County
Madera County
This is the county layer. It is often the first stop for assessor, tax collector, recorder, court, social service, election, health, sheriff, and unincorporated-area services.
Starting point
Start with the county layer.
County offices are the usual first stop for records, taxes, courts, elections, public health, social services, sheriff services, and unincorporated-area routing.
Cities inside the county can still control city permits, local code, utilities, business licenses, and city-specific rules.
2025 population
167,927
Land area
2,136.709 sq mi
Water area
16.319 sq mi
Directory notes
Local layers to keep on the same page.
Property, taxes, and records
For assessed value, exemptions, ownership records, recording, and tax bills, county offices are usually the starting layer.
Unincorporated land
If an address is outside city limits, county planning, building, environmental health, fire, or public works may handle local permits and code work.
Courts, services, and alerts
Superior court, sheriff, elections, social services, emergency alerts, and health offices often start at the county level.
Practical notes
Office, map, permit, and paperwork notes for Madera County
Place note · History and culture · Reviewed July 6, 2026
Madera County Museum turns the old courthouse into a local memory house
Madera County Museum sits in the old 1900 courthouse, with three floors of exhibits on agriculture, pioneer families, military history, water, and the original courtroom.
Place note · Cars and driving · Reviewed July 6, 2026
Madera Metro covers fixed routes and curbside Dial-A-Ride
Madera Metro provides fixed-route bus service plus Dial-A-Ride and ADA paratransit options, with route and scheduling help through the city's transit office.
Place note · History and culture · Reviewed July 7, 2026
Madera County Museum keeps the old courthouse working as memory
The old Madera County Courthouse now holds local museum rooms for farming, flumes, military history, family stories, and the original courtroom.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 5, 2026
Madera curbside cleanup has a set-out routine
Madera's residential curbside cleanup helps with bulky household items, but it has city-limit, timing, pile-size, sorting, and hazardous-waste rules.
Place note · Rules and licenses · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Madera business licenses usually need a planning check first
Madera asks local business license applicants to clear the proposed location and activity with Planning before the license application is processed.
Place note · Home and property · Reviewed July 4, 2026
Madera County alerts work better when your phone is already signed up
Madera County emergency pages point residents to MC Alert, which can send texts for a fire or emergency in their area.
Almanac notes
Stories and local context near Madera County
Place note · History and culture
A mountain train keeps Madera County's logging story moving
The Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad near Fish Camp gives Madera County a living link to Sierra logging country, with narrow-gauge track, Shay locomotives, and a small museum stop.
Place note · History and culture
Fairmead turned landfill work into an Ice Age fossil story
The Fossil Discovery Center near Fairmead grew from fossils found at a Madera County landfill, including Ice Age animals from the San Joaquin Valley.
Place note · Outdoors
Bass Lake gives Madera County a warm-water mountain day
Bass Lake sits in the Sierra National Forest above Oakhurst, with camping, boating, fishing, hiking, day-use areas, group areas, and accessible facilities at several recreation sites.