Madison, the City of Four Lakes, is situated on an isthmus between Lake Monona and Lake Mendota. The Dane County Regional Airport serves Madison. Madison Metro manages and runs the bus routes all around the city and to a few neighboring suburbs. You may come to Madison by plane, rail or rolling along on one of the Madison’s well-maintained highways. The Madtown is known as one of the most walkable cities in the country. As you get set to visit the Madtown, we’ve provided information on how to get to Madtown and how to get around the city once you arrive.
Getting to Madison
Getting to Madison by Plane
Image by Cory W. Watts via Wikimedia Commons
Dane County Regional Airport serves Madison. It is located in downtown Madison (northeast). It offers daily flights to nearby hubs, including Denver, Atlanta, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis and Dallas. Also, non-stop service is provided to several cities, including Washington DC, New York City, Cincinnati, Orlando, Cleveland, Salt Lake City and Newark.
Dane County Regional Airport
Address: 4000 International Ln. , Madison, WI 53704, United States
Phone: (608) 246-3380
Another alternative is the Wisconsin Aviation Inc. It is Wisconsin’s largest, full-service operator that offers general aviation services, such as flight training, charter and aircraft rentals.
Address: Dane County Regional Airport, 3606 Corben Ct., Madison- 53704, US
Phone: 608-268-5000
To and From Airport
Ground transportation: Once you arrive in the Madison, there are a range of options to get to the city from the Dane County Regional Airport. There are rental cars, taxi, bus transportation and courtesy van options available at the airport. Some of the car rental agencies at the airport are: Budget Rent A Car, Avis Car Rental, Alamo Rent A Car, National Car Rental, and Hertz Rent A Car.
Getting to Madison by Car
It is easy to get to Madison by Car. The city has efficient highways. Interstates-39, 90 and 94 intersect at Madison, connecting the city to Chicago, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Wausau, Illinois, and Rockford.
- If traveling from Milwaukee, it takes one and half hour to reach Madison via I-94 (east).
- If coming from Chicago, it takes two hours and fifteen minutes to reach Madison via Interstate-90.
- If coming from Saint Paul/Minneapolis, it takes approx 4 hours to reach Madison via Interstate-94/Interstate-90.
- From Dubuque to Madison, one hour and 45 minutes via highway 151 and 18.
- From Green Bay to Madison, two hours and thirty minutes via highway 151.
Getting to Madison by Bus
Several regional buses connect the city to Minneapolis-St Paul, Chicago, Milwaukee and other cities.
- Badger Bus: This bus runs several trips every day between Madison and Milwaukee.
- Greyhound Lines: This service serves Madison, Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Chicago and Milwaukee.
- Van Galder Bus: It offers service to and from Chicago with stops at O’Hare Airport, Midway Airport and downtown Union Station to UW Madison campus.
- Jefferson Lines : It offers service to Minneapolis-St. Paul through La Crosse.
- Megabus: It offers service to Minneapolis and Chicago.
- Lamar Bus Lines : It offers service from Madison to Green Bay, Dubuque and Wausau.
Getting to Madison by Rail
Amtrak: Amtrak travels to Minneapolis (west) and Milwaukee (east) on the Empire Builder route via Columbus. Columbus is thirty minutes drive north of Madison. Amtrak connects Madison to Chicago via Thruway bus, managed and run by Van Galder.
Getting Around Madison
Getting Around Madison by Bus
Madison Metro Transit runs bus service all around the city and to the neighboring communities of Verona, Middleton and Fitchburg. You can travel around much of the city on the Metro bus system.
Getting Around Madison by Car
It is easy to get around Madison by car. There are many car rental agencies or Limousine and Taxi services in Madison.
Car Rental Agencies-
Enterprise Car Rent
Address: 200 W Beltline Hwy, Madison, WI 53713, United States
Phone: 1 608-260-0063
Budget Rent A Car
Address: 1136 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703, United States
Phone: 1 608-251-2181
Avis Car Rental
Address: 1136 E Washington Ave, Madison, WI 53703, United States
Phone: 1 608-251-1717
Alamo Rent A Car
Address: 4000 International Lane, Madison, WI 53704, United States
Phone: 1 608-249-1614
Hertz Rent A Car
Address: 6514 Odana Rd, Madison, WI 53719, United States
Phone: 1 608-833-1118
National Car Rental
Address: 4000 International Ln, Madison, WI 53704, United States
Phone: 1 608-249-1614
Community Car
Address: 25 N Pinckney St #320, Madison, WI 53703, United States
Phone: 1 608-204-0000
Limousine and Taxi Services in Madison
AJ Prestige Limousine
Address: 1004 N Sunnyvale Ln, Madison, WI 53713, United States
Phone: 1 608-338-5800
Zenith Limousine & Jets
Address: 6709 Raymond Rd, Madison, WI 53719, United States
Phone: 1 608-609-5904
Presidential Limousine Service
Address: Main Street, Madison, WI 53703, United States
Phone: 1 608-423-2300
Gallant Knight Limousine
Address: 4711 Lien Rd, Madison, WI 53704, United States
Phone: 1 608-242-7000
Encore Limousine and Sedan, Inc.
Address: 4423 Robertson Rd, Madison, WI 53714, United States
Phone: 1 608-240-1500
Madison VIP Limos
Address: Madison, WI, United States
Phone: 1 608-467-5333
Getting Around Madison by Taxi
In Madison, there are four main cab companies operating- Union, Badger, Madison Taxi and Green Cab. Book a taxi in advance before you need a ride.
Union Cab of Madison Cooperative
Address: 2458 Pennsylvania Ave, Madison, WI 53703, United States
Phone: 1 608-242-2000
Madison Taxi
Address: Madison, WI, United States
Phone: 1 608-255-8294
Green Cab of Madison Inc.
Address: 1621 Beld St, Madison, WI 53713, United States
Phone: 1 608-255-1234
Badger Cab Co Inc
Address: 700 Cottage Grove Rd, Madison, WI 53716, United States
Phone: 1 608-256-5566
Getting Around Madison by Bike
Image by Pstockland via Wikimedia Commons
Madison, aka Mad City has miles and miles of walking and biking paths. The city is ranked among America’s most bicycle-friendly/bikeable cities. Explore Madison by Bike!
You can rent a bike from-
Machinery Row Bicycles
Address: 601 Williamson Street, Madison, WI 53703, United States
Phone: (608) 442-5974
Budget Bicycle Center
Address: 1230 Regent Street, Madison, WI 53715, United States
Phone: (608) 251-8413
Toll-Free: (866) 240-1381
You can also make use of
Madison B-Cycle, downtown Madison's bike-sharing program.
A Map Guide to Getting In and Around Madison
