Regional Info

With a population exceeding 200,000, Madison is a thriving city built upon twin foundations as state capital and home of the University of Wisconsin. Consistently ranked among the nation's "most livable" cities, Madison is built around four lakes. Its hilly terrain, parks and woodlands give the urban setting a neighborhood atmosphere. The city's quality of life is evident in its rich cultural and recreational offerings, ranging from musical events and live theater to amateur sports and one of the nation's most extensive systems of bicycling paths. The Dane County Farmer's Market is held each Saturday from spring through fall on the Capitol Square.

State government and the UW-Madison are major employers, along with Oscar Mayer Foods and federal institutions such as the Forest Products Laboratory and the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital. Many large insurance companies have headquarters in Madison, and a high-tech industry is growing rapidly.

UW-Madison has long been recognized internationally as one of America's great universities. With more than 40,000 students, nearly 2,400 faculty members and 133 departments, the campus has the state's largest concentration of graduate, professional and research programs. Many UW-Madison departments, including those in the health sciences, are ranked among the nation's top 10.