Madison

Formed December 13, 1808 (2^nd county)

Madison County (388,160), Huntsville (215,052)

A modern sky-scrapper is the county courthouse.  It was constructed in 1966.  It is located on a square formed by Northside, Eastside, Southside, and Westside squares.  Interstate Highway 565 is six blocks north of the facility.  The Modern design of the courthouse was provided by Northington, Smith, Kranert & Associates and Thomas A. Jones.  The facility features columns and a working clock.  Two previous courthouses served the county dating in 1838 and 1914.  All have been located in Huntsville.  Huntsville has been the only county seat.  The county was formed on December 13, 1808 from Cherokee and Chickasaw territories as the 2^nd county.  It was named for President James Madison.  Settler John Hunt is the county seat name source.  Madison County was the birthplace of 2 Alabama Governors, John A. Winston and Edward A. O’Neal. 

Madison County government consists of a sheriff, revenue commissioner, and coroner (executive).  It has 7 commissioners (legislative.)  Five Circuit Judges, Three District Judges, a Probate Judge, a District Attorney, and a County Clerk serve Madison County (judicial.)  The county is located in far north central Alabama north of Birmingham, Alabama on the border with Tennessee.  The Tennessee River forms its southern border.  The center of the county is in Huntsville .2 miles Northwest of the city center.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Tennessee and Jackson, Marshall, Morgan, and Limestone counties.  The county is overall rectangular with the wandering river on the south.  Huntsville is in the west extending into Limestone County. 

The county has an area of 801.6 square miles.  It ranks 20 out of 67 in size.  It ranks 3 out of 67 in population in the state.  It has a density of 503.5 persons per square mile making it 2 out of 67 in the state.  Madison County has 68.4% of its population in its incorporated areas.  Interstate Highway 565 spurs off of Interstate Highway 65 to come into the county from Limestone County to its west.  United States Highway 72 goes from Jackson County on the east to Limestone County on the west.  United States Highway 231 crosses north to south, Tennessee to Morgan County.  United States Highway 431 enters joined with United States Highway 231 from Tennessee, splits in Huntsville, and exits southeast into Marshall County.  Huntsville is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 55.4% of the county population.  The county is in the Huntsville Metropolitan Statistical Area.