Madera is a city in and the county seat of Madera County, California, United States. It is a principal city of the Madera–Chowchilla Metropolitan Statistical Area,which encompasses all of Madera County. It is located in California's Central Valley. As of 2008, the city's population is about 55,000. The City of Madera is home to the Madera Unified School District and Golden Valley School District. Madera is located at 36° 57' 48"N 120° 04' 02"W / 36.96333, -120.06722.