County in Illinois, United States
County in Illinois
Madison County
is a
county
in the
U.S. state
of
Illinois
. It is a part of the
Metro East
in
southern Illinois
. According to the
2020 census
, it had a population of 264,776,
[1]
making it the eighth-most populous county in Illinois and the most populous in the
southern
portion of the state. The
county seat
is
Edwardsville
, and the largest city is
Granite City
.
[2]
Madison County is part of the
Metro-East
region of the
St. Louis
,
MO
-IL
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. The pre-Columbian city of
Cahokia Mounds
, a World Heritage Site, was located near Collinsville. Edwardsville is home to
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
. To the north,
Alton
is known for its
abolitionist
and
American Civil War
-era history. It is also the home of the
Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine
.
Godfrey
, the village named for
Captain Benjamin Godfrey
, offers
Lewis and Clark Community College
formerly the
Monticello Female Seminary
.
History
[
edit
]
Madison County was established on September 14, 1812. It was formed from parts of
Randolph
and
St. Clair
counties and named for President
James Madison
.
[3]
At the time of its formation, Madison County included all of the modern State of Illinois north of
St. Louis
, as well as all of Wisconsin, part of Minnesota, and Michigan's
Upper Peninsula
.
In the late 19th century, Madison County became an industrial region, and in the 20th century was known first for
Graniteware
, and later for its steel mills, oil refineries, and other heavy industries. The county had a large working population, and the county and surrounding area was a center of strength for the
Democratic Party
.
Industrial restructuring cost many jobs and reduced the population. The county now is part of the eastern
St. Louis metropolitan area
(nicknamed "Metro East"), as is neighboring
St. Clair County
.
In 2009, the EPA issued an air pollution report that ranked Madison County as the county with the second-highest cancer risk in the country due to air pollution, second only to Los Angeles County, California.
[
citation needed
]
-
Madison County between its creation in 1812 and 1815, extending north to Lake Superior and the border with
Rupert's Land
-
Madison County between 1815 and 1817
-
Madison County between 1817 and 1821
-
Madison County between 1821 and 1825
-
Between 1825 and 1829, Madison included a northern salient that was split off to form part of Macoupin County.
-
In 1829, Madison returned to its 1821 borders.
-
In 1843, a small amount of land was transferred to Bond County, reducing Madison to its current size.
Geography
[
edit
]
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
, the county has a total area of 741 square miles (1,920 km
2
), of which 716 square miles (1,850 km
2
) is land and 25 square miles (65 km
2
) (3.4%) is water.
[4]
Madison County is on the
Mississippi River
, while the other major body of water is
Horseshoe Lake
.
Climate and weather
[
edit
]
Edwardsville, Illinois
|
Climate chart (
explanation
)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
|
?
Precipitation totals in inches
| Source: The Weather Channel
[5]
|
|
Metric conversion
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
|
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Precipitation totals in mm
|
|
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Edwardsville have ranged from a low of 19 °F (?7 °C) in January to a high of 90 °F (32 °C) in July, although a record low of ?27 °F (?33 °C) was recorded in January 1977 and a record high of 114 °F (46 °C) was recorded in July 2012. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.99 inches (51 mm) in January to 4.24 inches (108 mm) in May.
[5]
Climate Zone 4A per the International Energy Conservation Code.
Adjacent counties and city
[
edit
]
Parks and Reserves
[
edit
]
Transportation
[
edit
]
Madison County Transit
serves the county with 25 bus routes and 85 miles (137 km) of bike trails. Intercity rail service is provided by
Amtrak
at
Alton station
. Trains on the
Lincoln Service
route travel between Chicago and St. Louis.
