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 17,691 at the 2020 census. 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. The present name is after James Madison, 4th President of the United States. 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 lifeguards, 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 golf course. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.8 square miles (95.3 km), of which 36.2 square miles (93.8 km) is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km), or 1.6%, is water. Madison is bordered by the municipalities of Clinton and Killingworth to the east, Durham to the north, Guilford to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Principal communities East River Hammonasset Point Madison Center North Madison Rockland 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 eateries. 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. Education Madison Public Schools serve grades K–12 and include Ryerson Elementary School, Jeffery Elementary School, Brown Middle School, Polson Middle School, and Daniel Hand High School. Year-round residents boast of