As of 2024, Madison is the fastest-growing city in the state.[9] The city has a longstanding reputation forprogressive political activity and is regarded as Wisconsin's mostpolitically liberal city. The presence of the University of Wisconsin–Madison and other educational institutions significantly shapes the local economy, culture, and demographics.[10][11][12] Madison boasts one of the highest numbers of parks and playgrounds per capita among the 100 largest U.S. cities and is widely recognized as abicycle-friendly community.[13][14] Within the city are nineNational Historic Landmarks, including several buildings designed byFrank Lloyd Wright.[15]
Before Europeans, humans inhabited the area in and around Madison for about 12,000 years.[16] TheHo-Chunk called the regionTeejop (Ho-Chunk pronunciation:[teːdʒop]) meaning 'land of the four lakes' (Mendota, Monona, Waubesa, and Kegonsa).[17] Numerouseffigy mounds, constructed for ceremonial and burial purposes more than 1,000 years earlier, dotted the rich prairies around the lakes.[18][19] Dugout canoes found near many small lakes and rivers are prompting new anthropological research projects.[20]
View of downtown and Capitol from Washington Street, 1865
Madison's modern origins begin in 1829, when former federal judgeJames Duane Doty purchased over a thousand acres (4 km2) of swamp and forest land on the isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, with the intention of building a city in the Four Lakes region. He purchased 1,261 acres for $1,500. When theWisconsin Territory was created in 1836 the territorial legislature convened inBelmont, Wisconsin. One of the legislature's tasks was to select a permanent location for the territory's capital. Doty lobbied aggressively for Madison as the new capital, offeringbuffalo robes to the freezing legislators and choice lots in Madison at discount prices to undecided voters.[21] He had James Slaughterplat two cities in the area, Madison and "The City of Four Lakes", near present-dayMiddleton.
Doty named his city forJames Madison,[22] the fourth President of the U.S., who had died on June 28, 1836, and he named the streets for the other38 signers of theU.S. Constitution.[23] Although the city existed only on paper, the territorial legislature voted on November 28, 1836, to make Madison its capital, largely because of its location halfway between the new and growing cities aroundMilwaukee in the east and the long-established strategic post ofPrairie du Chien in the west, and between the highly populatedlead mining regions in the southwest and Wisconsin's oldest city,Green Bay, in the northeast.[24][25]
The cornerstone for theWisconsin capitol was laid in 1837, and the legislature first met there in 1838. On October 9, 1839,Kintzing Prichett registered theplat of Madison at the registrar's office of the then-territorialDane County.[26] Madison was incorporated as a village in 1846, with a population of 626. When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, Madison remained the capital, and in 1849 it became the site of the University of Wisconsin (nowUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison). TheMilwaukee & Mississippi Railroad (a predecessor of theMilwaukee Road) connected to Madison in 1854. Madison incorporated as a city in 1856, with a population of 6,863, leaving the unincorporated remainder as a separateTown of Madison.[27] The original capitol was replaced in 1863 and the second capitol burned in 1904. The current capitol was built between 1906 and 1917.[28]
During theCivil War, Madison served as a center of theUnion Army in Wisconsin. The intersection of Milwaukee, East Washington, Winnebago, and North Streets is known as Union Corners because a tavern there was the last stop for Union soldiers before leaving to fight the Confederates.Camp Randall, on Madison's west side, was built and used as a training camp, a military hospital, and a prison camp for capturedConfederate soldiers. After the war, the Camp Randall site was absorbed into the University of Wisconsin, andCamp Randall Stadium was built there in 1917. In 2004 the last vestige of active military training on the site was removed when the stadium renovation replaced a firing range used forROTC training.[citation needed]
In the 1960s and 1970s, the Madisoncounterculture centered on the neighborhood of Mifflin and Bassett streets, known as "Miffland". The area contained many three-story apartments where students and counterculture youth lived, painted murals, and operated the cooperative grocery store the Mifflin Street Co-op. Residents of the neighborhood often came into conflict with authorities, particularly during the administration of Republican mayorBill Dyke. Students saw Dyke as a direct antagonist in efforts to protest theVietnam War because of his efforts to suppress local protests. The annualMifflin Street Block Party became a focal point for protest, although by the late 1970s it had become a mainstream community party.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, thousands of students and other citizens took part inanti-Vietnam War marches and demonstrations, with more violent incidents drawing national attention to the city and UW campus. These included the 1967 student protest ofDow Chemical Company, with 74 injured; the 1969 strike to secure greater representation and rights for African-American students and faculty, which resulted in the involvement of the WisconsinArmy National Guard; and the 1970 fire that damaged the ArmyROTC headquarters housed in theUniversity of Wisconsin Armory and Gymnasium. It culminated with theSterling Hall bombing in 1970, which was intended to destroy the university's Army Mathematics Research Center. It also caused massive destruction to other parts of the building and nearby buildings and resulted in the death of researcherRobert Fassnacht.[29]
