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Madison, Alabama
Madison is a city of 60,106 people in Limestone County, Alabama, founded in 1818.
Why visit Madison
Townapedia lists 9 museums and landmarks, 56 parks and trails, 189 places to eat, 18 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cineplanet 15, Space City USA, James H. Bibb House and Madison Station Historic District.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 92°F; January lows average 33°F.
Weather in Madison
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Madison
Madison is a city located primarily in Madison County, near the northern border of the U.S. state of Alabama. Madison extends west into neighboring Limestone County. The city is included in the Huntsville Metropolitan Area, the second-largest in the state, and is also included in the merged Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. The population was 56,933 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Madison, Alabama (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Space City USA
Monument and historic site · 3.8 mi
Planned theme park near Huntsville, Alabama
Museums and landmarks9
James H. Bibb House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic house in Alabama, United States
Madison Station Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in Alabama, United States
Neutral Buoyancy Simulator
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.3 mi
Historic astronaut training facility
SA-500D
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 6.0 mi
Test model of the Saturn V rocket
William Lanford House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.8 mi
Historic house in Alabama, United States
U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Museum · 6.1 mi
Science museum in Huntsville, Alabama
Parks, trails and playgrounds56
44 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes189
Applebee's
Diner · American · 1.1 mi
302 Hughes Road, Madison
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-24:00; Su 11:00-22:00
Crickets
Restaurant · Burger, Wings · 2.1 mi
3810 Sullivan Street, Madison
Mo-Fr 11:00-14:00,17:00-21:00; Sa 17:00-21:00
Golden China Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.1 mi
300 Hughes Road, Madison
Tu-Th 10:30-20:30; Fr 10:30-21:00; Sa-Su 11:00-20:30; Mo off
Honest Coffee Roasters
Cafe · Coffee Shop, Breakfast, Lunch · 1.6 mi
92 Shorter Street, Madison
Mo-Su 06:30-18:00
J. Alexander's
Diner · American · 2.9 mi
380 Town Madison Boulevard, Madison
Su-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
La Finka
Restaurant · Mexican · 2.4 mi
8994 Madison Boulevard, Madison
Su-Th 10:30-21:00; Fr-Sa 10:30-22:00
Lola's Cocina
Restaurant · Mexican · 3.0 mi
114 Moon Shot Drive, Madison
Su-Th 07:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 07:00-22:00
Metro Diner
Diner · American · 3.5 mi
7626 Hwy 72 W, Madison
Mo-Th 07:00-14:30,17:00-21:00; Fr 07:00-14:30,17:00-22:00; Sa...
177 more on the map.
History
The area was occupied historically by the Koasati (also known as Coushatta), a Muskogean-speaking people. Before them were thousands of years of indigenous cultures.
Madison's first European-American resident was John Cartwright, who settled in the area in 1818. The city was originally known as "Madison Station", as it developed in the 1850s around a stop of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. Textile mills were built in the area in the late 19th century for processing and manufacture of cotton products.
Madison was the site of a battle in the American Civil War. On May 17, 1864, Col. Josiah Patterson's 5th Alabama Cavalry, supported by Col. James H. Stuart's cavalry battalion and a section of horse artillery, drove Col. Adam G. Gorgas's 13th Illinois Infantry Regiment from the city. Patterson's men captured the 13th Illinois Regiment's wagon train, taking 66 prisoners. They also burned Union supplies and tore up the railroad tracks before retreating. Portions of the 5th Ohio Cavalry, the 59th Indiana Infantry, and the 5th Iowa Infantry were sent in pursuit from Huntsville. They skirmished with Patterson's rear guard that evening at Fletcher's Ferry on the Tennessee River south of Madison.
The town was incorporated on December 2, 1869. From 1880 to 1950, rural Madison had a population of some 400-500 residents.
From the History section of Madison, Alabama on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay18
Home2 Suites by Hilton Madison Huntsville Airport
Motel and hotel · 2.7 mi
135 Graphics Drive, Madison
Churches and places of worship55
Shopping32
Gas and EV charging28
Schools, colleges and libraries29
Saint John Paul II Catholic High School
School · Roman Catholic · 3.8 mi
7301 Old Madison Pike Northwest, Huntsville
Healthcare22
Huntsville Hospital Physician Care at Madison
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.1 mi
450 Lanier Road, Huntsville
QC Wellness Pharmacy and QuickCare
Clinic and pharmacy · 3.7 mi
7500 US Highway 72 West, Madison
Map of Madison
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52°F | 33°F | 5.0 in | 0.7 in |
| Feb | 57°F | 36°F | 5.1 in | 1.0 in |
| Mar | 66°F | 43°F | 5.4 in | 0.5 in |
| Apr | 75°F | 51°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| May | 82°F | 60°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 89°F | 68°F | 4.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 92°F | 71°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 91°F | 70°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 86°F | 63°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 76°F | 52°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 64°F | 41°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Dec | 55°F | 36°F | 5.9 in | 0.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Huntsville Intl Ap 72323 (5 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Limestone County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for hurricanes.
- 2024-09-26: Hurricane Helene (Hurricane)
- 2020-09-14: Hurricane Sally (Hurricane)
- 2020-05-21: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-29: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2017-09-11: Hurricane Irma (Hurricane)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Redstone Army Airfield (HUA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Huntsville 5 mi east, about 8 min by car
- Athens 12 mi northwest, about 19 min by car
- Meridianville 15 mi northeast, about 25 min by car
- Decatur 16 mi southwest, about 26 min by car
- Hartselle 21 mi southwest, about 34 min by car
- Cullman 37 mi south, about 1 h by car
- Scottsboro 41 mi east, about 1 h by car
- Albertville 44 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Muscle Shoals 50 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Florence 52 mi west, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Main Street Madison Alabama May 2011 01, Chris Pruitt, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Madison City Schools Central Office, Fredfigglehornfan3000, CC0
- St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Madison AL 2025b, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Madison AL 2025a, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Madison AL 2025c, Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0
- CountyLineRoad-Madison-NorthOfRR (35195025264), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- US 72 East - Madison, AL (36400255140), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Rocket City Trash Pandas vs Chattanooga Lookouts, Madison AL June 2025, Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0
- Madison Boulevard and I-565 (36749889616), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Madison Boulevard - Towards HSV (35967661193), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Solar Eclipse through Man-Shaped Cloud, August 21, 2017, J.L. Robinson, CC BY 4.0
- Pancake Machine (7714422220), Bart Everson, CC BY 2.0
- Moon Rotation, Own derivative work of two other files., CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS053-E-57208 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-116356 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-59676 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-185569 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-116358 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-116357 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS047-E-116355 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-59677 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS053-E-57209 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- I-565 Clearview (35923130794), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- ISS041-E-17575 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS041-E-17574 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- US 72 West - Near Athens, AL (36749887566), formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Christmas cheer (Unsplash), Ross Varrette rossvarrette, CC0
- Moon through telescope, ZeeDerp, CC BY 4.0
- Saturn V Dynamic Test Stand at MSFC, Michael73072, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Strata-G Ribbon Cutting (39460875844), repmobrooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Strata-G Ribbon Cutting (39460875664), repmobrooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Strata-G Ribbon Cutting (39460875774), repmobrooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Strata-G Ribbon Cutting (39273444615), repmobrooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Strata-G Ribbon Cutting (39460875714), repmobrooks, CC BY-SA 2.0
- VORTEX Southeast 2017 media day, NOAA NSSL, Public domain
- VORTEX Southeast 2017 media day - 33440911812, NOAA NSSL, Public domain
- VORTEX Southeast 2017 media day - 33556907366, NOAA NSSL, Public domain
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