Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. As of 2006, the population was 265,303. The county seat is Edwardsville, Illinois. The largest town in the county is Alton.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,918 km² (740 mi²). 1,878 km² (725 mi²) of it is land and 40 km² (15 mi²) of it (2.07%) is water. Madison County is on the Mississippi Rive...
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Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the St. Louis Metro Area. As of 2006, the population was 265,303. The county seat is Edwardsville, Illinois. The largest town in the county is Alton.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,918 km² (740 mi²). 1,878 km² (725 mi²) of it is land and 40 km² (15 mi²) of it (2.07%) is water. Madison County is on the Mississippi River, while the other major body of water is Horseshoe Lake.
Madison County was established on September 14, 1812. It was formed out of Randolph and St. Clair Counties and named for James Madison. At the time of its formation, Madison County included all of the modern State of Illinois north of St. Louis, about three-fourths of the Territory.
In the late 1800s, Madison County became an industrial powerhouse, and in the 20th century, was known for first, Graniteware, and later, its steel mills, oil refinerys, and other heavy industry. Because of...
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