Madison County, Virginia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madison County
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Madison County Courthouse, built 1829
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Location within the U.S. state of Virginia
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 Virginia's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Virginia |
| Founded | 1792 |
| Named for | James Madison |
| Seat | Madison |
| Largest town | Madison |
| Area | |
| • Total | 322 sq mi (830 km2) |
| • Land | 321 sq mi (830 km2) |
| • Water | 1.2 sq mi (3 km2) 0.4% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 13,837  |
| • Density | 43/sq mi (17/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 7th |
Madison County is a place in Virginia, a state in the United States. It's called a county. In 2020, about 13,837 people lived here. The main town and government center is called Madison.
Contents
History of Madison County
Madison County was created in December 1792. It was formed from a larger area called Culpeper County. The county got its name from the Madison family. This family owned a lot of land along the Rapidan River. A very famous person, President James Madison, was part of this family.
Geography of Madison County
Madison County covers about 322 square miles (834 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a small part being water.
A big part of western Madison County is inside Shenandoah National Park. This park has many cool places. These include Hawksbill Mountain, which is the highest point in the park and in Madison County. You can also find Old Rag Mountain, a very popular spot for visitors.
Rapidan Camp
Rapidan Camp is another interesting place. It was a special retreat built for Herbert Hoover when he was president. It was built between 1929 and 1932. The camp had 13 buildings, with "The Brown House" as the main one. Today, only three of these buildings are still standing.
President Hoover loved to fish. So, the camp was built where two streams meet to form the Rapidan River. He even made sure it was high enough to avoid mosquitoes while fishing! In 1932, the camp was given to Virginia. In 1935, it became part of Shenandoah National Park.
Neighboring Counties
Madison County shares borders with these other counties:
- Page County, Virginia – to the northwest
- Rappahannock County, Virginia – to the north
- Culpeper County, Virginia – to the east
- Orange County, Virginia – to the southeast
- Greene County, Virginia – to the southwest
Protected Areas
- Shenandoah National Park (part of it is in Madison County)
Main Roads
These are the major highways that go through Madison County:
US 15
US 29
SR 230
SR 231
Population of Madison County
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 8,322 | — | |
| 1810 | 8,381 | 0.7% | |
| 1820 | 8,490 | 1.3% | |
| 1830 | 9,236 | 8.8% | |
| 1840 | 8,107 | −12.2% | |
| 1850 | 9,331 | 15.1% | |
| 1860 | 8,854 | −5.1% | |
| 1870 | 8,670 | −2.1% | |
| 1880 | 10,562 | 21.8% | |
| 1890 | 10,225 | −3.2% | |
| 1900 | 10,216 | −0.1% | |
| 1910 | 10,055 | −1.6% | |
| 1920 | 9,595 | −4.6% | |
| 1930 | 8,952 | −6.7% | |
| 1940 | 8,465 | −5.4% | |
| 1950 | 8,273 | −2.3% | |
| 1960 | 8,187 | −1.0% | |
| 1970 | 8,638 | 5.5% | |
| 1980 | 10,232 | 18.5% | |
| 1990 | 11,949 | 16.8% | |
| 2000 | 12,520 | 4.8% | |
| 2010 | 13,308 | 6.3% | |
| 2020 | 13,837 | 4.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010 2020 |
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The population of Madison County has changed over many years. In 2020, the county had 13,837 people. Most residents are White, but there are also Black or African American, Asian, and people of mixed races. Some residents are also of Hispanic or Latino background.
Towns and Communities
Towns
Other Communities
- Brightwood (a census-designated place)
Many smaller communities are also part of Madison County:
- Aroda
- Aylor
- Banco
- Beaver Park
- Big Meadows
- Burnt Tree
- Criglersville
- Decapolis
- Duet
- Elly
- Etlan
- Five Forks
- Fletcher
- Fordsville
- Graves Mill
- Haywood
- Hood
- Kinderhook
- Leon
- Locust Dale
- Madison Mills
- Nethers
- Novum
- O'Neal
- Oakpark
- Oldrag
- Pratts
- Radiant
- Repton Mills
- Rochelle
- Ruth
- Shelby
- Syria
- Tanners
- Tryme
- Twyman's Mill
- Uno
- Waylandsburg
- Wolftown
- Zeus
Education in Madison County
Madison County Public Schools has about 2,000 students. These students attend four different schools.
- Madison Primary School teaches grades K–2 and has about 370 students.
- Waverly Yowell Elementary School teaches grades 3–5 and has about 410 students.
- William Wetsel Middle School teaches grades 6–8 and has about 415 students.
- Madison County High School teaches grades 9–12 and has about 665 students.
Madison County is also home to Woodberry Forest School. This is a private boarding school just for boys.
Madison County High School
Madison County High School (MCHS) is the only high school in the county. Students in grades 9–12 go to MCHS. In 2013–2014, there were 584 students.
The school's sports teams are called the Mountaineers. They have two main logos. One shows a Mountaineer leading a group of people. The other is an "M" with a "C" for Madison County. The school colors are blue and white.
MCHS offers many sports, including football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. They also have cheerleading teams. In 2012, the Forensics team won a state championship!
The high school offers advanced classes called AP courses. They also have dual enrollment courses. These allow students to earn college credits through Germanna Community College. MCHS has high passing rates on state tests. More than 90% of its students graduate each year.
William H. Wetsel Middle School
William H. Wetsel Middle School opened in August 1993. It was named after William Wetsel. He used to be an agriculture teacher and superintendent in Madison County. This school teaches grades 6, 7, and 8.
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Madison (Virginia) para niños
