Situated in Dane County in the south-central part of the state, Madison is the state capital of Wisconsin and the state's second biggest city. It covers an area of 94.03 square miles and has an estimated population of 255,000 people, with over 600,000 in the metropolitan area. Madison was founded in the early 19th century and named after James Madison, one of the Founding Fathers.

Madison is known as the 'City of Four Lakes' due to the presence of several lakes within its city limits, including Lake Monona and Lake Mendota. It became the capital of Wisconsin Territory in the 1830s and was named capital of the state in 1848. The city is home to the University of Wisconsin.

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