Madison County, Arkansas Explained

County:	Madison County
State:	Arkansas
Founded Year:	1836
Founded Date:	September 30
Seat Wl:	Huntsville
Largest City Wl:	Huntsville
Area Total Sq Mi:	837
Area Land Sq Mi:	834
Area Water Sq Mi:	2.8
Area Percentage:	0.3%
Population As Of:	2020
Population Total:	16521
Population Density Sq Mi:	auto
Web:	http://madisoncogov.com/
District:	3rd
Time Zone:	Central
Named For:	Madison County, Alabama

Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,521.^[1] The county seat is Huntsville.^[2] The county was formed on September 30, 1836, and named for Madison County, Alabama, the home of some early settlers. They also named the county seat after Madison County in Alabama's county seat, Huntsville.^[3]

Madison County is part of the Northwest Arkansas region.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and (0.3%) is water.^[4]

Adjacent counties

• Carroll County (north)
• Newton County (east)
• Johnson County (southeast)
• Franklin County (south)
• Crawford County (southwest)
• Washington County (west)
• Benton County (northwest)

National protected area

• Ozark National Forest (part)

Demographics

2020 census

Race!scope="col"

Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	14,075	85.19%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	36	0.22%
Native American	205	1.24%
Asian	102	0.62%
Pacific Islander	238	1.44%
Other/Mixed	975	5.9%
Hispanic or Latino	890	5.39%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 16,521 people, 6,279 households, and 4,318 families residing in the county.

2000 census

As of the 2000 census,^[5] there were 14,243 people, 5,463 households, and 4,080 families residing in the county. The population density was 7/km2. There were 6,537 housing units at an average density of 3/km2. The racial makeup of the county was 95.94% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 1.22% Native American, 0.06% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.47% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,463 households, out of which 33.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.00% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.30% were non-families. 22.40% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.80% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 27.00% from 25 to 44, 24.30% from 45 to 64, and 14.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.30 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $27,895, and the median income for a family was $32,910. Males had a median income of $24,911 versus $18,786 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,736. About 14.70% of families and 18.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.60% of those under age 18 and 18.00% of those age 65 or over.

Government

During the Secession Convention of 1861, Arkansas voted to leave the Union and join the Confederate States of America. When Chairman David Walker called for a second vote seeking a unanimous decision, only Madison County representative Isaac Murphy refused to change his vote.^[6] Murphy would later be appointed Governor of Arkansas during Reconstruction under Abraham Lincoln's conciliatory policy.

Madison County is strongly Republican, and voted for the Republican candidate several times even when Arkansas was part of the "Solid South". A Democrat has carried the county only four times since 1940.

Transportation

Major highways

• U.S. Highway 412
• Highway 12
• Highway 16
• Highway 21
• Highway 23
• Highway 45
• Highway 74

Airport

The Huntsville Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located two nautical miles (4 km) southwest of the central business district of Huntsville.^[7]

Communities

City

• Huntsville (county seat)

Towns

• Hindsville
• St. Paul

Unincorporated communities

• Delaney
• Kingston
• Marble
• Clifty
• Forum
• Weathers
• Witter
• Japton
• Combs
• Pettigrew
• Wesley
• Aurora