These protests are the subject of the 1979 documentaryThe War at Home.[30]David Maraniss's 2004 bookThey Marched into Sunlight incorporates the 1967 Dow protests into a largerVietnam War narrative. Tom Bates wrote the bookRads on the subject (ISBN0-06-092428-4). According to Bates, Dyke's attempt to suppress the annualMifflin Street Block Party "would take three days, require hundreds of officers on overtime pay, and engulf the student community from the nearby Southeast Dorms toLangdon Street's fraternity row. Tear gas hung like heavy fog across the Isthmus." In the fracas, student activistPaul Soglin, then a cityalderman, was arrested twice and taken to jail. Soglin was later elected mayor of Madison.[citation needed]
In early 2011, Madison was the site oflarge protests against a bill proposed by GovernorScott Walker that abolished almost allcollective bargaining for public worker unions.[31] The protests at the capitol ranged from 10,000 to over 100,000 people and lasted several months.[32]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has an area of 94.03 square miles (243.54 km2), of which 76.79 square miles (198.89 km2) is land and 17.24 square miles (44.65 km2) is water.[37] The city's lowest elevation is the intersection of Regas Road and Corporate Drive on the east side, at 836.9 ft (255.1 m). The highest elevation is located along Pleasant View Road on the far west side of the city, atop a portion of a terminalmoraine of the Green Bay Lobe of theWisconsin glaciation, at 1,190 ft (360 m).[38]
The city is sometimes described as "The City of Four Lakes", comprising the four successive lakes of theYahara River: Lake Mendota ("Fourth Lake"), Lake Monona ("Third Lake"),Lake Waubesa ("Second Lake") andLake Kegonsa ("First Lake"),[39] although Waubesa and Kegonsa are not actually in Madison, but just south of it. A fifth smaller lake,Lake Wingra, is within the city as well; it is connected to the Yahara River chain by Wingra Creek. The Yahara flows into theRock River, which flows into theMississippi River.
State Street connects Capitol Square to the University of Wisconsin campus.
Local identity varies throughout Madison, with over 120 officially recognized neighborhood associations.[40][41] Historically, the north, east, and south sides wereblue collar while the west side waswhite collar, and to a certain extent this remains true. Students dominate on the University of Wisconsin campus and to the east into downtown, while university faculty have been a major presence in the neighborhoods to its south and inShorewood Hills to its west.
The Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood neighbors downtown Madison. It is located around Monroe Street, a commercial area which has local shops, coffee houses, dining and galleries and features Wingra Park, where people rent paddle boats and canoes at a boathouse onLake Wingra.[46][47] The Hilldale area comprises the Hill Farms-University neighborhood, Sunset Village neighborhood, and part of Shorewood Hills. The area containsHilldale Shopping Center and a suburban setting.[48]
The Marquette neighborhood sits on the near-east side of Madison and Williamson Street, its main thoroughfare, is known for locally owned shops and restaurants, including theWilly Street Co-op. Houses in the Marquette neighborhood are included in theMarquette Bungalows Historic District andOrton Park Historic District.[49] The area is also the location of festivals like the Waterfront Festival,La Fete de Marquette, Orton Park Festival, and Willy Street Fair. The Williamson-Marquette area is a hub for Madison'sbohemian culture, known for colorfully painted houses and murals.[50]
Park Street, a diverse area in southern Madison, passes through several neighborhoods including Burr Oaks and Greenbush. It has been described as the "most racially and economically diverse area of Madison" and is home to ethnic restaurants and stores.[51]
Madison, along with the rest of the state, has ahumid continental climate (Köppen:Dfa), characterized by variable weather patterns and a large seasonal temperature variance: winter temperatures can be well below freezing, with moderate to occasionally heavy snowfall and temperatures reaching 0 °F or −17.8 °C on 17 mornings annually; high temperatures in summer average in the lower 80s °F (27–28 °C), reaching 90 °F (32.2 °C) on an average 12 afternoons per year,[52] with lower humidity levels than winter but higher than spring. Summer accounts for a greater proportion of annual rainfall, but winter still sees significant precipitation.
