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McFarland, Wisconsin
Village
Downtown McFarland with its old railroad.
Downtown McFarland with its old railroad.
Location of McFarland in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Location of McFarland in Dane County, Wisconsin.
Country  United States
State  Wisconsin
County Dane
Area
 • Total 4.77 sq mi (12.34 km2)
 • Land 4.76 sq mi (12.33 km2)
 • Water 0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation
869 ft (265 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 8,991
 • Density 1,897.67/sq mi (732.64/km2)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code(s) 608
FIPS code 55-46850
GNIS feature ID 1569214

The Village of McFarland is located on Lake Waubesa adjacent to the southeast side of the City of Madison in Dane County. The population was 8,991 at the 2020 United States Census. McFarland has approximately 43.50 road miles, is slightly less than 5 square miles in total land area, and is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.

U.S. Route 51 passes thru McFarland and serves as the main connection point between the cities of Madison and Stoughton. Its ZIP code is 53558. It is the tenth-most populous city in Dane County after Madison.

History

McFarlandWisconsinPanoramaUS51
Panorama along U.S. Route 51

McFarland was founded in 1856 by William H. McFarland. Early industries in the village included harvesting winter ice and fish on nearby Lake Waubesa for rail shipment to markets in Chicago. Later, a small resort industry developed in an area called Edwards Park near the lake. After World War II, the village became a bedroom community for Madison. In the 1960s, Lloyd Schneider, a local lawyer, led an effort to have petroleum tank farms north of the village that were connected to the Koch pipeline. Because they became part of the village's tax base, their construction enabled the McFarland School District to fund a new high school. In 1989 a major highway project on the nearby Madison highway called the Beltline made commuting to the village much easier and enabled rapid residential growth.

On June 17, 1992, an F3 tornado destroyed several dozen homes and injured several people in Waubesa Heights, a nearby housing development in the Town of Dunn, in the McFarland School District. At $18.0 million in damage this was the third-costliest tornado in Wisconsin's history behind the Oakfield and Barneveld F5s.[1]

The village celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2006. Among the festivities were banners on light poles, activities such as the Taste of McFarland, and live music at the Gazebo near downtown McFarland. Plaques of "Then and Now" covering McFarland's 150 years of history were placed at the McFarland High School, the local Culver's restaurant, the E.D. Locke Public Library, and other public locations.

Geography

McFarland is located at 43°1′7″N 89°17′28″W / 43.01861°N 89.29111°W / 43.01861; -89.29111 (43.018480, -89.291116).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.55 square miles (9.19 km2), all of its land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1880 168
1890 166 −1.2%
1930 313
1940 463 47.9%
1950 593 28.1%
1960 1,272 114.5%
1970 2,386 87.6%
1980 3,783 58.5%
1990 5,232 38.3%
2000 6,416 22.6%
2010 7,808 21.7%
2020 8,991 15.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,808 people, 3,079 households, and 2,201 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,199.4 inhabitants per square mile (849.2/km2). There were 3,200 housing units at an average density of 901.4 per square mile (348.0/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 94.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.

There were 3,079 households, of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. Of all households, 21.9% were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the village was 39.7 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 31.2% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

Events

Since 1985 McFarland has held an annual fall Family Festival. The festival has carnival rides, train rides, a parade, and many competitions. The three-day festival takes place at McFarland High School parking lot.

Economy

Significant employers include the McFarland School District, and US Oil. Many residents commute to jobs in Madison.

Education

The McFarland School District serves the village of McFarland. It operates Conrad Elvehjem Early Learning Center (K), McFarland Primary School (grades 1–2), Waubesa Intermediate School (3–5), Indian Mound Middle School (6–8) and McFarland High School, which is accredited by the AdvancED commission.

Transportation

McFarland is served by the Dane County Regional Airport, which is located 12 miles north of McFarland. McFarland is served by four taxicab companies (Union, Badger, Madison, and Green), and several companies provide specialized transit for individuals with disabilities. Several ride sharing services are also available in McFarland, including Uber and Lyft.

McFarland lies one minute south of US 12, Madison’s “Beltline Highway”, four minutes from Interstate 90, 12 minutes from the Wisconsin State Capitol, 12 minutes from the University of Wisconsin, and 15 minutes from the Dane County Regional Airport.

Major highways

  • Interstate 39 (I-39), I-90 and run along the far east side of the village, connecting to Janesville to the south, and to Portage, La Crosse, Eau Claire, and Wausau heading north and northwest.
  • U.S. Highway 51 (US 51) runs through the west side of the village, connecting McFarland with Madison, WI to the north and Stoughton, WI to the south
  • US 12, frequently referred to by locals as the Beltline, is a six- to eight-lane freeway located to the north of the village and is the main link from the western suburb of Middleton to Cambridge. Southeast of the area, US 12 connects to Lake Geneva, and going northwest, it heads to Wisconsin Dells.

Railroad

A Wisconsin and Southern railroad line runs through the village en route to Janesville.

Bicycle

McFarland is served by the Lower Yahara River Trail. This nearly 2.5-mile trail provides an off-road trail connection between Madison, WI and McFarland. It includes the longest inland boardwalk bridge constructed solely for non-motorized transportation in North America.

Notable people

  • Realf Ottesen Brandt, Lutheran minister
  • Al Epperly, MLB player
  • Conrad Elvehjem, biochemist
  • Brad Fischer, adviser for the Pittsburgh Pirates
  • Dominic Fumusa, actor
  • Matt and Becca Hamilton, Olympic curlers
  • Doris Hanson, Wisconsin politician
  • Robert L. Hunt, wildlife biologist and expert on trout
  • Steve Lacy, 1980 and 1984 Olympic runner, University of Wisconsin Hall of Fame
  • Helmar Lewis, Wisconsin State Senator
  • Theodore G. Lewis, jurist
  • Nina Roth, Olympic curler
  • Jana Schneider, actress and journalist
  • Barbara Thompson, Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction

Images for kids

See also

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