About Madison County

Madison is an upstate rural county with an area of 661 square miles located approximately 20 miles from both Syracuse and Utica. Pratt's Hollow, in the Town of Eaton, is considered to be the geographic center of New York State.

The County is divided into two physiographic regions. The Oneida Lake Plain in the north has a generally level to gently rolling topography, and the remainder of the County consists of rounded hills and broad, deep, and steep-sided valleys typical of the Appalachian Uplands. Oneida Lake is the northern border of the County. There are 14 other lakes, six of which are reservoirs built during the early to mid- 800's to serve as water supplies for the Erie and Chenango Canals.

Since its beginning, Madison County has had an economy dominated by agriculture. In the 19th century its climate, soils, topography, and location gave rise to a flourishing hops industry. Over time that has been replaced with a strong dairy industry dependent on the same factors-there was a tie between the two industries, in fact, as a local entrepreneur imported the first Holstein-Frisian cattle into the U.S. to provide fertilizer for the abundant hop fields.

Today, 48 percent of the County's lands are dedicated to farming with nearly 700 active farms. The dairy industry dominates, and the County is ranked 8th in total dairy production for the State. The horse industry has become important over time, with both racing and pleasure horses being raised. About 2,500 acres of muck land in the northern part of Madison County produces mainly potatoes and onions with other cash crops grown throughout the County.

Despite the importance of agriculture, employment in the agricultural sector has declined over the past 30 years and only accounts for 4 percent of total employment for the County. The service, wholesale and retail trade sectors have grown in importance. In addition, the proximity to Syracuse and Utica provide employment opportunities to Madison County residents. Until the 1780's, Madison County was part of the vast, unchartered wilderness of central and western New York known as "Tryon", later renamed Montgomery County. This area was a part of the territory of the Six Nations of the Iroquois, with the area of Madison County occupied primarily by the Oneida Nation.

In 1788, New York bought from the Iroquois a large tract of land stretching out on either side of the Chenango River. After surveying and dividing this tract, called the Chenango Twenty Towns, the land was sold at public auction. Beginning in 1795, New York State began purchasing Oneida Indian land between Oneida Lake and the Twenty Towns, until most of the Oneidas finally left New York for Wisconsin around 1840. Madison became a part of Herkimer and Tioga Counties when Montgomery was divided in 1791. It then became a part of Chenango County from 1798 until March 21,1806, when it was set off as a separate entity. Named for President James Madison, the county was first made up of five towns; by 1896 the final boundaries of the towns were drawn and in 1901, Oneida became a city.

Today, Madison County contains one city, fifteen (15) towns and ten (10) villages. According to the 2000 Census, the County has a population of 69,441 and is one of only a few counties in central New York to register positive population growth between 1990 and 2000.

Madison County is also home to two wind power projects; one located in the Town of Fenner and one in the Town of Madison. The 30-megawatt Fenner wind farm, comprising 20 windmills, is expected to generate enough power to provide 7,000 homes with electricity. The Madison site has seven windmills that drive turbines with generating capacity of 1.65 megawatts each. Click here for more information wind power in Madison County. Windmills of Madison County