Thepopulation density was 3,391 inhabitants per square mile (1,309.3/km2). There were 126,070 housing units at an average density of 1,584 per square mile (611.6/km2). Ethnically, the population was 8.7%Hispanic orLatino of any race. When grouping both Hispanic and non-Hispanic people together by race, the city was 71.0%White, 9.5%Asian, 7.4%Black orAfrican American, 0.5%Native American, 0.1%Pacific Islander, 3.8% fromother races, and 7.8% from two or more races.
The 2020 census population of the city included 548 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 9,909 people in university student housing.[58]
Madison city, Wisconsin – Racial and Ethnic Composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
According to theAmerican Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $67,565, and the median income for a family was $96,502. Male full-time workers had a median income of $56,618 versus $48,760 for female workers. Theper capita income for the city was $39,595. About 6.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.[62] Of the population age 25 and over, 95.9% were high school graduates or higher and 58.5% had a bachelor's degree or higher.[63]
As of thecensus[64] of 2010, there were 233,209 people, 102,516 households, and 47,824 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 3,037 inhabitants per square mile (1,172.6/km2). There were 108,843 housing units at an average density of 1,417 per square mile (547.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 78.9 percent white, 7.3 percent black, 0.4 percent American Indian, 7.4 percent Asian, 2.9 percent other races, and 3.1 from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 6.8 percent of the population.
There were 102,516 households, of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.3% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.87.
The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 17.5 percent of residents were under the age of 18; 19.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.4% were from 25 to 44; 21.9% were from 45 to 64; and 9.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.2% male and 50.8% female.
There were 53 homicides reported by Madison Police from 2000 to 2009.[77] The highest total was 10 in 2008.[81] Police reported 28 murders from 2010 to 2015, with the highest year being 7 murders in 2011.[78][79][80]
Madison's economy is marked by the sectors of government, education,information technology andhealthcare, and is supplemented byagribusiness, food and precisionmanufacturing in the greater Madison region.[82] Many businesses are attracted to Madison's skill base, taking advantage of the area's high level of education; 48.2% of Madison's population over the age of 25 holds at least a bachelor's degree.[citation needed] The University of Wisconsin–Madison, University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics (UW Health), and Wisconsin state government remain the largest employers in the city, whileEpic Systems is the largest private sector employer.[83]
Information technology companies in Madison includeBroadjam,Zendesk,Full Compass Systems,Raven Software,EatStreet, andTDS Telecom. Madison's communityhackerspaces/makerspaces are Sector67, which serves inventors and entrepreneurs, and The Bodgery, which serves hobbyists, artists, and tinkerers. Start-up incubators and connectors include StartingBlock,gener8tor and the University Research Park.[92][93][94]Epic Systems was based in Madison from 1979 to 2005, when it moved to a larger campus in the nearby Madison suburb ofVerona. Other firms include Nordic,Forward Health, and Forte Research Systems.[95]
Supported by naturally fertile soil, Madison's infrastructure supports food production, processing, and distribution. Major employers includeHormel Foods,Del Monte, andFrito-Lay.[96] The meat producerOscar Mayer was a Madison fixture for decades, and was a family business for many years before being sold toKraft Foods. Its Madison headquarters and manufacturing facility were shuttered in 2017.[97]
TheMemorial Union is a central gathering place onLake Mendota. Memorial Union Terrace is home to uniquely designed "terrace chairs" with a sunburst design that have become a symbol of the city.[98] The Memorial Union hosts concerts, plays, and comedy and is home to multiple restaurants and ice cream shops serving both the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus and the greater city.
Henry Vilas Zoo is a 28-acre (11 ha) publiczoo owned by Dane County which receives over 750,000 visitors annually.[99] It is one of ten remaining free zoos in North America.[100][101]
Olbrich Botanical Gardens contains a 16-acre outdoorbotanical garden and 10,000-square-footconservatory.[102] Founded in 1952 and named for its founder,Michael Olbrich, the gardens are owned and operated jointly by the City of Madison Parks and the non-profit Olbrich Botanical Society. Noteworthy is theThai sala, a gift to the University of Wisconsin–Madison from the Thai Chapter of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and the government ofThailand through its king,Bhumibol Adulyadej.[103] Next to Olbrich is the Garver Feed Mill, a former industrial mill that is now home to various restaurants, an event space, artisan markets, and an assortment of festivals.[104]
The height of Madison's skyline is limited by a state law that restricts building heights in the downtown area. All buildings within one mile (1.6 km) of the Wisconsin State Capitol have to be less than 1,032.8 feet (314.8 m) above sea level to preserve the view of the building from most areas of the city.[109] The State Capitol dome was modeled after the dome of theUnited States Capitol and was erected on the high point of the isthmus. Capitol Square is located in Madison's urban core.
