ABOUT THE CITY

Welcome to Madison, one of the fastest growing city in Mississippi. We invite you to experience and share our hometown spirit. A once small farming community, Madison is now your passport to the best the world has to offer! Small-town flavor nestled close to the amenities of a large metropolitan area, Madison also offers an international doorway to business, recreational and education experiences through its sister city relationship with Solleftea, Sweden.

The Spirit of Place
Nestled in the rolling hills of central Mississippi, Madison is just a 10-minute drive from Jackson, the state’s capital and its largest city. You can find the best in entertainment, shopping, medical services, education and cultural offerings. In less than three hours, you can dine in New Orleans, shop in Mobile or Memphis or fish on the Gulf Coast. With Jackson International Airport only 20 minutes away, you have easy access to destinations throughout the world on major air carriers. Our city of more than 18,000 has a very low crime rate, compared to other cities in the Southeast and the rest of the nation.

The Spirit of Our Roots
Madison, Mississippi, named for James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, grew up along a bustling railroad track in pre-Civil War Mississippi. It was 1856 when the Illinois Central Railroad opened its Madison Station, the forerunner of today’s City of Madison.

The railroad continued to serve as a magnet for business growth after the Civil War. In 1897, the Madison Land Company encouraged our northern neighbors to “Go south, and grow up with the country.” Located in Chicago on the Illinois Central Railroad line, the Land Company’s interest in development prompted Madison to incorporate as a village, although the charter was later lost when regular elections were discontinued due to the failure of the “land boom”. The Land Company offered prime land for as little as $3.00 an acre. The company boasted that Mississippi had the lowest debt ratio in the nation at $19.00 per capita and that Mississippians were declared one third healthier by “official figures” than people in New York and Massachusetts.

Madison remained a town until 1985, when the municipality was reclassified as a city. The city has flourished as it has grown from a small town into a carefully planned city. Strict ordinances, such as ones designating architectural controls, providing landscape and building guidelines have helped to preserve the charm and integrity of one of Mississippi’s fastest growing cities.

Sister City Solleftea, Sweden
Madison officials first explored the possibility of creating a sister city relationship with Solleftea, Sweden in 1995. The idea grew out of a meeting between Madison County economic development representatives and executives representing the Solleftea-based forestry products company, Haglof, Inc., who were investigating the feasibility of opening a plant in Madison.

Talks began, and a January 1997 video conference call between the two cities facilitated the meeting. Five months later, a delegation of over 30 members arrived in Madison to tour the city and to ratify the sister city relationship. During that visit, Haglof Inc. opened its new office and the Swedish company Mini Tube also announced plans to locate a facility in Madison.

A 34-member delegation from Madison flew to Sweden in May 1997 for a five-day tour of Solleftea. They were interested in learning about Solleftea’s economic development efforts, cultural facilities, innovations in education and ability to attract visitors and businesses to the area. The delegation toured industrial sites, such as Haglof Inc.’s facilities, an energy plant and a communications company. They also visited a forestry school and environmental center.

The Sister City Committee continues to work on business development issues between Mississippi and Sweden.

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