis.
• Jim Calhoun: A famous basketball coach who led the Connecticut Huskies men's basketball team to three NCAA championships.
• Frank Duryea: An inventor who helped build the first American gasoline-powered car.
• Jacques Pépin: A well-known celebrity chef.
• Will Levis: An NFL player for the Tennessee Titans.
• Kiley McKinnon: A world champion skier.
• Mac Bohonnon: An Olympic skier.
• Jimmy Destri: A founding member and musician of the band 'Blondie'.

Sister City

Madison has a special connection with another town named Madison:

• Madison, New Jersey, United States

See also

In Spanish: Madison (Connecticut) para niños