Madera County, California
Madera County | |
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Flag Seal | |
Interactive map of Madera County | |
Location in the state of California | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Regions | San Joaquin Valley & Sierra Nevada |
| Metropolitan area | Metropolitan Fresno |
| Incorporated | 1893 |
| Named after | Spanish word meaning "wood" |
| County seat | Madera |
| Largest city | Madera |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–CAO |
| • Body | Board of Supervisors |
| • Chair | Robert Macaulay |
| • Chair Pro Tem | Jordon Wamhoff |
| • Board of Supervisors | Supervisors
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| • County Administrative Officer | Jay Varney |
| Area | |
• Total | 2,153 sq mi (5,580 km2) |
| • Land | 2,137 sq mi (5,530 km2) |
| • Water | 16 sq mi (41 km2) |
| Highest elevation | 13,143 ft (4,006 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 156,255 |
| • Density | 73.12/sq mi (28.23/km2) |
| GDP | |
| • Total | $7.738 billion (2022) |
| Time zone | UTC−8 (Pacific Time Zone) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−7 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| FIPS code | 06-039 |
| GNIS feature ID | 277284 |
| Congressional districts | 5th, 13th |
| Website | www |
Madera County (/məˈdɛərə/ ⓘ; Madera, Spanish for "Wood"), officially the County of Madera, is a county located at the geographic center of the U.S. state of California. It features a varied landscape, encompassing the eastern San Joaquin Valley and the central Sierra Nevada, with Madera serving as the county seat. Established in 1893 from part of Fresno County, Madera County reported a population of 156,255 in the 2020 census.
The name Madera is Spanish for "wood," a reference to the county’s early lumber industry. Portions of Yosemite National Park lie within the county, and tourism, along with agriculture—particularly almonds, grapes, and pistachios—form major parts of the local economy. According to the United States Census Bureau, the county’s median household income is below the state average, and its poverty rate is higher than the California average.