Madison County, Iowa

Madison County
County
Madison County courthouse
Location within the U.S. state of Iowa
Iowa's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 41°20′N94°01′W / 41.33°N 94.01°W / 41.33; -94.01
Country	United States
State	Iowa
Founded	1846
Named for	James Madison
Seat	Winterset
Largest city	Winterset
Area
• Total	562 sq mi (1,460 km2)
• Land	561 sq mi (1,450 km2)
• Water	1.2 sq mi (3 km2)  0.2%
Population  (2020)
• Total	16,548
• Density	29/sq mi (11/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	3rd
Website	madisoncounty.iowa.gov

Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 16,548. ^[1] The county seat is Winterset. ^[2]

Madison County is included in the Des Moines – West Des Moines, IA Metropolitan Statistical Area. ^[3]

Madison County is famous for being the county where John Wayne was born, and for a number of covered bridges. These bridges were featured in Robert James Waller's 1992 novella The Bridges of Madison County , as well as the 1995 film and 2014 musical based on it.

History

Madison County was formed on January 13, 1846. It has been self-governed since 1849. It was named after James Madison (1751–1836), the fourth President of the United States (between 1809 and 1817). ^[4] Hiram Hurst was the first European-American settler in Madison County, having come from Missouri about April 15, 1846. ^[5]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 562 square miles (1,460 km²), of which 561 square miles (1,450 km²) is land and 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²) (0.2%) is water. ^[6]

Major highways

• Interstate 80 (in the far northwestern corner of the county)
• U.S. Highway 6
• U.S. Highway 169
• Iowa Highway 92

Adjacent counties

• Dallas County (north)
• Warren County (east)
• Clarke County (southeast)
• Union County (southwest)
• Adair County (west)
• Polk County (northeast, meeting in a 4-corners)

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	1,179		—
1860	7,339		522.5%
1870	13,884		89.2%
1880	17,224		24.1%
1890	15,977		−7.2%
1900	17,710		10.8%
1910	15,621		−11.8%
1920	15,020		−3.8%
1930	14,331		−4.6%
1940	14,525		1.4%
1950	13,131		−9.6%
1960	12,295		−6.4%
1970	11,558		−6.0%
1980	12,597		9.0%
1990	12,483		−0.9%
2000	14,019		12.3%
2010	15,679		11.8%
2020	16,548		5.5%
2023 (est.)	16,971	[7]	2.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 1790-1960 [9] 1900-1990 [10] 1990-2000 [11] 2010-2018 [12]

Population of Madison County from US census data

2020 census

2022 US Census Age Pyramid for Madison County from ACS 5-year estimates

The 2020 census recorded a population of 16,548 in the county, with a population density of 29.3556/sq mi (11.3343/km²). 95.99% of the population reported being of one race. 92.42% were non-Hispanic White, 0.30% were Black, 1.91% were Hispanic, 0.15% were Native American, 0.51% were Asian, 0.08% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander and 4.63% were some other race or more than one race. There were 6,913 housing units, of which 6,436 were occupied. ^[1]

2010 census

The 2010 census recorded a population of 15,679 in the county, with a population density of 27.9413/sq mi (10.7882/km²). There were 6,554 housing units, of which 6,025 were occupied. ^[13]

2000 census

As of the census ^[14] of 2000, there were 14,019 people, 5,326 households, and 3,925 families in the county. The population density was 25 inhabitants per square mile (9.7/km²). There were 5,661 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile (3.9/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.57% White, 0.09% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.68% from two or more races. 0.75% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 5,326 households 34.80% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.90% were married couples living together, 7.00% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.30% were non-families. 22.70% of households were one person and 11.70% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.04.

The age distribution was 27.10% under the age of 18, 6.90% from 18 to 24, 27.40% from 25 to 44, 23.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.20% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.10 males.

The median household income was $41,845 and the median family income was $48,289. Males had a median income of $31,126 versus $24,095 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,357. About 4.60% of families and 6.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.60% of those under age 18 and 10.40% of those age 65 or over.

Covered bridges

Hogback Bridge, one of the five remaining covered bridges in Madison County

There are six extant covered bridges in Madison County, of the original nineteen:

• Cedar Bridge built 1883, destroyed 2002, rebuilt 2004, 76 feet (23 m) long. The rebuilt bridge was destroyed by a fire in 2017.
• Cutler-Donahoe Bridge built 1870, 79 feet (24 m) long.
• Hogback Covered Bridge built 1884, 97 feet (30 m) long.
• Holliwell Bridge built 1880, 122 feet (37 m) long. Featured in the 1995 movie The Bridges of Madison County.
• Imes Bridge built 1870, 81 feet (25 m) long.
• Roseman Covered Bridge built 1883, 107 feet (33 m) long, is the best known one, as it is featured in the 1995 movie The Bridges of Madison County .

The remaining covered bridges were designed by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster, with the following exceptions: Eli Cox built the Cutler-Donahoe Bridge, and J. P. Clark built the Imes Bridge.

