OVERVIEW OF MADISON

Beautiful City
Anyone who has visited or lived in Madison agrees that it is a very beautiful city, with the famous University of Wisconsin, State Capitol Building, five lakes, beaches, and many parks. Madison is located in the heart of the Midwest in the north central area of the United States. By car, Madison is located about 2.5 hours to Chicago and 1 hour to Milwaukee. Take a tour of Madison and WESLI.

Five Lakes
Madison is surrounded by five lakes. Two of the larger lakes form the Isthmus, the strip of land in the center of the city where the University, State Capitol Building, and WESLI are located.

State Capital
Madison is the capital city of the state of Wisconsin. The beautiful Capitol Building is right in the center of the city, between Lakes Mendota and Monona.

Friendly and Safe
With a population of about 220,000, Madison is large enough to offer the cultural advantages of a city. At the same time, it is small enough to be safe, friendly, and comfortable.

University City
The University of Wisconsin-Madison (often called "UW"), with over 40,000 students, is a member of the "Big Ten," and one of the best and most affordable state universities in the country. Students and faculty at the university make up about 30% of the population of the city.

Low Cost of Living, Strong Economy
The cost of living in Madison is much lower than it is on the east and west coasts of the U.S., making WESLI an excellent place to study English.

Madison has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, and one of the strongest economies. In times of economic recession, Madison's economy consistently remains quite strong and active. This is due to the State Government, the University, and several large companies located in Madison such as Oscar Mayer, Rayovac, CUNA, ThermoNicolet, and American Family Insurance.

Weather

Madison can be quite warm in the summer and quite cold in the winter! Depending on where you have come from and when you arrive, it may take you several days to adjust to the weather here, and you might need to purchase some clothing, especially in the winter.

If you are traveling to Madison from a warm climate and are arriving in the winter, you might not be able to bring warm clothing with you. It might be best for you to bring one or two warmer items and buy a warm coat and some sweaters after you arrive. You can purchase a good winter coat for approximately $50 to $150. There are even some good used clothing stores if you prefer to spend less money on clothing.

You can find daily updates and long range forecasts from Channel3000 and NBC15.

Click here for more information about Madison on the Web.

Madison, Wisconsin consistently ranks as a top community in which to study, work, live, and play. Check out the recent awards and rankings that Madison has received!