Madison County is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

located in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

. As of the 2020 census, its population was 13,455. Its

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair (furniture), ...

is Madisonville. The county was created in 1853 and organized the next year. It is named for

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

, the fourth

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United Stat ...

History

The current Madison County Courthouse was built in 1970. It is at least the fifth courthouse to serve Madison County.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which are land and (1.3%) are covered by water. The county has three natural borders; its eastern boundary is defined by the Trinity River, its western boundary is defined by the

Navasota River The Navasota River is a river in east Texas, United States. It is about 125 miles (201 km) long, beginning near Mount Calm and flowing south into the Brazos River at a point where Brazos, Grimes, and Washington counties converge.''Merria ...

, and the portion of its southern border adjacent to Walker County is defined by

Bedias Creek Bedias Creek is a creek in Texas. The creek rises in Madison County and flows east into Houston County, where it empties into the Trinity River. See also *List of rivers of Texas The list of rivers of Texas is a list of all named waterways, ...

.. By Ann E. Hodges. Retrieved 5 February 2007.

Major highways

Interstate 45 Interstate 45 (I-45) is a major Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of Texas. While most Interstate routes which have numbers ending in "5" are cross-country north–south routes, I-45 is comparatively short, with the ...

U.S. Highway 190 U.S. Route 190 (US 190) is an east–west United States Highway in Louisiana and Texas. Segments of US 190 will be upgraded to Interstate 14 (I-14); the first segment was opened on January 26, 2017. Route description , - , TX , , - , ...

* State Highway 21 * State Highway 75 * State Highway 90 * State Highway OSR

Adjacent counties

* Leon County (north) * Houston County (northeast) * Walker County (southeast) * Grimes County (south) * Brazos County (southwest)

Demographics

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, 12,940 people, 3,914 households, and 2,837 families were residing in the county. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 28 people per square mile (11/km²). The 4,797 housing units averagedensity 10 per mi² (4/km²). The

racial makeup A race is a categorization of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into groups generally viewed as distinct within a given society. The term came into common usage during the 1500s, when it was used to refer to groups of variou ...

of the county was 66.79% White, 22.87% African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.39% Asian, 7.93% from other races, and 1.72% from two or more races. About 15.78% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Of the 3,914 households, 31.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.10% were married couples living together, 11.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.50% were not families. About 24.50% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57, and the average family size was 3.05. In the county, the age distribution was 21.10% under 18, 13.00% from 18 to 24, 31.90% from 25 to 44, 20.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.00% who were 65 or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 142.60 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 155.10 males. The median income for a household in the county was $29,418, and for a family was $35,779. Males had a median income of $25,625 versus $19,777 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $14,056. About 12.30% of families and 15.80% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 20.00% of those under age 18 and 16.30% of those age 65 or over.

Government and infrastructure

The

Ferguson Unit Jim Ferguson Unit (FE) is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison for men located in unincorporated Madison County, Texas. The prison is located on Farm to Market Road 247, near Midway and northwest of Huntsville.

, a

Texas Department of Criminal Justice The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) is a department of the government of the U.S. state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails, ...

prison for men, is located in an

unincorporated area An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the county.Ferguson Unit
."

. Retrieved on July 16, 2010.

Politics

Communities

Cities

* Madisonville (county seat) * Midway

Town

* Normangee (mostly in Leon County)

Unincorporated community

* North Zulch

Education

School districts: * Madisonville Consolidated Independent School District * Normangee Independent School District *

North Zulch Independent School District North Zulch Independent School District is a public school district based in the unincorporated community of North Zulch, Texas, North Zulch, Texas (United States, USA). The district has two campuses – *North Zulch High School (Grades 7-12) * ...

Blinn College Blinn College is a public junior college in Brenham, Texas, with additional campuses in Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. Brenham is Blinn's main campus, with dormitories and apartments. History Blinn was established as Mission Institute in 188 ...

is the designated community college for all of the county.Texas Education Code Sec. 130.168. BLINN JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT SERVICE AREA.
/ref>

References

External links

Madison County government's website
* {{authority control Populated places established in 1854 1854 establishments in Texas