Editing Fort Madison, Iowa

{{Redirect|Fort Madison|the naval base|Fort Madison, Nuku Hiva|the [[Creek War]] fort|Fort Madison (Alabama)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name                     = Fort Madison, Iowa
|settlement_type          = City
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    = "Always Moving"<ref>{{cite web|url= http://fortmadison.com/|title=Fort Madison, Iowa |publisher= Fort Madison, Iowa |access-date=August 31, 2012}}</ref>

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Fort_Madison_Iowa.jpg
|image_caption            = Downtown Fort Madison (2007)
|image_flag               = <!-- per https://www.fortmadison-ia.com/576/City-Flag-Design-Contest and https://www.fortmadison-ia.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/2138, a flag will be announced in September 2022-->
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Lee_County_Iowa_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Fort_Madison_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location within [[Lee County, Iowa|Lee County]] and [[Iowa]]

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = [[United States]]
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Iowa]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Iowa|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Lee County, Iowa|Lee]]

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = [[Mayor-council government|Mayor-Council]]
|leader_title             = [[Mayor]]
|leader_name              = Matt J. Mohrfeld <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fortmadison-ia.com/index.aspx?nid=109|title = City Council &#124; Fort Madison, IA - Official Website}}</ref>
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Founded
|established_date         = 1835

<!-- Area -->
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_19.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
|area_total_sq_mi         = 13.24
|area_land_sq_mi          = 9.64
|area_water_sq_mi         = 3.60
|area_total_km2           = 34.29
|area_land_km2            = 24.98
|area_water_km2           = 9.32
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 10270
|population_density_sq_mi = 1064.91
|population_density_km2   = 411.16

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Central Time Zone|Central (CST)]]
|utc_offset               = -6
|timezone_DST             = CDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -5
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_ft             = 525
|coordinates              = {{coord|40|37|43|N|91|20|20|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 52627
|area_code                = [[Area code 319|319]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 19-28605
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0456689<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|456689}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|http://www.fortmadison-ia.com}}
|footnotes                = 
|pop_est_footnotes = 
}}

'''Fort Madison''' is a city and a [[county seat]] of [[Lee County, Iowa|Lee County]], [[Iowa]], United States<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=2011-06-07 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=2011-05-31 }}</ref> along with [[Keokuk, Iowa|Keokuk]]. Of Iowa's 99 counties, Lee County is the only one with two county seats. The population was 10,270 at the time of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref name=cen2020>{{cite web |title=2020 Census State Redistricting Data |url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial/2020/data/01-Redistricting_File--PL_94-171/Iowa/ |website=census.gov |publisher=United states Census Bureau |access-date=12 August 2021}}</ref> Located along the [[Mississippi River]] in the state's southeast corner, it lies between small bluffs along one of the widest portions of the river.

==History==
Fort Madison was founded as the location of the first U.S. military fort in the upper Mississippi region.<ref name=Gen>{{Cite journal | last1 = Knapp | first1 = Henry E. | year = 1919 | title = General John Holly Knapp | jstor = 4630171 | journal = The Wisconsin Magazine of History | volume = 2 | issue = 3 | pages = 337–340 |publisher =Wisconsin Historical Society }} &mdash; A biographical sketch of the first settler and founder of the new Fort Madison</ref> A replica of the fort stands along the river.<ref name="oldfortmadison.com">Old Fort Madison: {{cite web|url=http://www.oldfortmadison.com/ |title=Welcome to Old Fort Madison |access-date=2008-03-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080305185627/http://www.oldfortmadison.com/ |archive-date=2008-03-05 }}</ref> [[Sheaffer|Sheaffer Pens]] were developed and made in Fort Madison for many years. The city is the location of the [[Iowa State Penitentiary]]—the state's maximum security prison for men. Fort Madison is the Mississippi river crossing and [[Fort Madison station (1968–2021)|station stop]] for Amtrak's ''[[Southwest Chief]]''. Fort Madison has one of two remaining double swing-span bridges on the Mississippi River, the [[Fort Madison Toll Bridge]], the other being the Government Bridge in Rock Island, Illinois. It has a top level for cars and a similar level for trains; it is also the world's largest [https://web.archive.org/web/20070607222054/http://www.fortmadison.com/pages/living.htm].

