Madison, Alabama

Southern Railroad Depot, Madison

The area was occupied historically by the Koasati (also known as Coushatta), a Muskogean-speaking people. Before them were thousands of years of indigenous cultures.

Madison's first European-American resident was John Cartwright, who settled in the area in 1818. The city was originally known as "Madison Station", as it developed in the 1850s around a stop of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. Textile mills were built in the area in the late 19th century for processing and manufacture of cotton products.

Madison was the site of a battle in the American Civil War. On May 17, 1864, Col. Josiah Patterson's 5th Alabama Cavalry, supported by Col. James H. Stuart's cavalry battalion and a section of horse artillery, drove Col. Adam G. Gorgas's 13th Illinois Infantry Regiment from the city. Patterson's men captured the 13th Illinois Regiment's wagon train, taking 66 prisoners. They also burned Union supplies and tore up the railroad tracks before retreating. Portions of the 5th Ohio Cavalry, the 59th Indiana Infantry, and the 5th Iowa Infantry were sent in pursuit from Huntsville. They skirmished with Patterson's rear guard that evening at Fletcher's Ferry on the Tennessee River south of Madison.

The town was incorporated in 1869.[5] From 1880 to 1950, rural Madison had a population of some 400-500 residents.

In the World War II and postwar period, military and NASA operations were moved to Huntsville, stimulating an increase in population in the region. Subsidized highways stimulated suburbanization, attracting residents to outlying areas where new homes were built. By 1980, Madison's population was 4,057. In the late 20th century, Madison's population increased rapidly as it developed as a suburb of Huntsville. In 1986, Madison voters overwhelmingly voted to remain independent by not merging with Huntsville.[6] By 2010 its population had grown to 42,938, and over the following ten years it grew to a population of 56,933.[7]

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.5 square miles (79.0 km²), of which 30.3 square miles (78.6 km²) are land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²), or 0.43%, are water.[1]

Madison is located at 34°42′54″N 86°44′23″W (34.715065, -86.739644),[8] primarily within Madison County, while extending west into Limestone County. Downtown Huntsville is 11 miles (18 km) east of the center of Madison, although Huntsville also borders Madison to the south and west. Athens is 17 miles (27 km) to the northwest, and Decatur is 16 miles (26 km) to the southwest, across the Tennessee River.

The Madison City School System, formed in 1998, serves over 10,000 students from the city of Madison and town of Triana.[13] It has consistently been rated as one of the best school systems in the state. The current superintendent is Dr. Ed Nichols. Nationally, it ranks in the top 5 best school systems.

As of 2012, the school system has seven elementary schools serving grades K-5 (Columbia Elementary School, Heritage Elementary School, Horizon Elementary School, Madison Elementary School, Mill Creek Elementary School, Rainbow Elementary School, and Midtown Elementary School), three middle schools serving grades 6-8 (Discovery Middle School, Journey Middle School, and Liberty Middle School), and two high schools serving grades 9-12 (Bob Jones High School and James Clemens High School). There was formerly an additional elementary school, West Madison Elementary; however, it is permanently closed and planned to be adapted as a pre-K center.[14] Madison Elementary, built about 1936, is the oldest school in the system.

In 2019, Madison residents approved a voluntary property tax increase in order to fund school growth and expansion. These funds were used to build Midtown Elementary School (completed in 2020)[15] and were also used to construct Journey Middle School, opening for the 2023-2024 school year.[16]

The Madison Record[17] and the Madison County Record[18] have been newspapers for the city since 1967. The Madison Weekly News[19] was another local newspaper.

• Mike Ball, politician and member of the Alabama House of Representatives[26]
• Grant Dayton, Major League baseball pitcher
• Lewie Hardage, American football player and coach, baseball coach
• Robert Hoffman, actor, dancer, and choreographer[27]
• Bill Holtzclaw, politician and Republican member of the Alabama State Senate[28][29]
• Kerron Johnson, professional basketball player[30]
• Kerryon Johnson, professional football player free agent
• Walter Jones, former offensive lineman at Florida State and a Hall of Famer for the Seattle Seahawks[31]
• Chip Lindsey, college football coach for Troy University
• Reggie Ragland, American football linebacker[32]
• Levi Randolph (born 1992), basketball player for Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israeli Basketball Premier League

• Official website
• Madison Chamber of Commerce site
• Find More Madison site