Madison, Wisconsin

Madison
Official seal of Madison
Official logo of Madison
Nickname(s): 
Madtown, Mad City, The City of Four Lakes, 77 Square Miles Surrounded by Reality[1]
Map
Interactive map of Madison
Madison is located in Wisconsin
Madison
Madison
Madison is located in the United States
Madison
Madison
Coordinates: 43°04′29″N 89°23′03″W / 43.07472°N 89.38417°W / 43.07472; -89.38417
CountryUnited States
StateWisconsin
CountyDane
MunicipalityCity
Founded1836
Chartered1846
Incorporated1856
Named forJames Madison
Government
 • TypeMayor-council
 • MayorSatya Rhodes-Conway (D/PD)
 • BodyMadison Common Council
Area
 • City101.53 sq mi (262.96 km2)
 • Land79.57 sq mi (206.09 km2)
 • Water21.96 sq mi (56.88 km2)
Elevation873 ft (266 m)
Population
 • City269,840
 • Estimate 
(2023)
280,305 Increase
 • RankUS: 77th WI: 2nd
 • Density3,391/sq mi (1,309/km2)
 • Urban
450,305 (US: 89th)
 • Urban density3,008/sq mi (1,161/km2)
 • Metro
680,796 (US: 87th)
 • CSA
910,246 (US: 61st)
 • Demonym
Madisonian
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Zip Codes
ZIP Codes[5]
Area code608, 353
FIPS code55-48000
GNIS feature ID1581834[3]
Websitecityofmadison.com

Madison is the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the seat of Dane County. The population was 269,840 as of the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in Wisconsin, after Milwaukee, and the 77th-most populous in the United States. The Madison metropolitan area had a population of 680,796. The city is located on an isthmus and lands surrounding five lakes—Lake Mendota, Lake Monona, Lake Wingra, Lake Kegonsa and Lake Waubesa. Madison was founded in 1836[6] and is named after American Founding Father and President James Madison.

As the state capital, Madison is home to government chambers including the Wisconsin State Capitol building. The University of Wisconsin–Madison, the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System, is located in the city. Other cultural institutions include the Henry Vilas Zoo, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Overture Center for the Arts, and Wisconsin Historical Museum. Madison is home to an extensive network of parks, the most parks and playgrounds per capita of any of the 100 largest U.S. cities, and is considered a bicycle-friendly community.[7][8] Madison is also home to nine National Historic Landmarks, including several buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright, such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site Jacobs I House.[9]

Residents of Madison are known as Madisonians.[10] Madison has long been a center for progressive political activity, protests, and demonstrations, and contemporary Madison is considered the most politically liberal city in Wisconsin.[11][12][13][14] The presence of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, as well as other educational institutions has a significant impact on the economy, culture, and demographics of Madison.[13][14][15][16][17]

As of 2021, Madison is the fastest-growing city in Wisconsin.[18] Madison's economy features a large and growing technology sector, and the Madison area is home to the headquarters of Epic Systems, American Family Insurance, Exact Sciences, Promega, American Girl, Sub-Zero, Lands' End, Spectrum Brands, a regional office for Google, and the University Research Park,[19][20][21] as well as many biotechnology and health systems startups. Madison is a popular visitor destination, with tourism generating over $1 billion for Dane County's economy in 2018.[22]

  1. ^ University of Wisconsin-Madison English As A Second Language Program. "About Madison". Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Madison, Wisconsin
  4. ^ "U.S. Census QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  5. ^ "ZIP Code Lookup". USPS. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  6. ^ "Madison | Wisconsin, Population, Map, & University | Britannica". www.britannica.com. July 31, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  7. ^ "Annual City Parks Data Released by The Trust for Public Land". Trust for Public Land. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  8. ^ "NEW PLATINUM, NEW GOLD BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES". League of American Bicyclists. November 13, 2015. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  9. ^ "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright". UNESCO. Archived from the original on July 9, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  10. ^ Henschen, Holly. "What's it like to live in Madison, WI?". realestate.usnews.com. US News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  11. ^ Swanson, Ana. "Map: The most liberal and conservative towns in each state". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 11, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  12. ^ Weigel, Dave. "The seven political states of Wisconsin". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  13. ^ a b "Protests & Social Action at UW-Madison during the 20th Century". UW Archives and Records Management. June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  14. ^ a b "The Long-Term Effect Of Wisconsin's Union Battles". NPR.org. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  15. ^ Meyerhofer, Kelly. "Dane, Milwaukee counties fueled Democratic wins; college students also helped". madison.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  16. ^ "Patch". Patch. Archived from the original on November 23, 2018. Retrieved November 22, 2018.
  17. ^ "Data USA". Data USA. Archived from the original on July 18, 2019. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  18. ^ "Census: Madison, suburbs top list of fastest-growing cities in Wisconsin". Madison.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2020.
  19. ^ "Wisconsin gains national attention as start-up technology hub". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  20. ^ "Googling Madison: Software engineers boost tech giant". news.wisc.edu. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  21. ^ "About - University Research Park Madison". Archived from the original on January 26, 2019. Retrieved January 26, 2019.
  22. ^ Adams, Barry. "Wisconsin's tourism economy continues to hum". Wisconsin State Journal. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.