Dane County, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dane County
U.S. county
Dane County Courthouse
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Wisconsin
Wisconsin's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Founded	1836
Named for	Nathan Dane
Seat	Madison
Largest city	Madison
Area
• Total	1,238 sq mi (3,210 km2)
• Land	1,197 sq mi (3,100 km2)
• Water	41 sq mi (110 km2)  3.3%
Population  (2020)
• Total	561,504
• Estimate  (2023)	575,347
• Density	453.56/sq mi (175.12/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	2nd

Dane County is a large area of land in the state of Wisconsin, USA. It is like a big neighborhood with many towns and cities. As of 2020, over 561,504 people live here. This makes it the second most populated county in Wisconsin.

The main city and government center of Dane County is Madison. Madison is also the capital city of Wisconsin! Dane County is the center of a larger area called the Madison metropolitan area.

History of Dane County

Dane County was created in 1836. It became an official county in 1839. The county was named after Nathan Dane. He was a important person from Massachusetts. Nathan Dane helped create the area that became Wisconsin. Settlers from New England started moving to Dane County in the 1840s.

Geography and Travel

Dane County covers about 1,238 square miles. Most of this area is land. About 41 square miles (3.3%) is water, like lakes and rivers.

Main Roads

Many important roads run through Dane County. These roads help people travel easily.

Trains and Buses

You can also travel by train or bus in Dane County.

• Freight Trains: Canadian Pacific and Wisconsin and Southern Railroad move goods by train.
• Local Buses: Madison Metro Transit and Monona Express help people get around cities.
• Long-Distance Buses: Companies like Van Galder and Greyhound Lines offer bus trips to other cities.

Airports

Dane County has airports for different kinds of flights.

• Commercial Airport: Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) is for bigger planes and passenger flights.
• Smaller Airports: Blackhawk Airfield, Middleton Municipal Airport, Verona Airport, and Waunakee Airport are for smaller, private planes.

Neighboring Counties

Dane County shares borders with seven other counties in Wisconsin:

• Columbia County (north)
• Dodge County (northeast)
• Green County (south)
• Iowa County (west)
• Jefferson County (east)
• Rock County (southeast)
• Sauk County (northwest)

Population and People

2020 Census Information

In 2020, Dane County had 561,504 people. The county had about 469 people per square mile. Most people (77.6%) were White. Other groups included Asian (6.4%), Black or African American (5.4%), and Native American (0.4%). About 7.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

2010 Census Information

In 2010, there were 488,073 people living in Dane County. The average home had about 2.33 people. About 27% of homes had children under 18. The median age was 34.4 years old. This means half the people were younger and half were older than 34.4.

This chart shows the age groups of people in Dane County in 2000.

Religions in Dane County

Many different religious groups live in Dane County. In 2010, the largest groups were:

• Catholic (over 106,000 people)
• ELCA Lutheran (over 48,000 people)
• United Methodist (over 9,000 people)

Many other Christian groups and other faiths are also present.

Fun and Recreation

Dane County has many parks and places for outdoor activities.

County Parks

There are many county parks where you can enjoy nature.

Communities in Dane County

This map shows the different cities, villages, and towns in Dane County.

Dane County has many different types of communities.

Cities

Cities are larger communities with their own local government. They usually have a mayor and offer many services.

Villages

Villages are smaller than cities but still have their own local government. They are led by a Village President.

Towns

Towns are rural areas that are not incorporated as cities or villages. They have a town board and offer fewer services.

Unincorporated Communities

These are smaller places that are part of a town. They often have a name but no separate government.

Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods are smaller parts of cities or villages. They are mainly for naming areas.

Native American Community

• Ho-Chunk Indian Reservation is also located in Dane County.

Schools in Dane County

Many school districts serve students from kindergarten to 12th grade in Dane County.

See also

In Spanish: Condado de Dane para niños