The [[Fort Madison Downtown Commercial Historic District]] is a collection of well-preserved historic storefronts from the late 19th century. Along with this is the [[Park-to-Park Residential Historic District]]. The Historic Park to Park District is a seven block long, three block wide section of homes that represent the Gothic, Victorian, and Tudor era. With a rich variety of architectural styles like Gothic Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Eastlake Stick, Richardson Romanesque, Queen Anne, and Tudor. With two of the six parks within the District. It is on the National Historic Registry.

===Original Fort Madison (1808–1813)===
[[File:Old Fort Madison, built in 1808 - History of Iowa.jpg|thumb|Fort Madison, built in 1808 (1903 artist's interpretation)]]
[[Image:Fort Madison 1810.jpg|thumb|upright|Plans of Fort Madison, drawn in 1810 by a trading post factor]]
The city of Fort Madison was established around the site of the historic Fort Madison (1808–1813), which was the first permanent U.S. military fortification on the Upper Mississippi. Fort Madison was the site of [[Black Hawk (chief)|Black Hawk]]'s first battle against U.S. troops, the only real [[War of 1812]] battle fought west of the Mississippi. It was also the location of the first U.S. military cemetery in the upper Midwest.<ref>For general histories of Fort Madison, refer to Jackson 1958, 1960, 1966; Prucha 1964, 1969; Van der Zee 1913, 1914, 1918.</ref> The fort was named for [[James Madison]], fourth President of the United States.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n128 129]}}</ref>

Fort Madison was one of three posts established by the [[U.S. Army]] to establish control over the newly acquired [[Louisiana Purchase]] territories. Fort Madison was built to control trade and pacify Native Americans in the Upper Mississippi River region. The other two posts were [[Fort Belle Fontaine]] near [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]], which controlled the mouth of the Missouri, and [[Fort Osage]], near what is now [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], which controlled trade with western Native American tribes.<ref>Prucha (1964, 1969)</ref>

====Location of the Fort====
A disputed 1804 treaty with the [[Sauk people|Sauk]] and affiliated tribes led to the U.S. claim of control over western [[Illinois]] and parts of what is now [[Iowa]]. To establish control, the U.S. Army set out to construct a post near the mouth of the [[Des Moines River]], a major trading route into the interior of Iowa. Not finding suitable land near the mouth of the Des Moines, the expedition also considered land near [[Quashquame]]'s [[Sauk people|Sauk]] and [[Meskwaki]] village at the head of the [[Des Moines Rapids]], a choke point of trade and transportation on the Upper Mississippi below modern [[Montrose, Iowa|Montrose]]. Again, this land was not considered suitable for a fort. The Army settled on a location several miles upstream at what is now the city of Fort Madison.<ref>Jackson (1958, 1960)</ref>

First called Fort Belleview, this post was also soon deemed inadequate. It was poorly situated at the base of a bluff next to a deep ravine, areas from which enemies could safely fire at the fort. Its construction led to resentment among the local Native Americans, especially the Sauk: They considered the 1804 treaty invalid, the fort threatened established trading networks, and American trade goods were considered inferior to French or British goods.<ref>Jackson (1960); Van der Zee (1914)</ref>

Black Hawk lamented over the new fort, and disparaged its construction in his autobiography.

====Attacks on Fort Madison====
Almost from the beginning, the fort was attacked by Sauk and other tribes. U.S. troops were harassed when they left the fort, and in April 1809, only threat of cannon fire stopped an attempted storming of the fort.<ref>Van der Zee (1918); Jackson (1958; 1966)</ref>

During its existence, several improvements were made to the fort, including reinforcing the stockade and making it higher, extending the fort to a nearby bluff to provide cover from below, and constructing of additional blockhouses outside the stockade. These improvements could not fully compensate for the fort's poor location, however, and it was again attacked in March 1812, and was the focus of a coordinated siege in the following September. The September siege was intense, and the fort was nearly overrun. Significant damage resulted to fort-related buildings, and the attack was only stopped when cannon fire destroyed a fortified Indian position.<ref>Jackson (1960); Van der Zee (1913, 1918)</ref> Black Hawk participated in the siege, and claimed to have personally shot down the fort's flag.<ref name="Black Hawk 1882">Black Hawk (1882)</ref>