Townships

^{[8] [9]}

Township	FIPS code	ANSI code (GNIS ID)	Population center(s)	Pop. (2010)	Pop. density (/mi^2)	Pop. density (/km^2)	Total area (mi^2)	Total area (km^2)	Land area (mi^2)	Land area (km^2)	Water area (mi^2)	Water area (km^2)	Geographic coordinates
Alabam				1,261	21.90	8.46	57.903disp=tableNaNdisp=table	57.572disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.331disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Bohannan				631	36.81	14.21	17.202disp=tableNaNdisp=table	17.14disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.062disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Boston				168	2.54	0.98	66.351disp=tableNaNdisp=table	66.267disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.084disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Bowen				486	15.18	5.86	32.123disp=tableNaNdisp=table	32.013disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.11disp=tableNaNdisp=table
California				1,303	15.36	5.93	85.034disp=tableNaNdisp=table	84.848disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.186disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Hilburn			St. Paul	310	16.39	6.33	18.942disp=tableNaNdisp=table	18.914disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.028disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Japton				441	17.28	6.67	25.603disp=tableNaNdisp=table	25.528disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.075disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Kentucky				265	5.82	2.25	45.546disp=tableNaNdisp=table	45.508disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.038disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Kings River				769	12.16	4.69	63.474disp=tableNaNdisp=table	63.229disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.245disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Lamar				949	33.88	13.08	28.138disp=tableNaNdisp=table	28.01disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.128disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Lincoln				229	9.19	3.55	24.982disp=tableNaNdisp=table	24.92disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.062disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Marble				318	19.48	7.52	16.398disp=tableNaNdisp=table	16.323disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.166disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Mill Creek				610	9.44	3.65	64.711disp=tableNaNdisp=table	64.59disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.121disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Prairie			Hindsville	1,632	31.40	12.12	52.182disp=tableNaNdisp=table	51.976disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.206disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Purdy				314	2.45	8.67	14.029disp=tableNaNdisp=table	13.989disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.04disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Richland				567	21.56	8.32	26.372disp=tableNaNdisp=table	26.299disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.073disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Valley				517	13.88	5.36	37.414disp=tableNaNdisp=table	37.235disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.179disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Venus				244	6.65	2.53	36.783disp=tableNaNdisp=table	36.717disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.066disp=tableNaNdisp=table
War Eagle			Huntsville	4,037	67.55	26.08	60.177disp=tableNaNdisp=table	59.762disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.415disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Wharton				418	12.24	4.72	34.308disp=tableNaNdisp=table	34.16disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.148disp=tableNaNdisp=table
White River				248	8.48	3.27	29.317disp=tableNaNdisp=table	29.255disp=tableNaNdisp=table	0.062disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Source: Web site: Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files: County Subdivisions in Arkansas. U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140531142556/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/county_sub_list_05.txt. May 31, 2014. Source: Web site: Census 2010 U.S. Gazetteer Files. U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division.

Notable residents

• Orval E. Faubus (1910–1994), governor of Arkansas during the desegregation days, was from the Combs community near Huntsville. He is buried in Combs Cemetery.^[10]
• Ronnie Hawkins, rockabilly singer. His backing band, The Hawks, later played with Bob Dylan and eventually became The Band.
• Danny L. Patrick, Republican member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Madison and Carroll counties from 1967 to 1970.^[11]
• John Selman, outlaw and lawman, best known for killing John Wesley Hardin in 1895, was born in Madison County.
• Charles Whorton Jr., Democrat Member of the Arkansas House of Representatives 1991 to1998,^[12] Madison County Judge 1973 to 1988,^[13] Madison County Clerk 1955 to 1972
• George William Fullerton (1923-2009), He is credited with design contributions that led to the manufacture of the first mass-produced solid-body electric guitar.

See also

• List of lakes in Madison County, Arkansas
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison County, Arkansas

External links

• Madison County Map (U. S. Census Bureau)
• Official Site

36.0272°N -93.6958°W

Notes and References

1. Web site: Census - Geography Profile: Madison County, Arkansas. United States Census Bureau. January 20, 2023.
2. Web site: Find a County. June 7, 2011. National Association of Counties.
3. Web site: Madison County. Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Rebecca. Haden. February 5, 2019. November 6, 2021. Central Arkansas Library System.
4. Web site: 2010 Census Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. August 27, 2015. August 22, 2012.
5. Web site: U.S. Census website. United States Census Bureau. May 14, 2011.
6. Book: The Edge of Conflict: Arkansas in the Civil War.. PBS. 1995.
7. . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 25, 2011.
8. U. S. Census Bureau . 2011 Boundary and Annexation Survey (BAS): Madison County, AR . July 27, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121019123701/http://www2.census.gov/geo/pvs/bas/bas11/st05_ar/cou/c05087_madison/BAS11C20508700000_000.pdf . October 19, 2012.
9. Web site: Arkansas: 2010 Census Block Maps - County Subdivision . . June 28, 2014.
10. Web site: Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
11. "Danny Lee Patrick", Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, July 29, 2009
12. Web site: Representative Charles Whorton (Representative) - Arkansas State Legislature. www.arkleg.state.ar.us. en. April 1, 2020.
13. News: Just Who is Judge Charles Whorton Jr.. December 15, 1983. The Madison County Record. April 1, 2020. 19.