Madison County is a county in Missouri, United States, in the Lead Belt region of the southeastern part of the state. It had a population of 12,626 at the 2020 census and covers 498 square miles (1,290 km2) centred near 37°29′N 90°20′W.
Fredericktown is the county seat and largest city, and its postal code is 63645. The county has one incorporated city, one town, and two villages, plus about two dozen unincorporated communities. Madison County sits in the Central time zone.
Towns & Villages in Madison County
Madison County has one incorporated city (Fredericktown, the county seat), one incorporated town (Marquand), two villages (Cobalt and Junction City), and roughly two dozen small unincorporated communities scattered across the county’s mining and farm country. Most of the unincorporated places below are crossroads, former mining camps, or rural post-office settlements with no current population figures on record; they are marked “Unincorp.” below.
| Place | Type | Pop. | ZIP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fredericktown | City · seat | — | 63645 |
| Marquand | Town | — | 63655 |
| Cobalt | Village | — | 63645 |
| Junction City | Village | — | 63645 |
| Allbright | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Beulah | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Buckhorn | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Castor Station | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Catherine Place | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Central | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cherokee Pass | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Cornwall | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Creek Nation | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Faro | Unincorp. | — | — |
| French Mills | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Hahns Mill | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Higdon | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Jewett | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Klondike | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Lance | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Marsh Creek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Millcreek | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Mine La Motte | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Oak Grove | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Roselle | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Saco | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Shelton Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Tin Mountain | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Twelvemile | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Wide Ford | Unincorp. | — | — |
| Zion | Unincorp. | — | — |
Mine La Motte is the site of the oldest lead mine west of the Mississippi River, worked since the early 1700s, and gives the county’s Lead Belt its name. Junction City and Cobalt grew up as company settlements tied to that mining history and are still recorded as villages today.
ZIP Codes
- 63645 — Fredericktown (also serves Cobalt and Junction City)
- 63655 — Marquand
The remaining rural communities in the county receive mail under one of these two ZIP codes rather than having their own.
Geography
Madison County lies in the St. Francois Mountains of the southeastern Ozarks, a region of old granite and rhyolite knobs interspersed with narrow valleys. The St. Francis River forms part of the county’s western edge, and Castor River drains the eastern half of the county toward the Bootheel lowlands. The terrain is rougher than the farmland counties to the north, with mining scars and forested ridges shaping the landscape around Fredericktown and Mine La Motte.
Madison County borders Perry County to the northeast, Bollinger County to the east, Wayne County to the south, Iron County to the west, and St. Francois County to the north.
Demographics
Madison County’s population was 12,626 at the 2020 census. Fredericktown and Marquand are the county’s two largest communities. Median household income in the county runs well below the Missouri median of $68,545, consistent with the rest of the Lead Belt region, which has depended on a shrinking mining sector for generations. Population density is roughly 26 people per square mile, reflecting the county’s rural, forested character.
Economy & Local Life
Lead and other base-metal mining has shaped Madison County’s economy since the early 1700s, when French prospectors worked the Mine La Motte deposit — the oldest lead mine west of the Mississippi. Mining employment has declined sharply from its 20th-century peak, and today the county’s economy is a mix of agriculture, timber, small manufacturing, and services centered on Fredericktown, the government and retail hub for the county.
History
Madison County was organized on December 14, 1818, and named for President James Madison. Its mining heritage predates the county itself: French colonists worked lead deposits at Mine La Motte in the early 1700s, decades before American settlement of the area. The 1925 Tri-State Tornado, one of the deadliest in U.S. history, damaged farms and outbuildings in the county as it tore through the wider region.
Getting There
U.S. Route 67 runs north–south through the county, connecting Fredericktown to the St. Louis metro area, and Missouri Route 72 crosses the county east–west toward the Bootheel.
- Farmington — 20 miles north
- Cape Girardeau — 45 miles east
- Poplar Bluff — 50 miles south
- St. Louis — 90 miles northeast
The nearest commercial airport is Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Madison County, Missouri?
It is in the southeastern Ozarks, part of the Lead Belt region, roughly 90 miles southwest of St. Louis.
What is the population of Madison County?
12,626 people, according to the 2020 census.
How big is Madison County?
498 square miles (1,290 km2), of which about 3.2 square miles is water.
What is the county seat of Madison County?
Fredericktown is the county seat and largest city.
How many towns are in Madison County?
The county has one city, one town, two villages, and about two dozen unincorporated communities.
What ZIP codes are in Madison County?
63645 (Fredericktown) and 63655 (Marquand) cover the whole county.
What is Madison County known for?
Mine La Motte, the oldest lead mine west of the Mississippi River, and the wider Lead Belt mining district.
More counties in this state: Towns and villages in Missouri.