====Final siege and abandonment====
As the War of 1812 expanded to the frontier, British-allied Sauk and other tribes began a determined effort to push out the Americans and reclaim control of the upper Mississippi. Beginning in July 1813, attacks on troops outside the fort led to another siege. Conditions were so dangerous that the Army could not recover the bodies of soldiers killed outside the fort and troops could not leave the fort to collect firewood. The Army burned outbuildings to prevent them from falling into Indian hands.<ref name="Zee 1918">Van der Zee (1918); Jackson (1958, 1960, 1966)</ref>

After weeks of paralyzing siege, the Army finally abandoned the post, burning it as they evacuated. They retreated in the dark through a trench to the river, where they escaped on boats. The date of the abandonment is unknown, as much of the military correspondence from this period of the war is missing, but it probably happened in September.<ref name="Zee 1918"/> Black Hawk observed the ruins soon after. "We started in canoes, and descended the Mississippi, until we arrived near the place where Fort Madison had stood. It had been abandoned and burned by the whites, and nothing remained but the chimneys. We were pleased to see that the white people had retired from the country."<ref name="Black Hawk 1882"/>

United States government had established [[United States Government Fur Trade Factory System|a federal fur trade station]] at Fort Madison in 1808. It was burned down in 1812 by order of the military commander who feared that it would endanger the fort.<ref>Wesley, Edgar Bruce (1935). Guarding the Frontier. University of Minnesota Press, p. 40.</ref>

[[Active Regular Army units with campaign credit for the War of 1812|Three active battalions of the current 3rd Infantry]] (1–3 Inf, 2–3 Inf and 4-3 Inf) perpetuate the lineage of the old 1st Infantry Regiment, which had a detachment at Fort Madison.

====Fort ruins and archaeology====
Early settlers built their homes near the ruins and named the town that grew up around them for the fort.<ref name=Gen/> A large monument was erected in the early 20th century at the fort location. Archaeological excavations in the parking lot of the [[Sheaffer|Sheaffer Pen]] Company factory in 1965 exposed the fort's central blockhouse and the foundations of officers' quarters.<ref>McKusick (1965, 1966)</ref> The site was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1973.<ref>{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref> A replica fort was built several blocks away; much of the labor was supplied by volunteer inmates at the nearby [[Iowa State Penitentiary]].<ref name="oldfortmadison.com"/>

====Preservation and threats to the fort site====
The fort site is now the subject of preservation efforts. After the Sheaffer Pen factory closed in 2007, the site was sold to developers. Arguing that Fort Madison is "Iowa's most important historical site", preservationists want to convert the parking lot into a memorial park dedicated to soldiers killed at the fort. So far, no agreement has been reached for its preservation.<ref>Bergin, Nick: "Effort to preserve fort site heats up." ''Burlington Hawk Eye'', December 3, 2008.</ref><ref>Delany, Robin: "Preservationists fear future development will rob Fort Madison of original fort site." ''Fort Madison Daily Democrat'', December 3, 2008</ref><ref>Save Fort Madison Website, http://fortmadison.googlepages.com/home</ref>

===Founding of the town of Fort Madison===
The first settler at the ruins of the fort was General John Holly Knapp, who in 1832 bought a claim to some land of the fort and built the first building in the fall of the same year, utilized as an Indian Supply Store. Early next spring and his cousin Nathaniel Knapp with family settled there, joined by some other settlers the same year, In June 1835, General Knapp and Nathaniel Knapp, laid out the town of Fort Madison. Due to some land title issues, in 1840 the town was relocated on the same lot lines by the government.<ref name=Gen/>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|13.23|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|9.49|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|3.74|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=May 11, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=July 2, 2012 }}</ref>

Fort Madison is famous for the Tri-State Rodeo, RiverFest, Mexican Fiesta, Balloons Over the Mississippi, Art in Central Park and Annual Lighted Parade.

