Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,521. The county seat is Huntsville. 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. 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.
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
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 16,521. The median age was 42.8 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 99.1 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 86.4% White, 0.2% Black or African American, 1.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 1.5% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 7.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 5.4% of the population.
There were 6,437 households in the county, of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 53.4% were married-couple households, 18.8% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.7% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. there were 14,243 people, 5,463 households, and 4,080 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 6,537 housing units at an average density of . 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
Government
The county government is a constitutional body granted specific powers by the Constitution of Arkansas and the Arkansas Code. The quorum court is the legislative branch of the county government and controls all spending and revenue collection. Representatives are called justices of the peace and are elected from county districts every even-numbered year. The number of districts in a county vary from nine to fifteen, and district boundaries are drawn by the county election commission. The Madison County Quorum Court has nine members. Presiding over quorum court meetings is the county judge, who serves as the chief operating officer of the county. The county judge is elected at-large and does not vote in quorum court business, although capable of vetoing quorum court decisions.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+Madison County, Arkansas Elected countywide officials
!Position
!Officeholder
!Party
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|County Judge
|Larry Garret
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#92C5DE;
|County Clerk
|Austin Boatright
|Democratic
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Circuit Clerk
|Tiffany McDaniel
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Sheriff
|Ronnie Boyd
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Treasurer
|Amanda Born
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Collector
|Chera Glenn
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Assessor
|Christal Odgen
|Republican
|-style="background-color:#F48882;
|Coroner
|Douglas Rabold
|Republican
|-
|Surveyor
|Jim Cagle
|(Unknown)
|}
The composition of the Quorum Court following the 2024 elections is 9 Republicans. Justices of the Peace (members) of the Quorum Court following the elections are:
- District 1: Bob Rawson (R) of Hindsville
- District 2: Cord Riley (R) of Hindsville
- District 3: Jason Yates (R) of Huntsville
- District 4: Sam Roddy (R) of Huntsville
- District 5: Wendy Pettz (R) of Huntsville
- District 6: Shannon Fancher (R) of Huntsville
- District 7: Joe Wilson (R) of Wesley
- District 8: Jeff Marley (R) of Elkins
- District 9: Michael Keck (R) of Huntsville
Additionally, the townships of Madison County are entitled to elect their own respective constables, as set forth by the Constitution of Arkansas. Constables are largely of historical significance as they were used to keep the peace in rural areas when travel was more difficult. The township constables as of the 2024 elections are: 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.
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Transportation
Major highways
- 25px U.S. Highway 412
- 20px Highway 12
- 20px Highway 16
- 20px Highway 21
- 20px Highway 23
- 20px Highway 45
- 20px 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.
Communities
City
- Huntsville (county seat)
Towns
- Hindsville
- St. Paul
Census-designated places
- Kingston
- Wesley
Unincorporated communities
- Aurora
- Clifty
- Combs
- Delaney
- Forum
- Japton
- Marble
- Pettigrew
- Weathers
- Witter
Townships
thumb|Townships in Madison County, Arkansas as of 2010
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"
|- style="background:#ccf;"
! Township
! FIPS code
! ANSI code<br />(GNIS ID)
! Population<br />center(s)
! Pop.<br />(2010)
! Pop.<br />density<br />(/mi<sup>2</sup>)
! Pop.<br />density<br />(/km<sup>2</sup>)
! Total area<br />(mi<sup>2</sup>)
! Total area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Land area<br />(mi<sup>2</sup>)
! Land area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Water area<br />(mi<sup>2</sup>)
! Water area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Geographic coordinates
|-
| Alabam
|
|
|
| 1,261
| 21.90
| 8.46
|
|
|
|
|-
| Bohannan
|
|
|
| 631
| 36.81
| 14.21
|
|
|
|
|-
| Boston
|
|
|
| 168
| 2.54
| 0.98
|
|
|
|
|-
| Bowen
|
|
|
| 486
| 15.18
| 5.86
|
|
|
|
|-
| California
|
|
|
| 1,303
| 15.36
| 5.93
|
|
|
|
|-
| Hilburn
|
|
| St. Paul
| 310
| 16.39
| 6.33
|
|
|
|
|-
| Japton
|
|
|
| 441
| 17.28
| 6.67
|
|
|
|
|-
| Kentucky
|
|
|
| 265
| 5.82
| 2.25
|
|
|
|
|-
| Kings River
|
|
|
| 769
| 12.16
| 4.69
|
|
|
|
|-
| Lamar
|
|
|
| 949
| 33.88
| 13.08
|
|
|
|
|-
| Lincoln
|
|
|
| 229
| 9.19
| 3.55
|
|
|
|
|-
| Marble
|
|
|
| 318
| 19.48
| 7.52
|
|
|
|
|-
| Mill Creek
|
|
|
| 610
| 9.44
| 3.65
|
|
|
|
|-
| Prairie
|
|
| Hindsville
| 1,632
| 31.40
| 12.12
|
|
|
|
|-
| Purdy
|
|
|
| 314
| 2.45
| 8.67
|
|
|
|
|-
| Richland
|
|
|
| 567
| 21.56
| 8.32
|
|
|
|
|-
| Valley
|
|
|
| 517
| 13.88
| 5.36
|
|
|
|
|-
| Venus
|
|
|
| 244
| 6.65
| 2.53
|
|
|
|
|-
| War Eagle
|
|
| Huntsville
| 4,037
| 67.55
| 26.08
|
|
|
|
|-
| Wharton
|
|
|
| 418
| 12.24
| 4.72
|
|
|
|
|-
| White River
|
|
|
| 248
| 8.48
| 3.27
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=13 |Source:
Source:
|}
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.
- 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.
- 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, Madison County Judge 1973 to 1988, 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
- Cooks Venture, former poultry company with presence in the county
- List of lakes in Madison County, Arkansas
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison County, Arkansas
References
External links
- Madison County Map (U. S. Census Bureau)
- Official Site