Madison, Wisconsin

Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is the second-most populous city in the state, after Milwaukee. The city is located on an isthmus between two lakes, Mendota and Monona, and also includes Lake Wingra.

Madison was founded in 1836 and is named after James Madison, a Founding Father and President of the United States. As the state capital, Madison is home to important government buildings, including the Wisconsin State Capitol. The city is also known for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the main campus of the University of Wisconsin System.

Madison has a strong economy with major companies like American Family Insurance and TruStage Financial Group. Tourism is also important. The city has many cultural places to visit, such as the Chazen Museum of Art, Henry Vilas Zoo, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, and the Overture Center for the Arts.

Today, Madison is the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin. It is known for its progressive political views. The university and other schools play a big role in the city's economy and culture. Madison also has many parks and playgrounds and is recognized as a bicycle-friendly community. The city has nine National Historic Landmarks, including some buildings designed by famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

History

Native Americans

People have lived in the Madison area for about 12,000 years. The Ho-Chunk people called the region Teejop, meaning "land of the four lakes" (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa). Many special hills, called effigy mounds, were built there long ago.

Founding

Madison started in 1829 when a man named James Duane Doty bought land between two lakes. He wanted to build a city there. Later, when Wisconsin was becoming a territory, leaders chose Madison as the capital. They picked it because it was in the middle of important places. Doty named the city after James Madison, the fourth U.S. president.

Expansion

In 1837, leaders laid the cornerstone for the first Wisconsin State Capitol. Madison became a village in 1846 and a city in 1856. In 1848, Wisconsin became a state, and Madison stayed the capital. The University of Wisconsin was also started that year.

1960s and 1970s

During the 1960s and 1970s, Madison had many protests, especially against the Vietnam War. Students and others marched and sometimes had conflicts with police. One famous event was a protest in 1967 against a company called Dow Chemical. There were also protests in 1969 for better rights for African-American students and faculty. In 1970, a bombing damaged a building on the University of Wisconsin campus.

21st century

In 2011, Madison had big protests against a law that would change rules for public worker unions. Thousands of people gathered at the capitol for many months.

On October 31, 2022, Madison grew by including more of the nearby Town of Madison.

Geography

Madison is in the middle of Dane County in south-central Wisconsin. It is about 77 miles west of Milwaukee and 122 miles northwest of Chicago. The city sits on a narrow strip of land called an isthmus between Lake Mendota and Lake Monona. This gives Madison its famous "Lake, City, Lake" layout.

The city covers about 94 square miles, with most of it being land and some water. Madison has many neighborhoods, each with its own character. Some areas have many students, while others have more families or professionals. The center of the city, called Capitol Square, has important buildings, shops, and places for public events. The weather in Madison changes a lot through the year, with cold winters and warm summers.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, Madison had a population of 269,840. It is the second-most populous city in Wisconsin and the fastest-growing city in the state during the 2010s. It is also the 16th-most populous city in the Midwest and the 77th-most populous city in the United States.

The city’s population includes people of many different backgrounds. About 71% are White, 9.5% are Asian, 7.4% are Black or African American, and smaller percentages belong to other groups, including Hispanic or Latino people. The city has a diverse religious life, with many different faith communities, including Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, and others.

Economy

See also: Companies based in Madison, Wisconsin

Madison's economy is strong in government, education, information technology, and healthcare. It also benefits from agribusiness, food, and precision manufacturing nearby. Many businesses choose Madison because many adults there have college degrees. The biggest employers are the University of Wisconsin–Madison, UW Hospital and Clinics, and Wisconsin state government. Epic Systems is the largest private employer.

The Madison area has several financial services companies, including the headquarters of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), American Family Insurance, CUNA Mutual Group, and National Guardian Life.

The Onion, a funny news website, and pizza chains like Glass Nickel Pizza Company and Rocky Rococo all started in Madison.

Government and education

As the state capital of Wisconsin, Madison has many important state offices. It also has federal offices, such as the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, along with many nonprofit organizations and groups like CatholicVote.org, the Center for Media and Democracy, Freedom From Religion Foundation, League of Wisconsin Municipalities, and MacIver Institute. Madison is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a big research university.

Biotechnology and health sciences

Madison has many companies in biotechnology and health information technology. Important ones include Epic Systems, Panvera (now part of Invitrogen), Exact Sciences, and Promega. Other companies with offices in Madison are Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Thermo Fischer Scientific, and Catalent.

The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics is a leading hospital known for specialties like transplants and cancer care. Other hospitals in Madison include St. Mary's Hospital, Meriter Hospital, and the VA Medical Center.