{{Wide image|Fort Madison Panorama.jpg|1800px|Mississippi River as seen from Riverview Park. [[Fort Madison Toll Bridge]] is on the left.|alt=Panorama of Mississippi River, taken from the shore of the river at Riverview Park in Fort Madison, Iowa}}

===Climate===
{{Weather box 
| location = Fort Madison, Iowa (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–present)
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 67
| Feb record high F = 71
| Mar record high F = 84
| Apr record high F = 93
| May record high F = 95
| Jun record high F = 104
| Jul record high F = 107
| Aug record high F = 104
| Sep record high F = 100
| Oct record high F = 92
| Nov record high F = 81
| Dec record high F = 70
| year record high F = 107
| Jan high F = 32.8
| Feb high F = 37.5
| Mar high F = 49.9
| Apr high F = 62.2
| May high F = 72.3
| Jun high F = 81.5
| Jul high F = 85.1
| Aug high F = 83.8
| Sep high F = 77.1
| Oct high F = 64.2
| Nov high F = 49.7
| Dec high F = 37.6
| year high F = 61.1
| Jan mean F = 24.8
| Feb mean F = 29.2
| Mar mean F = 40.8
| Apr mean F = 52.4
| May mean F = 63.1
| Jun mean F = 72.5
| Jul mean F = 76.3
| Aug mean F = 74.7
| Sep mean F = 67.1
| Oct mean F = 54.7
| Nov mean F = 41.3
| Dec mean F = 30.2
| year mean F = 52.3
| Jan low F = 16.9
| Feb low F = 20.9
| Mar low F = 31.6
| Apr low F = 42.5
| May low F = 53.8
| Jun low F = 63.4
| Jul low F = 67.5
| Aug low F = 65.6
| Sep low F = 57.2
| Oct low F = 45.2
| Nov low F = 32.8
| Dec low F = 22.7
| year low F = 43.3
| Jan record low F = −23
| Feb record low F = −21
| Mar record low F = −11
| Apr record low F = 11
| May record low F = 22
| Jun record low F = 41
| Jul record low F = 47
| Aug record low F = 42
| Sep record low F = 31
| Oct record low F = 15
| Nov record low F = −5
| Dec record low F = −19
| year record low F = −23
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 1.69
| Feb precipitation inch = 1.93
| Mar precipitation inch = 2.72
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.97
| May precipitation inch = 5.11
| Jun precipitation inch = 5.16
| Jul precipitation inch = 4.06
| Aug precipitation inch = 3.80
| Sep precipitation inch = 3.51
| Oct precipitation inch = 3.06
| Nov precipitation inch = 2.43
| Dec precipitation inch = 1.92
| year precipitation inch = 39.36
| Jan snow inch = 6.1
| Feb snow inch = 4.6
| Mar snow inch = 1.7
| Apr snow inch = 0.5
| May snow inch = 0.0
| Jun snow inch = 0.0
| Jul snow inch = 0.0
| Aug snow inch = 0.0
| Sep snow inch = 0.0
| Oct snow inch = 0.1
| Nov snow inch = 0.8
| Dec snow inch = 4.3
| year snow inch = 18.1
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 8.1
| Feb precipitation days = 8.2
| Mar precipitation days = 9.7
| Apr precipitation days = 11.6
| May precipitation days = 12.5
| Jun precipitation days = 10.4
| Jul precipitation days = 9.3
| Aug precipitation days = 8.5
| Sep precipitation days = 7.4
| Oct precipitation days = 8.9
| Nov precipitation days = 8.2
| Dec precipitation days = 8.0
| year precipitation days = 110.8
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days = 4.0
| Feb snow days = 2.9
| Mar snow days = 1.3
| Apr snow days = 0.2
| May snow days = 0.0
| Jun snow days = 0.0
| Jul snow days = 0.0
| Aug snow days = 0.0
| Sep snow days = 0.0
| Oct snow days = 0.1
| Nov snow days = 0.5
| Dec snow days = 2.8
| year snow days = 11.8
| source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= nws >
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=dvn
| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = June 25, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00133007&format=pdf
| title = Station: FT Madison, IA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = June 25, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|align=
|1850= 1509
|1860= 2886
|1870= 4011
|1880= 4679
|1890= 7901
|1900= 9278
|1910= 8900
|1920= 12066
|1930= 13779
|1940= 14063
|1950= 14954
|1960= 15247
|1970= 13996
|1980= 13520
|1990= 11618
|2000= 10715
|2010= 11051
|2020= 10270
|footnote=[http://data.iowadatacenter.org/datatables/PlacesAll/plpopulation18502000.pdf Iowa Data Center]<ref name=cen2020/>
}}
[[File:Fort MadisonIowaPopPlot.png|thumb|alt=The population of Fort Madison, Iowa from US census data|The population of Fort Madison, Iowa from US census data]]

===2020 census===
As of the [[United States census|census]] of 2020,<ref>{{cite web |title=2020 Census |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade/2020/2020-census-main.html |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> there were 10,270 people, 4,315 households, and 2,455 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 1,064.9 inhabitants per square mile (411.2/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 5,013 housing units at an average density of 519.8 per square mile (200.7/km<sup>2</sup>). The [[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|racial]] makeup of the city was 86.0% [[White Americans|White]], 4.4% [[African Americans|Black or African American]], 0.4% [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]], 0.6% [[Asian Americans|Asian]], 0.0% [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]], 1.7% from other races and 6.9% from two or more races. [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race comprised 6.2% of the population.

