Madison County, Iowa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madison County
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Madison County courthouse
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Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
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 Iowa's location within the U.S. |
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Iowa |
| Founded | 1846 |
| Named for | James Madison |
| Seat | Winterset |
| Largest city | Winterset |
| Area | |
| • Total | 562 sq mi (1,460 km2) |
| • Land | 561 sq mi (1,450 km2) |
| • Water | 1.2 sq mi (3 km2) 0.2% |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 16,548 |
| • Estimate
(2023)
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16,971  |
| • Density | 29.445/sq mi (11.369/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| Congressional district | 3rd |
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,548. The county seat is Winterset. Madison County is included in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Madison County is famous for being the county where John Wayne was born, and for a number of covered bridges. These bridges were featured in Robert James Waller's 1992 novella The Bridges of Madison County, as well as the 1995 film and 2014 musical based on it.
Contents
History
Madison County was formed on January 13, 1846. It has been self-governed since 1849. It was named after James Madison (1751–1836), the fourth President of the United States (between 1809 and 1817). Hiram Hurst was the first European-American settler in Madison County, having come from Missouri about April 15, 1846.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 562 square miles (1,460 km2), of which 561 square miles (1,450 km2) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2) (0.2%) is water.
Major highways
Interstate 80 (in the far northwestern corner of the county)
U.S. Highway 6
U.S. Highway 169
Iowa Highway 92
Adjacent counties
- Dallas County (north)
- Warren County (east)
- Clarke County (southeast)
- Union County (southwest)
- Adair County (west)
- Polk County (northeast, meeting in a 4-corners)
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1850 | 1,179 | — | |
| 1860 | 7,339 | 522.5% | |
| 1870 | 13,884 | 89.2% | |
| 1880 | 17,224 | 24.1% | |
| 1890 | 15,977 | −7.2% | |
| 1900 | 17,710 | 10.8% | |
| 1910 | 15,621 | −11.8% | |
| 1920 | 15,020 | −3.8% | |
| 1930 | 14,331 | −4.6% | |
| 1940 | 14,525 | 1.4% | |
| 1950 | 13,131 | −9.6% | |
| 1960 | 12,295 | −6.4% | |
| 1970 | 11,558 | −6.0% | |
| 1980 | 12,597 | 9.0% | |
| 1990 | 12,483 | −0.9% | |
| 2000 | 14,019 | 12.3% | |
| 2010 | 15,679 | 11.8% | |
| 2020 | 16,548 | 5.5% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 16,971 | 8.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2018 |
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2020 census
The 2020 census recorded a population of 16,548 in the county, with a population density of 29.3556/sq mi (11.3343/km2). 95.99% of the population reported being of one race. 92.42% were non-Hispanic White, 0.30% were Black, 1.91% were Hispanic, 0.15% were Native American, 0.51% were Asian, 0.08% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.63% were some other race or more than one race. There were 6,913 housing units, of which 6,436 were occupied.
2010 census
The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,679 in the county, with a population density of 27.9413/sq mi (10.7882/km2). There were 6,554 housing units, of which 6,025 were occupied.
Covered bridges
There are six extant covered bridges in Madison County, of the original nineteen:
- Cedar Bridge built 1883, destroyed 2002, rebuilt 2004, 76 feet (23 m) long. The rebuilt bridge was destroyed by a fire in 2017.
- Cutler-Donahoe Bridge built 1870, 79 feet (24 m) long.
- Hogback Covered Bridge built 1884, 97 feet (30 m) long.
- Holliwell Bridge built 1880, 122 feet (37 m) long. Featured in the 1995 movie The Bridges of Madison County.
- Imes Bridge built 1870, 81 feet (25 m) long.
- Roseman Covered Bridge built 1883, 107 feet (33 m) long, is the best known one, as it is featured in the 1995 movie The Bridges of Madison County.
The remaining covered bridges were designed by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster, with the following exceptions: Eli Cox built the Cutler-Donahoe Bridge, and J. P. Clark built the Imes Bridge.
Tunnel
Madison County is home to the only highway tunnel in Iowa, Harmon Tunnel, through the neck of an incised meander of the Middle River in Pammel Park.
Communities
Incorporated Communities
Unincorporated communities
Townships
- Crawford
- Douglas
- Grand River
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Lee
- Lincoln
- Madison
- Monroe
- Ohio
- Penn
- Scott
- South
- Union
- Walnut
- Webster
Population ranking
The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Madison County.
† county seat
| Rank | City/Town/etc. | Municipal type | Population (2020 Census) |
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| 1 | † Winterset | City | 5,353 |
| 2 | Earlham | City | 1,410 |
| 3 | St. Charles | City | 640 |
| 4 | Truro | City | 509 |
| 5 | Patterson | City | 176 |
| 6 | East Peru | City | 115 |
| 7 | Macksburg | City | 97 |
| 8 | Bevington (partially in Warren County) | City | 57 |
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Madison (Iowa) para niños
