The communities that make up the 8-County Madison Region are rich with variety. From the southern-most border of Rock County, located less than an hour away from Chicago, to the northern borders of Sauk and Columbia counties, the region embraces a diversity of opportunity.
Our region has a unique blend of landscapes and varied topography. To the west, there's the Wisconsin River outwash plain and the unglaciated driftless area. Go central, and discover the string of the Yahara River Basin. Travel east, and experience the highland and drumlin agriculture regions. These natural assets, coupled with the high value we as a region place on stewardship, ensure an abundance of natural areas to relax in, hundreds of miles of scenic walking and biking trails, water recreation, and a renowned state park system. Almost literally, you'll find a park around every corner - even in our major cities.
Widely settled in the 1800s, the Madison Region's settlement patterns helped create the unique, identifiable communities and places you'll find today, cultural assets we value deeply. These communities are also the foundation of our current social character and values, like the Good Neighbor City of Middleton in Dane County (recently named "Best Place to Live in America, 2007" by Money Magazine).
The region's urban core and the center of Wisconsin government, Madison, is a unique blend of emerging metropolis and small-town community feel. This lends the Greater Madison area a wide range of arts and culture, fine dining, shopping and distinct neighborhoods, all without the hassle of "big city" traffic, congestion and crime.
The Madison Region offers a unique blend of urban opportunities and rural, unspoiled natural beauty, distinctive communities and some of Wisconsin's greatest collections of natural, educational, artistic and historical attractions.