About the Town of Madison
Madison is a town in the southeastern corner of New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, occupying a central location on Connecticut’s Long Island Sound shoreline. The population was 18,269 at the 2010 census.[1]
Madison was first settled in 1641. Throughout the 18th century, Madison was known as East Guilford until it was incorporated as a town in 1826. Since then, Madison and Guilford have shared many cultural and economic similarities despite an unofficial high school rivalry.
Beaches
Hammonasset Beach State Park possesses the state’s longest public beach, with campsites, picnic areas, and a fishing pier, and is extremely popular in the summer causing traffic jams on I-95 on peak days.
Surf Club Beach is the town’s major public beach with lifeguards and recreational facilities for baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, and horseshoes. It features playgrounds for children and picnic tables for families, as well as sailboat and kayak racks. It is also home to several athletic fields, including Strong Field, the town’s multi-purpose athletic complex.
East Wharf, sometimes referred to as the “purple sand beach,” has life guards, a pier, kayak and sailboat racks in addition to a gazebo.
West Wharf has a pier, rock formations to the west, a small sunbathing beach and boat spaces.
The Madison Beach Club has its own beach and is located near Madison Country Club, a private country club.
Madison Center
Madison’s center of town is the main area for businesses and the location of the town library and Madison Green Historic District. Madison Center is a census-designated place, with a population of 2,290 at the 2010 census. The center has many boutiques and coffee shops. Although it is called “the center,” it is not the geographic center of Madison, but is located in the southern part of town halfway between Clinton and Guilford.