Townapedia
LacquiParleCC
LacquiParleCC · Jet Lowe, Public domain
Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Madison, MN 02
Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Madison, MN 02 · Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0
Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Madison, MN 01
Saint Michael's Catholic Church, Madison, MN 01 · Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0
St Michael's Church, Madison, MN-02
St Michael's Church, Madison, MN-02 · Myotus, CC BY 4.0
St Michael's Church, Madison, MN-01
St Michael's Church, Madison, MN-01 · Myotus, CC BY 4.0
War Memorial at Lac qui Parle County Courthouse, Madison, Minnesota
War Memorial at Lac qui Parle County Courthouse, Madison, Minnesota · Myotus, CC BY-SA 4.0

Madison, Minnesota

Madison is a city of 1,550 people in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota.

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Population1,550 -4.1% since 2019
Elevation1,089 ft 332 m
Land area1.2 sq mi
ZIP code56256
Nearest airportMontevideo-Chippewa County Airport (MVE) 24 mi

Why visit Madison

Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 1 place to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.

Highlights include Grand Theater, Lac Qui Parle County Courthouse and Madison Carnegie Library.

July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 3°F, and about 47 inches of snow fall in a normal year.

About Madison

Madison is a city in and the county seat of Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 1,518 at the 2020 census. It proclaims itself to be the "lutefisk capital of the USA."

From the Wikipedia article Madison, Minnesota (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Things to do1

Grand Theater

Cinema and theater

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Museums and landmarks3

Lac Qui Parle County Courthouse

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

County courthouse in Madison, United States of America

Open in Google Maps · Wikipedia

Madison Carnegie Library

Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places

Public library in Madison, Minnesota, United States

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Lac qui Parle County Museum

Museum · 0.6 mi

250 8th Avenue, Madison

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Where to stay1

J F Jacobson City Park

Campground · 0.5 mi

South Hwy 75, Madison

Open in Google Maps · +1-320-598-7373

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Schools, colleges and libraries2

Madison Public Library

Library

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Madison-Marietta-Nassau Elementary

School

316 4Th St, Madison

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History

Madison was platted in 1884, and named after Madison, Wisconsin. A post office has been in operation at Madison since 1884.

The Madison City Council proposed that the city should be named the Lutefisk Capital of the United States in 1982, and the Madison Chamber of Commerce funded the construction of a 25 ft (7.6 m) fiberglass cod nicknamed Lou T. Fisk, which welcomes visitors.

From the History section of Madison, Minnesota on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Healthcare1

Map of Madison

8 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Climate by month

0°20°40°60°80°January: 0.5 in of rainFebruary: 0.6 in of rainMarch: 1.3 in of rainApril: 2.4 in of rainMay: 3.2 in of rainJune: 3.8 in of rainJuly: 3.6 in of rainAugust: 3.4 in of rainSeptember: 2.6 in of rainOctober: 2.5 in of rainNovember: 1.1 in of rainDecember: 0.6 in of rainJanuary: 22°FFebruary: 26°FMarch: 39°FApril: 55°FMay: 69°FJune: 79°FJuly: 82°FAugust: 80°FSeptember: 73°FOctober: 58°FNovember: 41°FDecember: 27°FJanuary: 3°FFebruary: 7°FMarch: 20°FApril: 33°FMay: 46°FJune: 58°FJuly: 61°FAugust: 58°FSeptember: 49°FOctober: 36°FNovember: 22°FDecember: 9°FJFMAMJJASOND
Average high Average low Rain
Monthly table
MonthHighLowRainSnow
Jan22°F3°F0.5 in7.7 in
Feb26°F7°F0.6 in9.3 in
Mar39°F20°F1.3 in7.7 in
Apr55°F33°F2.4 in5.8 in
May69°F46°F3.2 in0.1 in
Jun79°F58°F3.8 in0.0 in
Jul82°F61°F3.6 in0.0 in
Aug80°F58°F3.4 in0.0 in
Sep73°F49°F2.6 in0.0 in
Oct58°F36°F2.5 in0.9 in
Nov41°F22°F1.1 in5.5 in
Dec27°F9°F0.6 in9.9 in

U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Madison Wwtp (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.

People and cost of living

$61,172median household income
$97,000median home value
$838median monthly rent
51.3median age
20.8%of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
73.1%of homes are owner-occupied
15.2 minaverage commute
Age of residents
Under 1820%18 to 3416%35 to 6429%65 and over36%

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.

Disaster history

Lac qui Parle County has had 14 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.

  • 2023-07-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
  • 2022-08-09: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
  • 2022-07-08: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
  • 2020-04-07: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
  • 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
  • 2019-06-12: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)

OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.

Getting there and nearby towns

Montevideo-Chippewa County Airport (MVE) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 miles away.

  • Dawson 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
  • Appleton 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
  • Milan 15 mi northeast, about 24 min by car
  • Canby 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
  • Montevideo 24 mi east, about 38 min by car
  • Benson 35 mi northeast, about 57 min by car
  • Granite Falls 35 mi southeast, about 56 min by car
  • Marshall 44 mi southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
  • Watertown 48 mi west, about 1 h 15 min by car
  • Willmar 56 mi east, about 1 h 30 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

Reviews, tips and questions

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Sources and licences

Photo credits

Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.