Also known as the "City of Four Lakes," Madison (population 215,211) is widely acknowledged to offer a superb quality of life. Madison's exceptional cultural environment includes a civic/performing arts center, repertory theatre company, art museums and galleries, a symphony, and a chamber orchestra. The State Capitol is strikingly beautiful, and the surrounding square is a center for outdoor concerts, art fairs, and farmer's markets. The Monona Terrace Convention Center is based on a design by tthe renowned architect Frank Loyd Wright, a UW student and long-time Madison and WIsconsin resident. The nearby town of Spring Green is the summer home of a nationally renowned outdoor Shakespearen Theatre.

Madison is the only North American city built on an isthmus. The city provides many opportunities for avid sports fans, particularly those involving water sports, and with adult and youth programs in baseball, hockey, golf, volleyball, basketball, swimming, skating, tennis, skiing, and soccer. Madison has over 6,300 acres of park space and bike and hiking trails plus the Vilas Zoo and Botanical Gardens.