Madison has water throughout it in the form of four large lakes, Lake Monoma, Lake Wingra, Lake Mendota and Lake Wanbesa. The central business district, or downtown Madison, occupies the narrow isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona. To the west, on the shore of Lake Mendota, is the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The city's size is 67 square miles and is at an altitude of 846'. It has a population of 208,054 people (2000), making it the 82nd largest city in the USA. The metro area is larger with 426,526 people, making it the 97th largest metro area in the country. Madison is serviced by Dane County Regional Airport airport.

Madison was founded in 1836 by a former federal judge, James Doty, and his partner, territorial governor Stevens T. Mason. Doty persuaded the legislature to move the capital of the newly formed Wisconsin Territory to Madison from its temporary location at Belmont, even though the site was still an empty tract of land. The city was named for James Madison, the fourth president who had died that year. Settlement began in 1837, and the community began to function as the territorial capital in 1838. The village was later incorporated in 1848. Economic development was slow until the 1850s, when the University of Wisconsin began to expand and the community was linked by railroad with Milwaukee. It became a city in 1856. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Madison was an important mustering center for Union soldiers. The city grew in the 1920s as a meat-processing hub, and it benefited in the 1960s and 1970s from the expansion of its government and educational facilities. Steady growth continued into the late 20th century.

The city's economy is centered around governmental activities. It is also a commercial, educational, and manufacturing center and the distribution point for a productive farming region. It also has a growing core of high-technology companies. Madison is noted for its large medical complexes and many research and testing laboratories

Cultural centers feature the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, with displays of aircraft, model ships, and dioramas depicting military battles, a children’s museum, a state historical museum, a zoological park and many examples of the Prairie School architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. This includes the First Unitarian Society Meeting House. The city enjoys numerous performing arts groups, including the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Madison Opera, and several theater companies. Madison supports many parks, and numerous lakes and other outdoor recreation spots are nearby.

Madison averages highs of 73F in July and lows of 18F in January. The city averages 31"/year of rain.

All pictures are from Madison, using various film and digital cameras.

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Looking up at the Capital Building, from Main St.
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Looking up at the Capital Building.
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First Star Plaza in downtown Madison.
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From the downtown area, looking out at Lake Mendota from the end of Hamilton.
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Further information on Madison can be found at the City of Madison, Wisconsin or the
Visit Madison site.