Madison ishome to eight buildings by renowned Wisconsin-born architect Frank Lloyd Wright, more than any city outside the Chicago area. Wright, who spent much of his childhood in Madison and briefly attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, worked from hisTaliesin studio in nearby Spring Green. Notable designs in Madison include Monona Terrace, the city's lakefront convention center, and Wright's first Usonian house, theHerbert and Katherine Jacobs First House, which is aUNESCO World Heritage Site.[110][15]
Other prominent prairie style and Usonian architects, includingLouis Sullivan andClaude and Starck, also have notable works in the city.[111] TheHarold C. Bradley House, located in University Heights, was a 1908–1910 collaboration between Sullivan andGeorge Grant Elmslie.[112] Claude and Starck designed over 175 buildings in Madison, many still standing, such asBreese Stevens Field, Doty School (now condos), and many private residences.[113]
Downtown Madison features numerous examples of art deco andart moderne styles. Notable examples include Quisling Terrace, with its rounded corners and terracing, andTenney Plaza, distinguished by lake views, marble and brass lobby details, and vertical lines, marking the city's first steel-frame high-rise.[114] The art decoState Office Building, the tallest office building in Madison, was built in 1931 and is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[115] TheOrpheum Theater, also on the National Register, is located a block from the state capitol on State Street and is recognized as the city's best-survivingmovie palace.[116] The UW–Madison campus has numerous buildings in the brutalist style, including the George L. Mosse Humanities Building designed byHarry Weese and theChazen Museum of Art.[117]
Dane County Farmers' Market is the largest producers-only farmers' market in the U.S., and is held every Saturday on Capitol Square in downtown Madison, Wisconsin since 1972.
Madison's cuisine is deeply influenced by its agricultural surroundings and ethnic history. The city's proximity to numerousdairy farms has made dairy a central element of its food culture, with notable cheesemakers likeUplands Cheese Company, Hooks Cheese Company, and Landmark Creamery contributing to local offerings.[118] Popular dishes includecheese curds, often served fried or "squeaky," andhot and spicy cheese bread, made by some Madison bakeries and available at farmer's markets around the city.[119] Morning Buns, a variety ofsticky bun made withcroissant dough, were invented in Madison at the former Ovens of Brittany restaurant by chefOdessa Piper.[120]
Additionally, Madison's culinary scene is enriched by local produce, includingcranberries, snap beans, and potatoes.[121] On Saturday mornings in the summer, theDane County Farmers' Market is held around Capitol Square, the largest producer-only farmers' market in the country.[122] The city'sfarm-to-table culture is reflected in its manyJames Beard Award award-winning restaurants and gastropubs.[123][124]
Madison is home to numerous Wisconsin-stylesupper clubs.[125] An all-you-can-eat Friday nightfish fry is particularly common at Wisconsin supper clubs, as areold fashioned cocktails. Some restaurants in Madison follow the general Wisconsin supper club practice of restaurants serving "Friday fish fry, Saturday prime rib special, Sunday chicken dinner special."[126]
Madison's food culture also embraces its ethnic diversity. German immigrants introduced rich culinary traditions, influencing local restaurants andbeer halls.[127][128] Madison is also home to a largeHmong population, leading to a variety ofLaotian and Hmong restaurants that make the city a "national hub ofHmong cuisine".[129] The city offers unique foods such as the largespring rolls sold from the food carts on Capital Square and State Street, particularly in warmer months.[130]
Madison is home to the food festivals, such asBrat Fest.[131] The Great Taste of the Midwest craft beer festival, established in 1987 and the second-longest-running such event in North America,[132] is held the second Saturday in August. The highly coveted tickets sell out within an hour of going on sale in May.[133]
Madison's music scene covers a spectrum of musical culture.[134] Several venues offer live music nightly, ranging from Barrymore Theatre and High Noon Saloon on the east side[135] to small coffee houses and wine bars. The biggest headliners sometimes perform at the Orpheum Theatre, theOverture Center,Breese Stevens Field, theAlliant Energy Center, or the UW Theatre on campus. Other major rock and pop venues include the Majestic Theatre, the Sylvee, and The Bartell. During the summer, the Memorial Union Terrace on the University of Wisconsin campus, offers live music five nights a week. The Union is located on the shores of Lake Mendota.
