Madison County

Madison County, Texas

Madison County, Texas

The Madison County Museum is located in the county's seat, Madisonville, Texas. Photograph by Billy Hathorn.

Madison County is located in central East Texas. Madisonville, the county seat and largest town, is near interstate Highway 45 about 100 miles northwest of Houston; the town is at 30°57' north latitude and 95°55' west longitude, close to the center of the county. Madison County includes 473 square miles primarily of post oak savannah, a mixture of post oak woods and grasslands. The northeast and south central parts of the county are in the Blackland Prairies region; the southeast corner of the county lies in the Piney Woods. Today, about one-fifth of the area is timbered, but early reports describe it as two-thirds timber and one-third prairie. It supported oak, cedar, elm, walnut, hickory, gum, pecan, ash, cypress, and pine. The terrain is undulating, with an elevation ranging from 213 to 364 feet above sea level. The rolling prairies drain to the waterways that form the county's boundaries: the Trinity River in the east, the Navasota River in the west, and Bedias Creek in the south. Numerous other creeks run through the county, notably the Caney, which bisects it. Several soil types are found in the county, which lies principally in the Claypan area. They range from black waxy to light sandy loam around creeks and lower lands, with dark chocolate mixed with sand on the prairie uplands. Almost the entire county is made up of soils with sandy surface layers and mottled yellow, red, and gray loamy subsoils. The northwest portion is surfaced by noncalcareous and calcareous cracking clayey soils and slightly acid soils with loamy surface layers and cracking clayey subsoils. Oil and gas are found in the county, as are lignite, sand, and gravel. Madison County has a mild climate, with an average growing season of 272 days. Its average annual rainfall is 41.50 inches, and temperatures range from a January minimum average of 40° F to a July maximum average of 94°.

Adapted from the official Handbook of Texas, a state encyclopedia developed by the Texas State Historical Association (TSHA). It is an authoritative source of trusted historical records.

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County Map of Texas

Madison County

Highlighted:
  • Madison County

Currently Exists

Yes

Place type

Madison County is classified as a County

Altitude Range

131 ft – 420 ft

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Madison County by the Numbers

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Population Counts

Madison County
Pop. Year Source
14,284 2019 United States Census Bureau

Civilian Labor Counts

Madison County
People Year Source
4,331 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Per Capita Income (USD) Year Source
$30,435 2019 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Property Values

Madison County
USD ($) Year Source
2,130,996,089 2019 State Property Tax Board

Retail Sales

Madison County
USD ($) Year Source
283,144,205 2019 State Comptroller of Public Accounts

Wages

Madison County
USD ($) Year Source
44,523,005 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Unemployment Percentage Year Source
8.5 2019 Texas Workforce Commission

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Rainfall (inches) Year Source
45.1 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Min. (January Average, °F) Max. (July Average, °F) Year Source
36.9 94.4 2019 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

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Land Area

Madison County
Area (square miles) Year Source
466.1 2019 United States Census Bureau

Total Area

Madison County
Area (square miles) Year Source
472.4 2019 United States Census Bureau