Madison: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Madison is a city of 280,305 people in United States (Wisconsin), 272 m (892 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Madison Milwaukee Road depot.
Key facts
Daylight in Madison runs from about 9 h 3 min a day in late December to 15 h 26 min in late June (computed for 43.07° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Madison is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,006 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to Madison: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Madison Milwaukee Road depot. Trains to Madison
Buses to Madison · Driving and car hire
What people come for
| Sight | Visitors a year | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Madison Children's Museum | 150,000 | — |
The busiest is Madison Children's Museum at 150,000 visitors. Figures are the latest each site has published, so they are not all for the same year.
Tours, tickets and day trips from Madison
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Chicago, 198 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Milwaukee, 122 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Minneapolis, 375 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Saint Paul, 361 km — trains · buses · car rental
- Des Moines, 383 km
- Aurora, 171 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Grand Rapids, 304 km — trains
- Rockford, 93 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Joliet, 203 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Naperville, 176 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Vilnius, Ainaro, Arcatao, Camagüey, Freiburg im Breisgau, Managua, Mantua, Obihiro, Marigliano, Oslo, Bahir Dar.
Common questions
Which airport serves Madison?
Dane County Regional Truax Field (MSN), 9 km (6 mi) from the centre.
How big is Madison?
About 280,305 people live in Madison, across 244 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Madison in?
America/Chicago, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Madison?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Madison?
Chicago (198 km), Milwaukee (122 km), Minneapolis (375 km), Saint Paul (361 km), Des Moines (383 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.