Although Madison County is located in the state of Illinois, the county is considered part of the St. Louis metropolitan area. It’s only a 25-minute trip by car to all the culture and nightlife St. Louis has to offer.
Madison County was established in 1812 and named for President James Madison. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the county developed as an industrial powerhouse, and was known for Graniteware, steel mills, oil refineries and other heavy industry. The area enjoyed a large working-class population, and became known as a center of strength for the Democratic Party.
Today Madison County’s population is just under 270,000, which is in increase in the last decade. Cities in Madison County include Collinsville; Granite City; Highland; Madison; Troy; Venice; Alton, the largest town in the county, known for its American Civil War-era history; and Edwardsville, the county seat. A 2010 issue of Family Circle magazine named Edwardsville third of their “Top 10 Best Towns for Families.”
Edwardsville is also home to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, or SIUE, a nationally-recognized university that boasts a student-teacher ratio of 17 to 1. The university offers the lowest tuition of all 12 state universities in Illinois.
Established in 1957, SIUE is situated on 2,660 acres of forested woodland overlooking the Mississippi River’s rich bottom land. SIUE has received a large number of accolades. For the fifth consecutive year, US News & World Report has listed SIUE in the senior capstone experience category for its comprehensive program measuring the competency of graduating seniors. In addition, the university is among the top 15 public universities in the publication’s “Midwest-Masters” category for the third consecutive year and in the top one-third of all Midwestern universities, based on the academic preparedness of students, graduation rates, faculty characteristics and the reputation of SIUE in higher education.
Madison County offers unlimited opportunities for outdoor recreation. The county has developed more than 85 miles of scenic bikeways throughout the communities of Edwardsville, nearby Glen Carbon, and beyond. Watershed Nature Center is a 46-acre wildlife preserve. Among other parks are Glik Park, City Park, Edwardsville Township Park, LeClaire Park and Lusk Park.
According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of 740.56 square miles. The median income for a household in the county was $41,541.
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