In the summer, Madison hosts many music festivals.Concerts on the Square is a weekly Madison tradition during the summer. On Wednesday evenings, theWisconsin Chamber Orchestra performs free concerts on the capitol's lawn,[136] and spectators can listen to the music while picnicking on the grass. Other annual music events include the Waterfront Festival, the Willy Street Fair, Atwood Summerfest, the Isthmus Jazz Festival, the Orton Park Festival, 94.1 WJJO's Band Camp, Greekfest, the WORT Block Party and the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival, and the Madison World Music Festival. One of the latest additions is theLa Fete de Marquette, taking place aroundBastille Day at various east side locations and celebrating French music with Cajun influences. Madison also hosts an annualelectronic music festival, Reverence, and the Folk Ball, aworld music andFolk dance festival held annually in January. Madison also plays host to the National Women's Music Festival.[137] UW-Madison also hosts the annual music and arts festival, Revelry, on campus at the Memorial Union each spring. The festival is put on by students for students as an end of the year celebration on campus.[138]
Much of the city's nightlife is centralized to the downtown area which includes a variety of bars, restaurants, and performance venues.[147]State Street and the surrounding area are popular with tourists and University of Wisconsin-Madison students.[148] Venues in the Capital Square neighborhood are popular with local young professionals and provide manyhappy hour specials.[149] Another center of nightlife is the Williamson (Willy) Street Neighborhood.[150] Madison is also home to a number ofnightclubs,gay bars and live music venues. TheMifflin Street Block Party and theFreakfest Halloween Party also attract thousands of partygoers.
TheMadison Opera, theMadison Symphony Orchestra, Forward Theater Company, theWisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and theMadison Ballet are some of the professional resident companies of theOverture Center for the Arts. The city is also home to a number of smaller performing arts organizations, including a group of theater companies that present in the Bartell Theatre, a former movie palace renovated into live theater spaces, andOpera for the Young, an opera company that performs for elementary school students across the Midwest. Music Theatre of Madison is a professional musical theater company that performs new and lesser-known musicals in a variety of venues. The Wisconsin Union Theater (a 1,300-seat theater) is home to seasonal attractions and is the main stage for Four Seasons Theatre, acommunity theater company specializing inmusical theater, and other groups. The Young Shakespeare Players, a theater group for young people, performs uncutShakespeare andGeorge B. Shaw plays.[citation needed]
Community-based theater groups include Children's Theatre of Madison, Strollers Theatre, Madison Theatre Guild, the Mercury Players, andBroom Street Theater (which is no longer on Broom Street).[citation needed]
Madison has onecomedy club, Comedy on State (which has hosted the Madison's Funniest Comic competition every year since 2010), owned by the Paras family. Madison has other options for more alternative humor, featuring several improv groups, such as Atlas Improv Company, Monkey Business Institute, andopen mic nights.[citation needed]
Madison was host toRhythm and Booms, a large fireworks celebration coordinated to music. It began with a fly-over byF-16s from the localWisconsin Air National Guard. This celebration was the largest fireworks display in the Midwest in length, number of shells fired, and the size of its annual budget.[152] Effective 2015, the event location was changed to downtown and renamed Shake The Lake.[153][154]
Every April, the Wisconsin Film Festival is held in Madison.[155] This five-day event features films from a variety of genres shown in theaters across the city. The University of Wisconsin–Madison Arts Institute sponsors the Film Festival.[156]
Madison's official bird is theplastic flamingo, a type of lawn ornament.[157] The city council adopted the plastic flamingo in 2009 following a campaign by a local newspaper columnist in reference to a 1979 prank by UW–Madison students who planted 1,008 plastic flamingos on Bascom Hill.[158][159] The flamingo appears in the logo of the city's professional soccer team,Forward Madison FC.[160]
The Madison Cardinals were an early football team that lost each of the three games they ever played, all coming in 1936. Two were in theNorthwest Football League and the third was a 62-0 exhibition blowout to theGreen Bay Packers.[168] The Cardinals failed to attract University of Wisconsin graduates as promised, and the La Crosse Old Style Lagers ran up the score in a 100-0 drubbing intending to push them out of the league. The Cardinals folded just days later.[169]
Madison United Rugby senior level clubs include the Wisconsin Rugby Club, the 1998 and 2013USA Rugby Division II National Champions, theWisconsin Women's Rugby Football Club, and the Madison Minotaurs. The Madison Curling Club was founded in 1921 and one of its teams won the 2014 Women's US National Championship.[174][175] Madison's Gaelic sports club hosts ahurling team organized as theHurling Club of Madison and a Gaelic football club with men's and women's teams.
