Life in Madison

A cosmopolitan medium-sized city of more than 230,000, Madison is uniquely situated on an isthmus between the area's two largest lakes, Mendota and Monona – a setting which offers impressive beauty, a compact and vital metropolitan area and a wide range of recreational activities.

Home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison also boasts more than 15,000 acres of lakes and beaches, as well as 260 parks. You'll find a cultural hub and plenty to do in Madison amid the scenic backdrop in the state capital of Wisconsin.

Included among Madison's recent accolades:

• Madison was the No. 2 city in America for women in 2009, according to Women's Health. The city ranked third for men by Men's Health.
• Madison was ranked No. 7 among the nation's 25 best cities in which to live by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance in 2009
• Madison was ranked No. 7 among the country's top 10 innovative cities, according to Forbes magazine in 2010
• Money Magazine and CNN have honored the suburb of Middleton several times in the past few years in their "Best Places to Live" series.

  Living in Madison/Relocating

• City of Madison
• Madison Maps
• Neighborhoods
• Weather
• Madison Metropolitan School District
• Resources for Moving to Wisconsin
• Madison City-Accredited Child Care Programs
   

Whether you're shopping on State Street, enjoying a free concert by the lake at the Memorial Union Terrace or taking a stroll along the picturesque Capitol Square on a summer Saturday morning at the Dane County Farmers' Market, there's plenty to do and see in Madison.

Things to Do and See

• Olbrich Botanical Gardens
• Henry Vilas Zoo
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
• Aldo Leopold Nature Center
• Downtown Madison

Restaurants, Theater and Entertainment

• Isthmus Dining Guide
• Overture Center for the Arts
• Madison Opera
• Madison Symphony Orchestra
• Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra
• Madison Ballet
• Children's Theater of Madison
• Monona Terrace Events
• Wisconsin Union Events Calendar

Sports and Recreation

• University of Wisconsin Badgers Athletics
• Madison Mallards Baseball
• Madison Parks and Beaches
• Madison School and Community Recreation
• Biking/cycling
• Madison Marathon
• Madison Soccer Association
• Madison Ultimate Frisbee Association
• Mad-City Ski Team
• Blackhawk Ski Club

• Wisconsin State Journal/The Capital Times
• Isthmus
• Madison Magazine

Also check out the following resources from the Greater Madison Convention and Visitor Bureau:

• Madison Events Calendar
• Entertainment
• Dining
• Living in Madison