Madison

Formed March 1, 1810 (40^th county)

Madison County (43,847), London (10,271)

The outstanding Second Empire and Renaissance courthouse was built in 1890.  The structure is on a square at Main, High, Oak, and 4^th streets.  United States Highway 42 is High Street in the town.  The courthouse was designed by George H. Maetzel.  The structure features columns and a tower.  Veteran memorials are on the grounds.  The county was established on March 1, 1810 from Franklin County as the 40^th county with London as the only county seat.  Madison County is named for United States President James Madison.  The county seat is named for London, England.  Madison County is the birthplace of 1 Ohio Governor, John W. Bricker. 

Madison County government consists of an auditor, a sheriff, an attorney, and a coroner (executive).  It has 3 Commissioners (legislative.)  Two Common Pleas Court Judges and a court clerk serve Madison County (judicial.)  The county is in west central Ohio.  Columbus, Ohio is directly east and Dayton, Ohio is southwest of the county.  The county center is 4.5 miles Northeast of London nearer Lafayette.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Union, Franklin, Pickaway, Fayette, Greene, Clark, and Champaign counties. 

The area of the county is 465.4 square miles.  It is 35 out of 88 in the state.  It ranks 54 out of 88 in population in the state.  It has a density of 94.2 persons per square mile making it 57 out of 88 in the state.  Madison County has 46.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 70 crosses the county from east to west from Franklin County to Clark County.  Interstate Highway 71 cuts the southeast county from Pickaway County, southeast, to Fayette County, south.  United States Highway 40 parallels Interstate Highway 70 from Franklin to Clark counties.  United States Highway 42 comes from Union County, north, and goes to Clark County, southwest.  The county is a backwards Z shape.  London is located near the center of the county.  London is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 23.4% of the county population.  This county is in the Columbus Metropolitan Statistical Area.