Of the 4,315 households, 27.0% of which had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 8.6% were cohabitating couples, 33.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present and 21.4% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present. 43.1% of all households were non-families. 37.1% of all household were made up of individuals, 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years old or older.

The median age in the city was 42.2 years. 23.1% of the residents were under the age of 20; 5.4% were between the ages of 20 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 and 44; 25.3% were from 45 and 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 11,051 people, 4,403 households, and 2,667 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1164.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 4,956 housing units at an average density of {{convert|522.2|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 89.3% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 5.5% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.6% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.1% [[Race (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.6% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 2.5% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 6.7% of the population.

There were 4,403 households, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.7% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.4% were non-families. 33.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84.

The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 21% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 28% were from 45 to 64; and 15.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.8% male and 47.2% female.

===2000 census===
As of the census<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2008-01-31 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 10,715 people, 4,617 households and 2,876 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,162.9|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 5,106 housing units at an average density of {{convert|554.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The city's racial makeup was 92.64% White, 2.67% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.61% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 2.36% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.44% of the population.

There were 4,617 households, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87.

Age spread: 23.6% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.

The [[median income]] for a household in the city was $34,318, and the median family income was $42,067. Males had a median income of $32,530 versus $21,170 for females. The city's [[per capita income]] was $18,124. About 9.8% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
The W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company was founded in Fort Madison in 1907 by [[Walter A. Sheaffer]]. Sheaffer owned a jewelry store, in the back of which he invented a lever-filling [[fountain pen]]. Millions of pens were produced. The company was sold in 1997 to the French manufacturer Bic, which closed the Fort Madison plant in 2006, and then to the [[A.T. Cross Company]] of [[Providence, RI]] in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Walter A. Sheaffer Life Story|url=https://parkersheaffer.com/memorias-was-english/|website=www.parkersheaffer.com|date=4 June 2020|access-date=11 Nov 2020}}</ref> The Sheaffer Pen Museum in Fort Madison features many exhibits of the company's writing instruments.

==Arts and culture==
An annual Parade of Lights along Avenue G takes place on the Friday after [[Thanksgiving]], following which the lighted floats, sponsored by local businesses and industry, go on display in Riverside Park until after [[New Year's Day]].<ref>Saar, Bob: "Fort Madison Parade of Lights: Annual event helps locals forget the pandemic for an hour." ''Burlington Hawk Eye'', November 30, 2020.</ref>

The North Lee County Historical Society curated many historic locations in Fort Madison.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.fortmadison-ia.com/508/North-Lee-County-Historical-Society-Muse | title= North Lee County Historical Society Museums | website=City of Fort Madison, Iowa | access-date=March 16, 2024}}</ref>
* The [[BNSF Railway|BNSF]] [[swing bridge|swing span]] double decker bridge was the longest double decker, swing span bridge in the world when it was constructed in 1927 at 3,140 feet long.
* The North Lee County Courthouse is the oldest active [[courthouse]] in the state, build in the 1840s.
* The North Lee County Jail was constructed in 1867 and served as a small [[prison|jailhouse]] into the 1970s. It is now the site of tours hosted by the city on a [[Beggars Night]] celebration every [[Halloween]].
* Brush College was built in the mid-1800s to replace the log [[one-room school]].
* The historical society maintains both the [[Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad]] Depot and the [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway]] caboose and steam locomotive.

==Government==
Fort Madison has a Mayor/City Council form of government. The city council consists of a Mayor and seven council members. Five council members are elected from individual wards and two are elected at large. The mayor is elected in a citywide vote. The [[Iowa State Penitentiary]], a maximum security institution for men, is in Fort Madison.

==Education==
Fort Madison has a Junior College Campus [[Southeastern Community College (Iowa)]] located at 1602 Avenue F.

