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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, fourth president of the United States, who had died that year. Settlement began in 1837, and the community began to function as the territorial capital in 1838; the village 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.

Madison covers a land area of 69 sq mi, with a mean elevation of 846 ft. In the 1990s the city often placed high on rankings of the best places in the United States to live. The central business district, or downtown Madison, occupies the narrow isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona. In a park at the center of the isthmus, dominating the city, is the State Capitol. Completed in 1917, it is a white granite structure with a huge dome that towers above four identical wings. To the west, on the shore of Lake Mendota, is the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1849). Associated with the university is the Elvehjem Museum of Art, a geology museum, arboretum, and observatory. In addition, Madison is the seat of Edgewood College (1927) and several two-year colleges.

Real Estate: United States - Wisconsin

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