Major highways
[
edit
]
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Census
| Pop.
| Note
| %±
|
1820
| 13,550
| | ?
|
---|
1830
| 6,221
| | ?54.1%
|
---|
1840
| 14,433
| | 132.0%
|
---|
1850
| 20,441
| | 41.6%
|
---|
1860
| 31,251
| | 52.9%
|
---|
1870
| 44,131
| | 41.2%
|
---|
1880
| 50,126
| | 13.6%
|
---|
1890
| 51,535
| | 2.8%
|
---|
1900
| 64,694
| | 25.5%
|
---|
1910
| 89,847
| | 38.9%
|
---|
1920
| 106,895
| | 19.0%
|
---|
1930
| 143,830
| | 34.6%
|
---|
1940
| 149,349
| | 3.8%
|
---|
1950
| 182,307
| | 22.1%
|
---|
1960
| 224,689
| | 23.2%
|
---|
1970
| 250,934
| | 11.7%
|
---|
1980
| 247,691
| | ?1.3%
|
---|
1990
| 249,238
| | 0.6%
|
---|
2000
| 258,941
| | 3.9%
|
---|
2010
| 269,282
| | 4.0%
|
---|
2020
| 265,859
| | ?1.3%
|
---|
2023 (est.)
| 262,752
| [6]
| ?1.2%
|
---|
According to the
2020 census
, the racial makeup of the county was 81.4% white (80.4% white non-Hispanic), 9.4% black or African American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 6.3% two or more races, and 1.5% some other race. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 4.1% of the population.
[12]
According to the
2010 census
, there were 269,282 people, 108,094 households, and 71,756 families residing in the county.
[13]
The population density was 376.3 inhabitants per square mile (145.3/km
2
). There were 117,106 housing units at an average density of 163.7 per square mile (63.2/km
2
).
[4]
The racial makeup of the county was 88.2% white, 7.9% black or African American, 0.8% Asian, 0.2% American Indian, 0.9% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 2.7% of the population.
[13]
In terms of ancestry, 32.7% were
German
, 14.9% were
Irish
, 10.5% were
English
, 7.5% were
American
, and 5.7% were
Italian
.
[14]
Of the 108,094 households, 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.6% were non-families, and 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.98. The median age was 38.6 years.
[13]
The median income for a household in the county was $51,941 and the median income for a family was $64,630. Males had a median income of $50,355 versus $35,543 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,127. About 9.1% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the
poverty line
, including 19.3% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
[15]
Communities
[
edit
]
Cities
[
edit
]
Villages
[
edit
]
Census Designated Places
[
edit
]
Other unincorporated and historic communities
[
edit
]
Townships
[
edit
]
Madison County is divided into twenty-four
townships
:
Islands
[
edit
]
Historic Settlements
[
edit
]
Population ranking
[
edit
]
The population ranking of the following table is based on the
2020 census
of Madison County.
†
county seat
Rank
|
Place
|
Municipal type
|
Population (2020 Census)
|
1
|
Granite City
|
City
|
27,549
|
2
|
†
Edwardsville
|
City
|
26,808
|
3
|
Alton
|
City
|
25,676
|
4
|
Collinsville
(
partially in
St. Clair County
)
|
City
|
24,366
|
5
|
Godfrey
|
Village
|
17,825
|
6
|
Glen Carbon
|
Village
|
13,842
|
7
|
Troy
|
City
|
10,960
|
8
|
Wood River
|
Village
|
10,464
|
9
|
Highland
|
City
|
9,991
|
10
|
Bethalto
|
Village
|
9,310
|
11
|
Maryville
|
Village
|
8,221
|
12
|
Pontoon Beach
|
Village
|
5,876
|
13
|
East Alton
|
Village
|
5,786
|
14
|
Rosewood Heights
|
CDP
|
3,971
|
15
|
Madison
(
partially in
St. Clair County
)
|
City
|
3,171
|
16
|
Holiday Shores
|
CDP
|
2,840
|
17
|
Fairmont City
(
partially in
St. Clair County
)
|
City
|
2,265
|
18
|
South Roxana
|
Village
|
1,891
|
19
|
Venice
|
City
|
1,498
|
20
|
Roxana
|
Village
|
1,454
|
21
|
St. Jacob
|
Village
|
1,358
|
22
|
Mitchell
|
CDP
|
1,217
|
23
|
Hartford
|
Village
|
1,185
|
24
|
Worden
|
Village
|
1,096
|
25
|
Hamel
|
Village
|
929
|
26
|
Marine
|
Village
|
912
|
27
|
Livingston
|
Village
|
763
|
28
|
Alhambra
|
Village
|
622
|
29
|
Pierron
|
Village
|
459
|
30
|
Moro
|
CDP
|
397
|
31
|
New Douglas
|
Village
|
350
|
32
|
Grantfork
|
Village
|
341
|
33
|
Williamson
|
Village
|
183
|
Politics
[
edit
]
Like much of southern Illinois, Madison County was a predominantly Democratic area for much of its history, but in recent elections has been moving toward Republican.
