Madison, city in south central Wisconsin, capital of the state, and seat of Dane County. In addition to its important governmental activities, Madison is a commercial, educational, and manufacturing center and the distribution point for a productive farming region. The city is home to several large insurance companies and the headquarters of a national processor of meat products. It also has a growing core of high-technology companies. Madison is noted for its large medical complexes and many research and testing laboratories, including the Forest Products Laboratory of the United States Forest Service, established in 1910 as the world's first center for wood research. Scheduled air transportation is through Dane County Regional Airport.
Principally a residential city with tree-lined streets, Madison lies on the shores of four scenic lakes. 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.