The Blackhawk Ski Club, formed in 1947, provides ski jumping, cross-country skiing and alpine skiing. The club's programs have produced several Olympic ski jumpers, two Olympic ski jumping coaches and one Olympic ski jumping director. The club had the first Nordic ski facility with lighted night jumping.[178]
Madison has 6,431 acres (26.03 km2) of park space, which is 13.5% of the city's total area.[179] Parks in the city includeJames Madison Park, which has views of Lake Mendota;Frank W. Hoyt Park, which is listed on theNational Register of Historic Places; Garner Park, where theMadison Opera holds an "Opera in the Park" event;[180] andWarner Park, which is home to the stadium for the Madison Mallards baseball team. Goodman Pool is Madison's public outdoor swimming pool.[citation needed]
Madison is known for its extensive biking infrastructure, with numerous bike paths and bike lanes throughout the city. Several of these bike paths connect to state trails, such as theCapital City State Trail,Military Ridge State Trail, andBadger State Trail. In addition to these bike paths, most city streets have designated bike lanes or are designated asbicycle boulevards, which give high priority to bicyclists. In 2015 Madison was awarded platinum level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists, one of only five cities in the US to receive this (highest) level.[182]
City voters have supported theDemocratic Party in national elections in the last half-century, and a liberal and progressive majority is generally elected to the city council. Detractors often refer to Madison as "77 square miles surrounded by reality", a phrase coined by former Wisconsin Republican governorLee S. Dreyfus, while campaigning in 1978.[183] In 2013, there was a motion in the city council to turn Dreyfus' humor into the official city "punchline", but it was voted down by the city council.[184]
In 1992, a local third party,Progressive Dane, was founded. City policies supported in the Progressive Dane platform have included aninclusionary zoning ordinance, later abandoned by the mayor and a majority of the city council, and a city minimum wage. The party holds several seats on the Madison City Council and Dane County Board of Supervisors, and is aligned variously with the Democratic and Green parties.
Ron Johnson (R) andTammy Baldwin (D) represent Madison, and all of Wisconsin, in theUnited States Senate. Baldwin is a Madison resident; she represented the 2nd from 1999 to 2013 before handing it to Pocan.
The city is home to the flagship campus of theUniversity of Wisconsin, Edgewood University,Madison Area Technical College, andHerzing University-Madison, giving the city a post-secondary student population of nearly 65,000. The University of Wisconsin accounts for the vast majority of students, with an enrollment of roughly 50,000, of whom 37,000 are undergraduates.[195]
Madison is home to an extensive and varied number of print publications, reflecting the city's role as the state capital and its diverse political, cultural and academic population. TheWisconsin State Journal (weekday circulation: ~95,000; Sundays: ~155,000) is published in the mornings, while its sister publication,The Capital Times (Thursday supplement to the Journal) is published online daily, with two printed editions a week. Though jointly operated under the nameCapital Newspapers, theJournal is owned by the national chainLee Enterprises, and theTimes is independently owned.Wisconsin State Journal is the descendant of theWisconsin Express, a paper founded in the Wisconsin Territory in 1839.The Capital Times was founded in 1917 by William T. Evjue, a business manager for theState Journal who disagreed with that paper's editorial criticisms of Wisconsin Republican SenatorRobert M. La Follette, Sr. for his opposition to U.S. entry intoWorld War I.
The free weekly alternative newspaperIsthmus (weekly circulation: ~65,000) was founded in Madison in 1976.The Onion, a satirical weekly, was founded in Madison in 1988 and published from there until it moved to New York in 2001. Two student newspapers are published during the academic year,The Daily Cardinal (Mon–Fri circulation: ~10,000) andThe Badger Herald (Mon–Fri circulation: ~16,000). Other specialty print publications focus on local music, politics and sports, includingThe Capital City Hues,[196][197][198]The Madison Times,[197][198]Madison Magazine,The Simpson Street Free Press,Umoja Magazine,[197][198][199][200] and fantasy-sports web siteRotoWire.com. Local community blogs includeAlthouse and dane101.