Madison also has many information technology companies such as Broadjam, Zendesk, Full Compass Systems, Raven Software, EatStreet, and TDS Telecom. Local creative spaces for inventors and hobbyists include Sector67 and The Bodgery. Start-up support centers include StartingBlock, gener8tor, and the University Research Park. Epic Systems was based in Madison from 1979 to 2005 before moving to Verona. Other tech firms in the area are Nordic, Forward Health, and Forte Research Systems.

Manufacturing and agriculture

Madison is home to companies that make bicycles like Trek, Mongoose, and Pacific Cycle. Luxury appliance brands such as Sub-Zero & Wolf Appliance and Spectrum Brands (formerly Rayovac) are also based here. Other well-known companies include American Girl, Lands' End, Shopbop, Colony Brands, and John Deere.

With its rich soil, Madison supports many food companies. Major employers in food production include Hormel Foods, Del Monte, and Frito-Lay. Oscar Mayer, a famous meat company, was based in Madison for many years before being sold to Kraft Foods.

Arts and culture

See also: List of public art in Madison, Wisconsin

Attractions and museums

The Memorial Union is a central gathering place on Lake Mendota. It hosts concerts, plays, and comedy and has many restaurants and ice cream shops.

Henry Vilas Zoo is a 28-acre public zoo that gets many visitors each year. It is one of the free zoos in North America.

Olbrich Botanical Gardens has a garden and a large conservatory. Founded in 1952, the gardens are owned by the City of Madison Parks and the Olbrich Botanical Society.

Art museums include the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Chazen Museum of Art and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. Other museums include Wisconsin Historical Museum, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, the LR Ingersoll Physics Museum, and the Madison Children's Museum.

Architecture

Madison has many different styles of buildings, from the first house designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright to big brutalist buildings on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Some famous buildings include the Wisconsin State Capitol, the University of Wisconsin Memorial Union, and the Overture Center for the Arts.

Cuisine

Madison's food is influenced by its farms and history. The city is known for its cheese, with popular dishes like fried cheese curds and hot and spicy cheese bread. The Dane County Farmers' Market is one of the largest farmers' markets in the country.

Madison also has many restaurants that serve traditional Wisconsin meals, like fish fry. The city has a variety of international foods.

Music

Madison has a lively music scene with many venues for live music. Summer festivals like Concerts on the Square are popular. The city is home to many musicians and bands, including Garbage, which formed in Madison in 1994.

Nightlife

Much of Madison's nightlife is in the downtown area, with many bars, restaurants, and performance venues. State Street is popular with tourists and students. The area also has many live music venues.

Performing arts

Madison has many professional performing arts groups, including the Madison Opera, the Madison Symphony Orchestra, and the Madison Ballet. The city also has many smaller theater companies.

Other cultural events

Madison hosts the Wisconsin Film Festival every April. The city’s official bird is the plastic flamingo.

Sports

Madison has many sports teams and events, mainly because of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The university’s teams, called the Wisconsin Badgers, compete in the NCAA Division I. The Badgers football team plays at Camp Randall Stadium, where many fans come together. Their men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey teams play at the Kohl Center, and the women’s ice hockey team plays at LaBahn Arena. Some games are also held at the Alliant Energy Center and the Wisconsin Field House.

Madison also has professional and amateur teams. Forward Madison FC, the city’s first professional soccer team, began in 2018 and plays at Breese Stevens Field. Other teams include the Madison Radicals for ultimate frisbee and LOVB Madison for volleyball. There are also teams for hockey, baseball, and softball. Madison holds many sports events, like the Mad City Marathon and Ironman Wisconsin, which bring thousands of visitors. The city has clubs for rugby, curling, and roller derby, plus a ski club that has trained Olympic ski jumpers.

Parks and recreation

Madison has many green spaces for outdoor fun. The city has a lot of parks. Some popular parks are James Madison Park with views of Lake Mendota, and Frank W. Hoyt Park, a historic spot. At Warner Park you can watch the Madison Mallards baseball team play, and Goodman Pool is the city’s outdoor swimming spot.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arboretum looks after forests and prairies. The Lakeshore Nature Preserve protects plants and animals near Lake Mendota.

In winter, people can enjoy ice boating, ice skating, ice hockey, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, and snowkiting. In other seasons, you can go sailing, bicycling, or hiking.

Madison is great for biking, with many paths just for bikes. These paths connect to longer trails like the Capital City State Trail, Military Ridge State Trail, and Badger State Trail. Most streets have areas just for bikes, making it easy and safe to ride around the city. In 2015, Madison won an award for being very friendly to bicyclists.