Tunnel

Madison County is home to the only highway tunnel in Iowa, Harmon Tunnel, through the neck of an incised meander of the Middle River in Pammel Park. ^[15]

Communities

Incorporated Communities

• Bevington
• Earlham
• East Peru
• Macksburg
• Patterson
• St. Charles
• Truro
• Winterset

Unincorporated communities

• Barney
• Old Peru
• Pitzer
• Webster

Townships

• Crawford
• Douglas
• Grand River
• Jackson
• Jefferson
• Lee
• Lincoln
• Madison
• Monroe
• Ohio
• Penn
• Scott
• South
• Union
• Walnut
• Webster

Population ranking

The population ranking of the following table is based on the 2020 census of Madison County. ^[1]

†county seat

Rank	City/Town/etc.	Municipal type	Population (2020 Census)
1	† Winterset	City	5,353
2	Earlham	City	1,410
3	St. Charles	City	640
4	Truro	City	509
5	Patterson	City	176
6	East Peru	City	115
7	Macksburg	City	97
8	Bevington (partially in Warren County )	City	57

Politics

For most of its history, Madison County has primarily supported the Republican Party in presidential elections. From 1880 to 1960, the county only failed to back the party's candidate in 1932 when Herbert Hoover was defeated in a national landslide for reelection by Franklin D. Roosevelt. The county was much more of a swing area between 1964 & 1996, voting for the national winner in every presidential election between 1964 & 2004 aside from 1988 when Michael Dukakis was boosted to an inflated margin of victory statewide by a farm crisis. Since the start of the second millennium, Republicans have carried the county in every presidential election. Donald Trump also produced the county's strongest Republican presidential victory since 1952 in 2016, winning by a margin of over 30 percent.

United States presidential election results for Madison County, Iowa ^{[16] [17]}

Year	Republican		Democratic		Third party
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2020	6,507	66.24%	3,134	31.90%	183	1.86%
2016	5,360	62.07%	2,678	31.01%	598	6.92%
2012	4,638	54.84%	3,630	42.92%	190	2.25%
2008	4,579	53.99%	3,733	44.02%	169	1.99%
2004	4,538	56.70%	3,380	42.23%	86	1.07%
2000	3,662	52.55%	3,093	44.38%	214	3.07%
1996	2,550	40.30%	3,070	48.52%	707	11.17%
1992	2,421	39.37%	2,525	41.06%	1,203	19.56%
1988	2,410	41.11%	3,421	58.36%	31	0.53%
1984	3,168	50.60%	3,067	48.99%	26	0.42%
1980	3,320	51.79%	2,496	38.93%	595	9.28%
1976	2,681	45.36%	3,109	52.61%	120	2.03%
1972	3,480	59.35%	2,234	38.10%	150	2.56%
1968	3,151	55.49%	2,192	38.60%	336	5.92%
1964	2,250	38.93%	3,518	60.87%	12	0.21%
1960	3,804	58.26%	2,722	41.69%	3	0.05%
1956	3,883	59.34%	2,652	40.53%	9	0.14%
1952	4,967	69.48%	2,131	29.81%	51	0.71%
1948	3,207	52.38%	2,827	46.17%	89	1.45%
1944	3,737	59.20%	2,550	40.39%	26	0.41%
1940	4,477	58.91%	3,094	40.71%	29	0.38%
1936	4,188	55.04%	3,365	44.22%	56	0.74%
1932	2,663	47.09%	2,923	51.69%	69	1.22%
1928	4,364	66.15%	2,178	33.02%	55	0.83%
1924	4,191	60.80%	1,367	19.83%	1,335	19.37%
1920	4,465	68.83%	1,899	29.27%	123	1.90%
1916	1,871	51.26%	1,711	46.88%	68	1.86%
1912	1,274	33.79%	1,185	31.43%	1,311	34.77%
1908	2,425	59.54%	1,404	34.47%	244	5.99%
1904	2,602	63.20%	1,190	28.90%	325	7.89%
1900	2,590	55.67%	1,907	40.99%	155	3.33%
1896	2,313	50.28%	2,224	48.35%	63	1.37%

See also

• Iowa portal

• Madison County Courthouse
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Madison County, Iowa

References

1. "2020 Census State Redistricting Data". census.gov. United states Census Bureau. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. United States Office of Management and Budget. "Update of Statistical Area Definitions and Guidance on Their Uses" (PDF). pp. 5, 36. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2006. Retrieved July 21, 2006.
4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. U.S. Government Printing Office. p.  196.
5. Mueller, Herman A. (1915). History of Madison County, Iowa, and its People, Volume I. New York Public Library: The S.J. Clark Publishing Company. pp.  20–21.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
12. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
13. "Population & Housing Occupancy Status 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau American FactFinder. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
14. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
15. Pammel Park web page of the Madison County Conservation Board.
16. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
17. The leading "other" candidate, Progressive Theodore Roosevelt, received 1,121 votes, while Prohibition Party candidate Eugene W. Chafin received 104 votes and Socialist candidate Eugene Debs received 68 votes.

External links

• County website
• Madison County Chamber of Commerce
• Madison County Development Group

41°20′N94°01′W / 41.33°N 94.01°W / 41.33; -94.01