Madison is associated with"Fighting Bob" La Follette and theProgressive movement. La Follette's magazine,The Progressive, founded in 1909, is still published in Madison. It is afar left-wing periodical that may be best known for the attempt of the U.S. government in 1979 to suppress one of its articles before publication. The magazine eventually prevailed in the landmark First Amendment case,United States v. The Progressive, Inc. During the 1970s, there were two radical weeklies published in Madison, known asTakeOver andFree for All, as well as a Madison edition of theBugle-Americanunderground newspaper.
Madison has three large media companies that own the majority of the commercial radio stations within the market. These companies consist ofiHeartMedia,Entercom Communications, andMid-West Family Broadcasting as well as other smaller broadcasters. Madison is home to Mid-West Family Broadcasting, which is an independently owned broadcasting company that originated and is headquartered in Madison. Mid-West Family owns radio stations throughout the state and theMidwest.
Madison hosts two volunteer-operated and community-oriented radio stations,WORT andWSUM. WORT Community Radio (89.9 FM), founded in 1975, is one of the oldest volunteer-powered radio stations in the United States. A listener-sponsored community radio station, WORT offers locally produced diverse music and talk programming. WSUM (91.7 FM) is a free-formstudent radio station programmed and operated almost entirely by students.
Madison has six commercial stations, two public television stations and a religious station. The commercial stations consist ofWISC-TV (CBS) and itsMyNetworkTV subchannel, TVW;WMTV (NBC), with aCW+ subchannel;WKOW-TV (ABC);WMSN-TV (Fox);WIFS (Ion); andWZCK-LD/W23BW-D (various subchannel networks).WMWD-LD (Daystar) also serves the area. Madison has two public television stations:WHA-TV, which is owned by theUniversity of Wisconsin–Extension and airs throughout the state with the exception ofMilwaukee, and cable's Madison City Channel, which is owned and operated by the City of Madison covering city governmental affairs.
Starting from the last decades of the 20th century, Madison has been among the leading cities for bicycling as a form of transportation, with about 3% of working residents pedaling on their journey to work.[202] The share of Madison workers who bicycled to work increased to 5.3% by 2014.[203] The 2016 survey byAmerican Community Survey indicated that 65.7% of working Madison residents commuted by driving alone, 6.7% carpooled, 8.6% used public transportation, and 8.5% walked. About 6% used all other forms of transportation, including bicycles, motorcycles, and taxis. About 4.5% worked at home.[204]
In 2015, 11.2% of Madison households were without a car, which was unchanged in 2016. The national average was 8.7% in 2016. Madison averaged 1.5 cars per household in 2016, compared to a national average of 1.8 per household.[205]
US 12, frequently referred to by locals as the Beltline, is a six- to eight-lanefreeway serving the south and west sides of Madison and is the main link from the western suburb ofMiddleton toCambridge. Southeast of the area, US 12 connects toLake Geneva, and going northwest, it heads to Wisconsin Dells.[206]US 18 is also a component highway of the Beltine, continuing south along US 151 and east towardsWaukesha and Milwaukee.[206]U.S. Highway 151 (US 151) runs through downtown and serves as the main thoroughfare through the northeast (as Washington Avenue) and south-central parts (as Park Street) of the city, connecting Madison withDubuque, Iowa, to the southwest andFond du Lac andManitowoc to the northeast.[206]
Metro Transit, Madison's public transportation network, operates bus services throughout the city and several suburbs.[207] Its operations were absorbed by the city in 1970. The transit network focuses onpoint-to-point transit service. Metro Transit launched its firstbus rapid transit line in 2024.[208]
The city is served byAmtrak viaColumbus station 28 miles (45 km) to the northeast, which serves the daily long-distanceEmpire Builder terminating at Chicago,Portland andSeattle. Columbus station is also served by theAmtrak MidwestBorealis route which terminates at Chicago andSaint Paul. Although located outside of the city proper, the station is listed on Amtrak timetables as Madison's official stop.[211]
Ahigh-speed rail route from Chicago through Milwaukee and Madison to Minneapolis–Saint Paul was proposed as part of theMidwest Regional Rail Initiative, but then-incoming GovernorScott Walker's opposition to the project led to the reallocation of funding.[212] Plans to establish Amtrak service within Madison were revived in 2021.[213][214] Anticipating eventual revival of passenger service, public meetings were held in early 2024 by the city's Department of Transportation to consider possible sites for the station.[215]
The Madison Fire Department (MFD) provides fire protection andemergency medical services to the city. The MFD operates out of 14 fire stations,[216] with a fleet of 12 engines, 5 ladders,[217] 2 rescue squads, 2 hazmat units,[218] a lake rescue team,[219] and 9 ambulances.[220] The MFD is contracted to provide fire and EMS services to the suburban enclave village of Shorewood Hills and also provides mutual aid to surrounding communities. In 2021 MFD in conjunction with Journey Mental Health, launched an emergency mental health response team consisting of a paramedic and social work to respond to mental health emergencies, the program initially launched in the Isthmus area and has expanded citywide in 2022.[221][222][223]
The Madison Police Department is the law enforcement agency in the city. The department has six districts: Central, East, North, South, West and Midtown.[224] Special units in the police department include the K9 Unit, Crime Scene Unit, Forensic Unit, Narcotics and Gangs Task Force, Parking Enforcement, Traffic Enforcement Safety Team,SWAT Team, Special Events Team, C.O.P.S (Safety Education),Mounted Patrol, Crime Stoppers, and Amigos en Azul.
