Madison Metro Area

The Madison metro area is a region in south central Wisconsin. The main city is Madison, which is known for its diverse demographics and abundant lakes and rivers. The area officially covers three counties: Dane, Columbia, and Iowa, but can also include Rock, Green and Sauk, and sometimes Jefferson counties. The official population is 601,283.

Major cities

*Madison - Curtural hub and anchor city.
*Sun Prarie
*Janesville - Secend largest city in region.
*Monroe
*Dodgeville
*Baraboo
*Wisconsin Dells/Lake Delton - Major tourist destination.
*Portage

Transportation

There are many forms of transportation in the Madison Metro Area. The most heavily used is the Metro Transit System. Metro Transit connects many suburbs to the city as well as transit in the city. Janesville, and Beloit have smaller transit systems. Another way to get around is via taxi. The 3 main taxi companies are Madison Taxi, Union Cab and Badger Cab. Smaller companies such as Call-Me-A-Cab of Janesville and Portage Taxi also operate. There are two major airports in the Madison metro area. The largest, Dane County Regional Airport, flies to regional hubs like Chicago and Detroit as well as destinations such as Washington D.C and Las Vegas. A smaller airport, Southern Wisconsin Regional Airport, does not have any commercial flights scheduled but it is home to the annual "Southern Wisconsin AirFEST". The event has featured leading aviation performing groups such as the Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds, and the Masters of Disaster. Amtrak also serves the region with 3 stations in Columbus, Portage and Wisconsin Dells.

References

* [http://www.greatermadisonchamber.com Great Madison Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.city-data.com City Data]
* [http://www.amtrak.com Amtrak]