Mitt Romney
narrowly carried the county in
the 2012 presidential election
, becoming the first Republican presidential nominee to do so since 1984. In
2016
,
Donald Trump
carried the largest share of the vote for any Republican presidential candidate since
1972
. The county also supported the Republican candidates for
governor
in
2010
,
2014
,
2018
, and
2022
.
United States presidential election results for Madison County, Illinois
[16]
Year
|
Republican
|
Democratic
|
Third party
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
No.
|
%
|
2020
|
76,031
|
55.27%
|
57,836
|
42.04%
|
3,691
|
2.68%
|
2016
|
70,490
|
54.15%
|
50,587
|
38.86%
|
9,102
|
6.99%
|
2012
|
60,608
|
49.32%
|
58,922
|
47.95%
|
3,355
|
2.73%
|
2008
|
57,177
|
44.43%
|
68,979
|
53.60%
|
2,534
|
1.97%
|
2004
|
59,384
|
48.02%
|
63,399
|
51.26%
|
895
|
0.72%
|
2000
|
48,821
|
43.94%
|
59,077
|
53.17%
|
3,206
|
2.89%
|
1996
|
35,758
|
35.55%
|
53,568
|
53.26%
|
11,247
|
11.18%
|
1992
|
32,167
|
28.19%
|
58,484
|
51.26%
|
23,444
|
20.55%
|
1988
|
44,907
|
45.04%
|
54,175
|
54.34%
|
613
|
0.61%
|
1984
|
57,021
|
53.94%
|
48,352
|
45.74%
|
340
|
0.32%
|
1980
|
51,160
|
51.10%
|
43,860
|
43.81%
|
5,104
|
5.10%
|
1976
|
44,183
|
43.32%
|
56,457
|
55.35%
|
1,358
|
1.33%
|
1972
|
55,385
|
55.88%
|
43,289
|
43.68%
|
442
|
0.45%
|
1968
|
39,622
|
39.18%
|
46,384
|
45.87%
|
15,123
|
14.95%
|
1964
|
30,009
|
31.55%
|
65,115
|
68.45%
|
0
|
0.00%
|
1960
|
42,984
|
43.90%
|
54,787
|
55.96%
|
133
|
0.14%
|
1956
|
39,413
|
45.10%
|
47,897
|
54.80%
|
88
|
0.10%
|
1952
|
36,206
|
41.60%
|
50,734
|
58.29%
|
99
|
0.11%
|
1948
|
25,059
|
37.79%
|
40,897
|
61.68%
|
350
|
0.53%
|
1944
|
28,399
|
41.23%
|
40,114
|
58.24%
|
359
|
0.52%
|
1940
|
30,445
|
40.10%
|
44,803
|
59.01%
|
681
|
0.90%
|
1936
|
22,073
|
33.60%
|
42,172
|
64.20%
|
1,441
|
2.19%
|
1932
|
19,774
|
34.55%
|
35,211
|
61.52%
|
2,253
|
3.94%
|
1928
|
28,028
|
53.48%
|
23,658
|
45.14%
|
720
|
1.37%
|
1924
|
19,926
|
47.61%
|
12,863
|
30.74%
|
9,062
|
21.65%
|
1920
|
19,249
|
57.82%
|
10,149
|
30.48%
|
3,894
|
11.70%
|
1916
|
17,594
|
49.82%
|
16,302
|
46.16%
|
1,421
|
4.02%
|
1912
|
5,462
|
30.57%
|
7,155
|
40.04%
|
5,251
|
29.39%
|
1908
|
9,463
|
51.14%
|
7,812
|
42.22%
|
1,228
|
6.64%
|
1904
|
9,009
|
57.12%
|
5,429
|
34.42%
|
1,333
|
8.45%
|
1900
|
8,106
|
53.36%
|
6,753
|
44.46%
|
331
|
2.18%
|
1896
|
7,431
|
53.26%
|
6,344
|
45.47%
|
177
|
1.27%
|
1892
|
5,355
|
45.89%
|
5,680
|
48.68%
|
634
|
5.43%
|
Education
[
edit
]
- Alton Community Unit School District 11
- Bethalto Community Unit School District 8
- Collinsville Community Unit School District 10
- East Alton School District 13
- East Alton-Wood River Community High School District 14
- Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7
- Granite City Community Unit School District 9
- Highland Community Unit School District 5
- Madison Community Unit School District 12
- Roxana Community Unit School District 1
- Triad Community Unit School District 2
- Venice Community Unit School District 3
- Wood River-Hartford Elementary School District 15
[17]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Explore Census Data"
.
data.census.gov
. Retrieved
May 29,
2021
.
- ^
"Find a County"
. National Association of Counties.
Archived
from the original on May 31, 2011
. Retrieved
June 7,
2011
.
- ^
