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County · code 21151

Madison CountyKentucky

Madison County is a county in Kentucky, with its seat in Richmond. It was created in 1786 from Lincoln County, Virginia, and became a Kentucky county in 1792 when Kentucky was admitted to the Union.

  • Founded1786
  • County seatRichmond
  • Named forJames Madison
  • Land area437 sq mi + 5.9 sq mi water
  • Population92,701 2020 Census
  • Parcels mapped40,293 checked 16 October 2026
Open the free map Click any parcel in Madison County: acreage, parcel id, address and who publishes the map. No sign-in.

Updated

GarrardClarkEstillJessamineRockcastleFayetteJackson Richmond Census outline · seat marked

Where it is

Madison on the map of Kentucky

Kentucky has 120 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.

Adair CountyAllen CountyAnderson CountyBallard CountyBarren CountyBath CountyBell CountyBoone CountyBourbon CountyBoyd CountyBoyle CountyBracken CountyBreathitt CountyBreckinridge CountyBullitt CountyButler CountyCaldwell CountyCalloway CountyCampbell CountyCarlisle CountyCarroll CountyCarter CountyCasey CountyChristian CountyClark CountyClay CountyClinton CountyCrittenden CountyCumberland CountyDaviess CountyEdmonson CountyElliott CountyEstill CountyFayette CountyFleming CountyFloyd CountyFranklin CountyFulton CountyGallatin CountyGarrard CountyGrant CountyGraves CountyGrayson CountyGreen CountyGreenup CountyHancock CountyHardin CountyHarlan CountyHarrison CountyHart CountyHenderson CountyHenry CountyHickman CountyHopkins CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyJessamine CountyJohnson CountyKenton CountyKnott CountyKnox CountyLarue CountyLaurel CountyLawrence CountyLee CountyLeslie CountyLetcher CountyLewis CountyLincoln CountyLivingston CountyLogan CountyLyon CountyMcCracken CountyMcCreary CountyMcLean CountyMagoffin CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMartin CountyMason CountyMeade CountyMenifee CountyMercer CountyMetcalfe CountyMonroe CountyMontgomery CountyMorgan CountyMuhlenberg CountyNelson CountyNicholas CountyOhio CountyOldham CountyOwen CountyOwsley CountyPendleton CountyPerry CountyPike CountyPowell CountyPulaski CountyRobertson CountyRockcastle CountyRowan CountyRussell CountyScott CountyShelby CountySimpson CountySpencer CountyTaylor CountyTodd CountyTrigg CountyTrimble CountyUnion CountyWarren CountyWashington CountyWayne CountyWebster CountyWhitley CountyWolfe CountyWoodford CountyMadison County Madison
Counties of Kentucky · Madison highlighted

History

Formed in 1786 from Lincoln County

An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.

Madison County was created by Virginia from Lincoln County on August 1, 1786, and was named after James Madison. When Kentucky became a state in 1792, Madison became one of its counties.

Boundary changes from the Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; the 5 that matter most are shown first.

  1. 1786
    Madison County created Madison created by Virginia from Lincoln.
    from Lincoln
    · Hening, 12:118-120
  2. 1792
    Became part of Kentucky Madison became a Kentucky county when the state of Kentucky was created from the Kentucky District of Virginia. · Hening, 11:85; U.S. Stat., vol. 1, ch. 4 [1791]/p 189
  3. 1800
    Lost territory Madison lost to Garrard.
    to Garrard
    · Ky. Acts 1799, 8th assy., ch. 70, sec. 1/pp. 146-147
  4. 1800
    Gained territory Madison gained from Montgomery.
    from Montgomery
    · Ky. Acts 1799, 8th assy., ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 150-152
  5. 1805
    Lost territory Madison lost to Knox.
    to Knox
    · Ky. Acts 1804, 13th assy., ch. 46, sec. 1/pp. 76-77
Show all 13 changes (8 more)
  1. 1786
    Madison County created Madison created by Virginia from Lincoln.
    from Lincoln
    · Hening, 12:118-120
  2. 1792
    Became part of Kentucky Madison became a Kentucky county when the state of Kentucky was created from the Kentucky District of Virginia. · Hening, 11:85; U.S. Stat., vol. 1, ch. 4 [1791]/p 189
  3. 1797
    Lost territory Madison lost to creation of Garrard and lost small area to Lincoln.
    to Garrardto Lincoln
    · Ky. Acts 1796-1797, 5th assy., 1st sess., sec. 1/pp. 38-39
  4. 1800
    Lost territory Madison lost to Garrard.
    to Garrard
    · Ky. Acts 1799, 8th assy., ch. 70, sec. 1/pp. 146-147
  5. 1800
    Gained territory Madison gained from Montgomery.
    from Montgomery
    · Ky. Acts 1799, 8th assy., ch. 73, sec. 1/pp. 150-152
  6. 1801
    Lost territory Madison lost small area to Garrard.
    to Garrard
    · Ky. Acts 1801, 10th assy., ch. 64, sec. 1/pp. 64-65
  7. 1805
    Lost territory Madison lost to Knox.
    to Knox
    · Ky. Acts 1804, 13th assy., ch. 46, sec. 1/pp. 76-77
  8. 1807
    Lost territory Madison lost to creation of Clay, and lost to Floyd and Knox.
    to Clayto Floydto Knox
    · Ky. Acts 1806, 15th assy., sec. 1/pp. 139-141
  9. 1808
    Lost territory Madison lost to creation of Estill.
    to Estill
    · Ky. Acts 1807-1808, 16th assy., ch. 38, sec. 1/pp. 64-66, and ch. 39, sec. 1/pp. 66-67
  10. 1810
    Lost territory Madison lost to creation of Rockcastle.
    to Rockcastle
    · Ky. Acts 1809-1810, 18th assy., ch. 102, sec. 1/pp. 16-19
  11. 1812
    Gained territory Madison gained from Clay.
    from Clay
    · Ky. Acts 1811-1812, 20th assy., ch. 392, sec. 1/p. 218
  12. 1821
    Lost territory Madison lost to Rockcastle.
    to Rockcastle
    · Ky. Acts 1821, 30th assy., 1st sess., ch. 343, sec. 1/pp. 444-445
  13. 1858
    Lost territory Madison lost to creation of Jackson.
    to Jackson
    · Ky. Acts 1857-1858, vol. 1, ch. 167, sec. 1/pp. 18-22, and res. 13, p. 103

Land and parcels

What the maps cover in Madison

Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.

Official
from the office that keeps the record
Good enough
a reliable statewide or national copy
Fallback
a guide only; check the official record
Missing
nothing public found yet

People and land

Madison by the Census

Population
92,701 2020 Census count
Housing units
39,319 2020 Census count
Land area
437 square miles
Water area
5.9 square miles
People per sq mi
212 population ÷ land area

Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Rules and offices

Who to ask before you build, dig or sell

Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.

Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.

Permits

Zoning and code

County government

See your own lot on these maps

Open Madison County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.

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Questions

Common questions about Madison County

When was Madison County founded?
Madison County was founded in 1786, formed from Lincoln County, and named after James Madison.
What is the county seat of Madison County?
The county seat of Madison County is Richmond.
Is there an online parcel map for Madison County?
Yes. A public source publishes a parcel map of 40,293 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
Has Madison County's boundary or name changed?
Madison County was created in 1786 from Lincoln County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 12 later changes, chiefly involving Garrard County, Clay County and Knox County.
Who issues building permits in Madison County?
The county's page on building permits: Building Permit. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
Is my lot in a flood zone?
We do not have flood maps for Madison County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.

Nearby

Counties next door