Madison, GA

Madison is a city located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 66,821. The city is the county seat of Madison County and is included in the Athens- Clarke County Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Madison was founded in 1819 as a planned community by General James Oglethorpe and Colonel William Stephens. It was named for James Madison, fourth President of the United States. The city's original boundaries were roughly what they are today, bounded by Monroe Street on the south, Washington Street on the west, Broad Street on the north and Union Avenue on the east. In 1836, Madison annexed adjacent territory to its northwest and northeast resulting in a total area of . By 1850, Madison had a population of 10,000 and had outgrown its original boundaries. That same year it created a new municipal government which consisted of an elected mayor and six council members who served staggered four-year terms with one seat open each year. In 1853, Madison became a town after being reincorporated by an act of legislature; it remained a town until 1870 when it became an incorporated city again with Mayor John Troup serving as its first mayor under that charter.

In 1901 Madison annexed additional territory to its southeast resulting in its current size which is . The city has experienced steady growth since then due to annexation and development projects such as University Place (1925), Eastwood Towne Center (1974), Southgate Shopping Center (1976), Northgate Shopping Center (1978), Westside Village Shopping Center (1982) and Eastdale Towne Centre (1996). Today there are over 50 shopping centers within city limits alone making it one of Georgia's most populous shopping areas outside Atlanta metropolitan area.

Madison also has several large corporate headquarters including Delta Air Lines' world headquarters as well as UPS' global logistics center which employs over 6500 people.

The downtown area has seen significant redevelopment over recent years with new restaurants opening such as Hop Alley Craft Brewery & Kitchen + Pub which features local craft beers from around Georgia along with pub fare.

There are also several historic buildings located downtown including City Hall built in 1895 which now houses City offices along with several other historic buildings including Reid Hall which was originally built as Reid Academy but now serves as home to various civic organizations such as Rotary International.

The University Of Georgia campus is also located just outside downtown near Midtown Plaza where many students live while attending school.

Madison is home to two professional sports teams: The Atlanta Braves who play at Turner Field just north of downtown while FC Atlanta plays their home games at Coolray Field just south of downtown; both teams compete in Major League Soccer.