Madera is a city in California and the county seat of Madera County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 61,416, up from 43,207 in 2000.Located in the San Joaquin Valley, Madera is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Madera County, and Metropolitan Fresno. It is located in California's San Joaquin Valley. The city is also home to the Madera Unified School District.