Madison

Formed February 2, 1865 (8^th county)

Madison County (8,626), Virginia City (217), Ennis (918)

The pleasant 1876 red brick building is the county courthouse.  The courthouse is on Wallace Street at Spencer Street.  Montana State Highway 287 is Wallace Street in the town.  L. B. Olds designed this Greek Revival courthouse.  The building was enlarged in 1962 and renovated in 2005.  The county was established on February 2, 1865 as the 8^th county with Virginia City as the only county seat.  Madison County is named for the Madison River.  The county seat is named for the State of Virginia. 

Madison County government consists of a sheriff and 3 Commissioners.  One District Court Judge serves Madison, Beaverhead, and Jefferson counties.  Madison County is in southwest Montana touching the border of Idaho.  The Continental Divide is on the border with Idaho.  The county center is 30.5 miles North-Northeast of Virginia City nearer McAllister.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Jefferson and Gallatin counties and Idaho and Beaverhead and Silver Bow counties.  The county resembles a fat pistol facing south. 

The area of the county is 3587 square miles.  It is 13 out of 56 in the state.  It ranks 26 out of 56 in population in the state.  It has a density of 2.4 persons per square mile making it 32 out of 56 in the state.  Madison County has 25.1% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 287 travels north to south in the county from Jefferson County to Gallatin County.  Virginia City is located near the center of the county.  Ennis is in the eastern third of the county.  Virginia City is the county seat and Ennis is the largest city.  Virginia City is 2.5% of the county population while Ennis is 10.6% of the county population.

Virginia City