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Madison County, North Carolina facts for kids

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Madison County
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall
Madison County Courthouse in Marshall
Official seal of Madison County
Seal
Map of North Carolina highlighting Madison County
Location within the U.S. state of North Carolina
Map of the United States highlighting North Carolina
North Carolina's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  North Carolina
Founded 1851
Named for James Madison
Seat Marshall
Largest town Mars Hill
Area
 • Total 451 sq mi (1,170 km2)
 • Land 450 sq mi (1,200 km2)
 • Water 1.9 sq mi (5 km2)  0.4%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2018)
21,763
 • Density 46/sq mi (18/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional district 11th
Advertisement for Warm Springs Hotel Madison County North Carolina
Advertisement for Warm Springs Hotel, Madison County, ca. 1880

Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 20,764. Its county seat is Marshall. Madison County is part of the Asheville, NC Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 451 square miles (1,170 km2), of which 450 square miles (1,200 km2) is land and 1.9 square miles (4.9 km2) (0.4%) is water.

Madison County is located deep in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina, and much of the county's terrain is rugged, heavily forested, and sparsely populated. The county's northern border is with the State of Tennessee. Madison County's largest river is the French Broad River, which flows north-northwest through the county, first past the county seat of Marshall, then past the resort town of Hot Springs.

Adjacent counties

National protected area

  • Pisgah National Forest (part)

Major highways

  • I-26
  • US 19
  • US 23
  • US 23A
  • US 25 (BUS)
  • US 70 (BUS)
  • NC 63
  • NC 208
  • NC 209
  • NC 212
  • NC 213
  • NC 251

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 5,908
1870 8,192 38.7%
1880 12,810 56.4%
1890 17,805 39.0%
1900 20,644 15.9%
1910 20,132 −2.5%
1920 20,083 −0.2%
1930 20,306 1.1%
1940 22,522 10.9%
1950 20,522 −8.9%
1960 17,217 −16.1%
1970 16,003 −7.1%
1980 16,827 5.1%
1990 16,953 0.7%
2000 19,635 15.8%
2010 20,764 5.7%
2020 21,193 2.1%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2013

2020 census

Madison County racial composition
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 19,233 90.75%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 197 0.93%
Native American 56 0.26%
Asian 84 0.4%
Pacific Islander 1 0.0%
Other/Mixed 874 4.12%
Hispanic or Latino 748 3.53%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 21,193 people, 8,403 households, and 5,456 families residing in the county.

Communities

Map of Madison County North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels
Map of Madison County, North Carolina With Municipal and Township Labels

Towns

Townships

The county is divided into eleven townships: Beech Glenn, Ebbs Chapel, Grapevine, Hot Springs, Laurel, Mars Hill, Marshall, Revere Rice Cove, Sandy Mush, Spring Creek and Walnut.

Formerly there were sixteen townships, which were both numbered and named:

  • 1 (Marshall)
  • 2 (Shelton Laurel)
  • 3 (Bull Creek)
  • 4 (Middle Fork of Ivy)
  • 5 (West Fork of Ivy)
  • 6 (Sandy Mush)
  • 7 (Little Pine Creek)
  • 8 (Spring Creek)
  • 9 (Hot Springs)
  • 10 (Big Laurel)
  • 11 (Upper Laurel)
  • 12 (Big Pine Creek)
  • 13 (Meadow Fork of Spring Creek)
  • 14 (Grapevine)
  • 15 (Mars Hill)
  • 16 (Foster Creek)

Unincorporated communities


Education

Madison County's public educational system consists of one early college high school, one traditional high school (Madison High School, located in the county seat of Marshall), one middle school (Madison Middle School), and three elementary schools (Brush Creek Elementary, Hot Springs Elementary, and Mars Hill Elementary). Brush Creek Elementary was built as a merger of Marshall Elementary and Walnut Elementary after the latter burned down in 1998.

The county is also home to Mars Hill University, a private, coed, four-year liberal-arts university. Founded in 1856, Mars Hill is the oldest college or university in western North Carolina. The university offers 34 majors and seven degrees: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Social Work, and Master of Education.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de Madison (Carolina del Norte) para niños

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