Government

Madison voters have supported the Democratic Party in national elections for the past fifty years. The city council usually has a liberal and progressive majority. Some people joke that Madison is "77 square miles surrounded by reality," a phrase from a former Wisconsin governor in 1978. In 2013, the city council voted against making this the city's official joke.

Madison is known as the most politically liberal and progressive city in Wisconsin. For example, in 2006, 76% of Madison voters opposed a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, even though the ban passed statewide.

In 1992, a local group called Progressive Dane was formed. They have supported ideas like affordable housing and a city minimum wage, though some of these ideas were later changed by the mayor and most of the city council. This group has members on the Madison City Council and Dane County Board of Supervisors and works with both the Democratic and Green parties.

Madison uses a mayor-council system. The city council, called the Common Council, has 20 members, each representing a different area of the city. The mayor is chosen in a vote by all city residents.

Madison is part of Wisconsin's 2nd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives, represented by Mark Pocan. Melissa Agard and Kelda Roys represent Madison in the Wisconsin State Senate, and several lawmakers represent the city in the Wisconsin State Assembly.

Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin represent Madison and all of Wisconsin in the United States Senate. Baldwin lives in Madison and previously represented the same district from 1999 to 2013 before handing it to Pocan.

Election results

Education

Madison has many schools for children and students. The Madison Metropolitan School District teaches about 25,000 students in 46 schools. It is the second largest school district in Wisconsin after the Milwaukee School District. The five main public high schools are Vel Phillips Memorial, Madison West, Madison East, La Follette, and Malcolm Shabazz City High School.

There are also private high schools, such as Abundant Life Christian School, Edgewood High School near Edgewood University, and St. Ambrose Academy, a Catholic school. Madison Country Day School is a private school without any religious ties.

Madison is also a place for many college students, with nearly 65,000 students in total. The biggest school is the University of Wisconsin–Madison, part of the University of Wisconsin System, with around 50,000 students. The city is also home to Edgewood University and Madison Area Technical College, plus smaller campuses of Herzing University and Lakeland University.

Media

Print

Madison has many print publications because it is the state capital and has a diverse population. The Wisconsin State Journal is a daily newspaper with many readers. The Capital Times is published online and in print a couple of times each week. There is also a free weekly paper called Isthmus, and two student newspapers, The Daily Cardinal and The Badger Herald. Other papers and magazines cover topics like music, politics, and sports.

Radio

Madison has several radio stations run by big companies and smaller, local ones. There are also two community radio stations, WORT and WSUM, where people can create their own shows. The Wisconsin Public Radio station, WHA, is one of the oldest in the country and plays many different kinds of programs.

TV

Madison has several television stations, including commercial stations like WISC-TV, WMTV, and WKOW-TV, as well as public and religious stations. There is also a local channel that shows city government activities.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Madison has a big airport called the Dane County Regional Airport. It helps people travel. There are buses all around the city and to some nearby places. You can ride bikes in Madison too – many people use bikes to get around!

There are big roads called highways around and through Madison. They link it to other cities. There are also buses that go between Madison and cities far away, like Chicago and Minneapolis.

Public safety

The Madison Fire Department helps keep people safe from fires and emergencies. They have many stations and vehicles to help out.

The Madison Police Department works to keep the city safe. They have teams for different jobs, like helping with traffic or special events. Sometimes, people in Madison talk about how the police should change to make things better for everyone.

Notable people

Further information: List of people from Madison, Wisconsin

Madison, Wisconsin, has been home to many famous people over time. Some of these people have done important work in sports, entertainment, and politics. The city is still a place where interesting and successful people live.

Nicknames

Madison has many fun nicknames that people use to describe the city. Some of these nicknames include "Mad City," "Madtown," and "The Berkeley of the Midwest." Others call it "77 square miles surrounded by reality," "Four Lakes City," and "People's Republic of Madison." These names show the special character of the city.

Sister cities

Madison works with cities around the world. These partnerships help the cities learn from each other and work together. Some of the cities Madison is partnered with include:

• Arcatao in El Salvador, since 1986
• Bahir Dar in Ethiopia, since 2019
• Camagüey in Cuba, since 1994
• Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany, since 1988
• Kanifing in The Gambia, since 2016
• Mantua in Italy, since 2001
• Obihiro in Japan, since 2003
• Tepatitlán de Morelos in Mexico, since 2012
• Vilnius in Lithuania, since 1988

These partnerships help people in these cities become friends and share ideas.