Corte Madera is an incorporated town in Marin County, California, United States. Corte Madera is located 3.25 miles south of San Rafael, at an elevation of 39 feet (12 m). The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census. In Spanish, Corte Madera means the imperative command "Chop wood", as in "To chop the wood". The area was famous for producing lumber out of redwood trees which went into the construction of the city of San Francisco.