Cade's County is a modern-day Western/crime drama which aired Sundays at 9:30 pm (EST) on CBS during the 1971–1972 television season. There were 24 episodes.

Cade's County starred well-known Hollywood actor Glenn Ford as Sam Cade, the sheriff of the fictional Madrid County, a vast and sparsely populated semiarid desert area that was apparently located in the American Southwest. There was a U.S. Border Patrol Station located in the area. Sheriff Cade worked a case with Border Patrol Agents involving murder and drug smuggling on a ranch in the county located on the U.S.- Mexico border, in Episode Four - "Crisscross". The state in which it was located was never mentioned; it could have been California (where much of the location filming took place), Arizona, New Mexico or western Texas. Cade made occasional references to going to "Capitol City" for hearings and meetings. In the Cade's County Movie: "Slay Ride", Chief Deputy J.J. Jackson makes reference to the Criminal Information and Identification Lab in Austin. In Slay Ride Sheriff Cade describes Madrid County being approximately as large as Rhode Island. There is a town named Madrid, New Mexico, however, it is pronounced "MAD-rid", and is not a county seat.

Cade's character was complex and interesting, though never fully developed. He came from a socially prominent and well-to-do family in the county, had served in the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot — there was one reference to the Korean War — and had been an FBI agent, after which he returned to Madrid County to become sheriff. His father had been sheriff until he was shot and killed. There were no references to a wife or close family in the series.

His chief deputy was J. J. Jackson, portrayed by the character actor Edgar Buchanan. While Cade had traveled the world, and had modern law enforcement training, Jackson had apparently spent most of his life and career in Madrid County. Writers avoided the stereotypical combination of "resistant-to-change veteran" and "newly hatched expert" – Jackson was a capable and competent lawman and right-hand man, Cade firmly in control but trusted by his people, who called him "Sam".

Together they fought to maintain law and order against violent miners, cattle thieves and other lawbreakers who, for the most part, would have seemed at home in Westerns set in any era. Cade usually drove a Jeep CJ-5, as many of the roads in his jurisdiction were apparently little more than tracks across the sand.

Several of the characters, including some of Cade's deputies, were Native Americans. Another deputy was played by Ford's son, Pete (also the name of his character).

After summer hiatus, Cade's County was replaced in the 1972–1973 fall TV season by the hugely successful TV series M*A*S*H.

The 94 minute Sam Cade — Marshal of Madrid was released in 1991 on VHS format, which combined footage from the episodes "Crisscross" and "A Gun for Billy". A two-part episode, Slay Ride, was released as a television feature film, occasionally broadcast by independent television stations. A 92 minute movie was prepared under the name Sam Cade that is a stitching-together of footage from the episodes "Homecoming" and "Blackout". It was shown on TV, in theaters in Europe, and available on some DVD collections.

The musical theme for the show was composed by Henry Mancini. The title music appeared in an expanded version in the album Big Screen, Little Screen.

• Glenn Ford as Sheriff Sam Cade
• Edgar Buchanan as Senior Deputy J.J. Jackson
• Taylor Lacher as Arlo Pritchard
• Victor Campos as Rudy Davillo
• Peter Ford as Deputy Pete
• Sandra Ego as Joanie Little Bird
• Betty Ann Carr as Betty Ann Sundown

• Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows

• Cade's County at IMDb