Adams, James N. (compiler) (1989), Keller, William E. (ed.),
Illinois Place Names
, Springfield: Illinois State Historical Society, pp.
593
,
ISBN
0-912226-24-2
- ^
a
b
"Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Archived from
the original
on February 12, 2020
. Retrieved
July 12,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
"Monthly Averages for Edwardsville, Illinois"
. The Weather Channel.
Archived
from the original on October 23, 2012
. Retrieved
January 27,
2011
.
- ^
"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
April 2,
2024
.
- ^
"U.S. Decennial Census"
. United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
July 7,
2014
.
- ^
"Historical Census Browser"
. University of Virginia Library. Archived from
the original
on August 11, 2012
. Retrieved
July 7,
2014
.
- ^
"Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990"
. United States Census Bureau.
Archived
from the original on April 24, 2014
. Retrieved
July 7,
2014
.
- ^
"Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000"
(PDF)
. United States Census Bureau.
Archived
(PDF)
from the original on December 18, 2014
. Retrieved
July 7,
2014
.
- ^
"State & County QuickFacts"
. United States Census Bureau. Archived from
the original
on June 7, 2011
. Retrieved
July 7,
2014
.
- ^
"Madison County, Illinois"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Retrieved
January 10,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
c
"DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Archived from
the original
on February 13, 2020
. Retrieved
July 12,
2015
.
- ^
"DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES ? 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Archived from
the original
on February 13, 2020
. Retrieved
July 12,
2015
.
- ^
"DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS ? 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates"
.
United States Census Bureau
. Archived from
the original
on February 13, 2020
. Retrieved
July 12,
2015
.
- ^
Leip, David.
"Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections"
.
uselectionatlas.org
.
Archived
from the original on March 23, 2018
. Retrieved
April 30,
2018
.
- ^
Illinois State Board of Education, ISBE Education Data Systems, Public School District Lookup
, accessed May 26, 2023.
External links
[
edit
]
Places adjacent to Madison County, Illinois
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Topics
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Central city
| |
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Largest cities
(over 50,000 in
2020
)
| |
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Medium-sized cities
(over 20,000 in
2020
)
| |
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Largest towns
and villages
(over 10,000 in
2020
)
| |
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Missouri counties
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Illinois counties
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Subregions
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International
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National
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Geographic
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Other
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38°50′N
89°55′W
/
38.83°N 89.91°W
/
38.83; -89.91