The Madison Police Department was criticized for absolving Officer Steve Heimsness of any wrongdoing in the November 2012 shooting death of an unarmed man, Paul Heenan. The department's actions resulted in community protests, including demands that the shooting be examined and reviewed by an independent investigative body.[225] WisconsinWatch.org called into question the MPD's facts and findings, stating that the use of deadly force by Heimsness was unwarranted.[226] There were calls for an examination of the Madison Police Department's rules of engagement and due process for officers who use lethal force in the line of duty.
Community criticism of the department's practices resurfaced after MPD officer Matt Kennyshot Tony Robinson, an unarmed man. The shooting was particularly controversial given the context of the ongoingBlack Lives Matter movement. Due to new Wisconsin state legislation[227] that addresses the mechanisms under which officer-on-civilian violence is handled by state prosecutors, proceedings were handed over to a special unit of theWisconsin Department of Justice in Madison. On March 27, 2015, the state concluded its investigation and gave its findings to Ismael Ozanne, thedistrict attorney of Dane County.[228] On May 12, 2015, Ozanne determined that the shooting was justified self-defense.[229]
^Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
^Official weather records for Madison were kept at downtown from January 1869 to December 1946 and at KMSN since January 1947. For more information, seeThreadEx.
^The total for each race includes those who reported that race alone or in combination with other races. People who reported a combination of multiple races may be counted multiple times, so the sum of all percentages will exceed 100%.
^Hispanic and Latino origins are separate from race in the U.S. Census. The Census does not distinguish between Latino origins alone or in combination. This row counts Hispanics and Latinos of any race.
^University of Wisconsin-Madison English As A Second Language Program."About Madison". Archived fromthe original on October 26, 2020. RetrievedNovember 22, 2020.
^"Vilas vs. Reynolds".Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of the State of Wisconsin. Vol. 6. Beloit: E.E. Hale & Co. 1858. p. 215.Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. RetrievedJuly 24, 2011.
^"Station: Madison Dane RGNL AP, WI".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.Archived from the original on May 19, 2021. RetrievedJune 13, 2021.
^abcdefghijkl"Annual Report"(PDF). Madison Police. 2009. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on August 5, 2013. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.Page 17 lists violent crime totals for 2000 to 2009
^abc"Annual Report"(PDF). Madison Police. 2011. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on May 8, 2018. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
^abc"Annual Report"(PDF). Madison Police. 2013. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on May 8, 2018. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
^"Passenger Rail Station Study". City of Madison, Department of Transportation. November 17, 2022. RetrievedJanuary 29, 2024.
^"Fire Suppression".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.Madison has thirteen (13) fire stations serving the city.
^"What we do".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
^"Hazardous Incident Team".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
^"Lake Rescue Team".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
^"EMS".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.Each day, eight medics (or ambulances) are in service, each staffed by two paramedics.
^"Organization".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
^"Annual Reports".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
^"History".cityofmadison.com. Madison, Wisconsin: Fire Department. Archived fromthe original on December 22, 2016. RetrievedDecember 18, 2016.
Maraniss, David,They Marched Into Sunlight: War and Peace Vietnam and America October 1967 (2003)ISBN0-7432-1780-2ISBN0-7432-6104-6 (about the Dow Chemical protest, and a battle in Vietnam that took place the previous day)
Mollenhoff, David V.Madison, a history of the formative years (Univ of Wisconsin Press, 2003).
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