The [[Fort Madison Community School District]], the public school district of the city, has two elementary schools (Richardson and Lincoln), one middle school (Fort Madison Middle School) and one high school ([[Fort Madison High School]]).

A section of the city limits lies in the [[Central Lee Community School District]].<ref name=CLmap>"[https://educateiowa.gov/sites/files/ed/documents/SDRP2017_CENTRAL%20LEE.pdf Central Lee]." [[Iowa Department of Education]]. Retrieved on September 16, 2018.</ref>

Fort Madison also has a Catholic School System, [[Holy Trinity Catholic Schools]], which formed in 2005 from the merger of [[Aquinas Schools]] in Fort Madison with the West Point Catholic schools.<ref name=Klosterman>{{cite web|author=Klosterman, Celine|url=http://www.catholicmessenger.net/2010/12/holy-trinity-catholic-schools-looking-for-new-principal/|title=Holy Trinity Catholic Schools looking for new principal|publisher=[[The Catholic Messenger]]|date=2010-12-15|access-date=2018-09-16}}</ref> Holy Trinity High School consists of a junior/senior high school. Holy Trinity Elementary School is a few miles away in [[West Point, Iowa]].

==Infrastructure==
[[File:Train yard in Fort Madison, Iowa.jpg|thumb|right|BNSF mainline track in Fort Madison]]

===Transportation===
[[Amtrak]], the national passenger rail system, [[Fort Madison station (1968–2021)|has a station in Fort Madison]] (& [[Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex Historic District]]) that serves its ''[[Southwest Chief]]'' route with daily service in each direction between [[Union Station (Chicago)|Union Station]] in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]] and [[Union Station (Los Angeles)|Union Station]] in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]], [[California]]. Fort Madison is the only ''Southwest Chief'' route stop within the state of Iowa. The ''Southwest Chief'' crosses the [[Mississippi River]] on the [[Fort Madison Toll Bridge]] just to the east of town. The span, owned by the BNSF Railway, is the world's longest [[swing bridge]], and it carries both [[Road-rail bridge|road and rail traffic]] across the Mississippi River over its upper and lower deck, respectively, between Fort Madison and Niota, Illinois.

In addition to Amtrak, two other railroads serve Fort Madison: the BNSF ([[Burlington Northern Santa Fe]]) and [[Union Pacific]].

[[Greyhound Bus Lines]] stops to pick up or discharge passengers at 5002 Avenue O in Fort Madison.

U.S. Route Business 61 and [[Iowa Highway 2]] form a single artery that runs east and west through the heart of the city, following the river and railroad tracks. A [[controlled access]] U.S. Route 61 bypass around Fort Madison opened to traffic in the fall of 2011. [[U.S. Route 61]] connects to [[U.S. Route 34]], [[U.S. Route 218]]/[[Iowa Highway 27]], Iowa Highway 2, [[Iowa Highway 16]] and [[Interstate 80]] in Iowa; [[Interstate 72]] in [[Illinois]]; and [[Interstate 70]] in [[Missouri]].

==Notable people==<!--consensus reached to standardize this heading per WP:WikiProject Cities/US Guideline -->

*[[Black Hawk (Sauk leader)|Black Hawk]], Sauk leader in the 1832 [[Black Hawk War]].
*[[Mark W. Balmert]], U.S. Navy [[Rear admiral|admiral]] 
*[[Brad Bigler]], head men's basketball coach at [[Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs|SMSU]]
*[[Ryan Bowen]], [[NBA]] player
*[[James Duderstadt]], President of the [[University of Michigan]]
*[[Todd Farmer]], writer, actor, and film producer
*[[Bob Fry (golfer)|Bob Fry]], [[professional golfer]]
*[[Kate Harrington (poet)|Kate Harrington]], poet
*[[Thomas M. Hoenig]], [[Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City|chief executive of the Tenth District Federal Reserve Bank, in Kansas City]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kc.frb.org/speechbio/hoenig.cfm|title=Thomas M. Hoenig – Biography|publisher=Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City|access-date=May 5, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418011128/http://www.kc.frb.org/speechbio/hoenig.cfm|archive-date=April 18, 2011}}</ref>
*[[Patty Judge]], [[Lieutenant Governor of Iowa|46th Lieutenant Governor]]
*[[Jerry Junkins]], CEO of [[Texas Instruments, Incorporated]]
*[[Dick Klein (basketball)|Dick Klein]], founder of the [[Chicago Bulls]]
*[[Jeff Kurtz]], member of the [[Iowa House of Representatives]] from district 83
*[[Dennis O'Keefe]], actor, star of films such as ''[[Raw Deal (1948 film)|Raw Deal]]''
*[[James Theodore Richmond]], writer and [[conservation movement|conservationist]]
*[[Aloysius Schulte]], first President of [[St. Ambrose University|St. Ambrose College]]
*[[Walter A. Sheaffer]], founder of the W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company
*[[John Van Valkenburg]], lawyer and politician, Supreme Chancellor of the World of the [[Knights of Pythias]] from 1884 to 1886
*[[George Henry Williams]], [[United States Senator]]

==Sister cities==
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Prüm]], [[Germany]]<ref name=sci>{{cite web|title=Interactive City Directory|url=http://www.sister-cities.org/interactive-map/Fort%20Madison,%20Iowa|work=[[Sister Cities International]]|access-date=12 March 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* Black Hawk (1882) ''Autobiography of Ma-Ka-Tai-Me-She-Kia-Kiak or Black Hawk.'' Edited by J. B. Patterson. Continental Printing, St. Louis. Originally published 1833.
* Jackson, Donald (1958) "Old Fort Madison 1808–1813." ''Palimpsest'' '''39(1)'''.
* Jackson, Donald (1960) "A Critic's View of Old Fort Madison." ''Iowa Journal of History and Politics'' '''58(1)''' 31–36.
* Jackson, Donald (1966) "Old Fort Madison 1808–1813." ''Palimpsest'' '''47(1)'''.
* Prucha, Francis P. (1964) ''A Guide to the Military Posts of the United States 1789–1895''. State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison.
* Prucha, Francis P. (1969) ''The Sword of the Republic: The United States Army on the Frontier 1783–1846''. Macmillan, New York.
* {{Cite journal | last1 = McKusick | first1 = Marshall B. | year = 1965 | title = Discovering an Ancient Iowa Fort | journal = Iowa Conservationist | volume = 24 | issue = 1| pages = 6–7 }}
* {{Cite journal | last1 = McKusick | first1 = Marshall B. | year = 1966 | title = Exploring Old Fort Madison and Old Fort Atkinson | journal = Iowan Magazine | volume = 15 | pages = 12–51 }}
* {{Cite journal | last1 = Van | last2 = der Zee | first2 = Jacob | year = 1913 | title = Old Fort Madison: Some Source Materials | journal = Iowa Journal of History and Politics | volume = 11 | pages = 517–545 }}
* {{Cite journal | last1 = Van | last2 = der Zee | first2 = Jacob | year = 1914 | title = Forts in the Iowa County | journal = Iowa Journal of History and Politics | volume = 12 | pages = 163–204 }}
* {{Cite journal | last1 = Van | last2 = der Zee | first2 = Jacob | year = 1918 | title = Old Fort Madison: Early Wars on the Eastern Border of the Iowa Country | journal = Iowa and War | volume = 7 | pages = 1–40 |publisher = State Historical Society of Iowa | location= Iowa City}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}<!-- for current and future use if material is uploaded -->
{{Portal|Iowa}} 
*[http://www.fortmadison-ia.com City of Fort Madison]
*[http://fortmadison.com/  Fort Madison Chamber of Commerce]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080305185627/http://www.oldfortmadison.com/ Old Fort Madison Museum]
*[http://fortmadison.googlepages.com/home Save Fort Madison Website]
*{{Wikisource-inline|list=
**{{Cite AmCyc|wstitle=Fort Madison|short=x|noicon=x}}
**{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Fort Madison|short=x|noicon=x}}
**{{Cite NSRW|wstitle=Fort Madison|short=x|noicon=x}}
**{{Cite Collier's|wstitle=Fort Madison|short=x|noicon=x}}
}}

{{Lee County, Iowa}}
{{Iowa county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Fort Madison, Iowa| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Iowa]]
[[Category:Cities in Lee County, Iowa]]
[[Category:Iowa populated places on the Mississippi River]]
[[Category:County seats in Iowa]]
[[Category:Fort Madison–Keokuk, IA-IL-MO Micropolitan Statistical Area]]