Driving Around Downtown Madison, Wisconsin in 4k Video

Filmed on Sunday, May 28, 2023, I drive around Downtown Madison, WI to see what's going on.
Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee.
Before Europeans, humans inhabited the area in and around Madison for about 12,000 years. The Ho-Chunk called the region Taychopera, meaning "land of the four lakes".
Madison's modern origins begin in 1829, when former federal judge James Duane Doty purchased over a thousand acres of swamp and forest land on the isthmus between Lakes Mendota and Monona, with the intention of building a city in the Four Lakes region. He purchased 1,261 acres for $1,500.
When the Wisconsin Territory was created in 1836 the territorial legislature convened in Belmont, Wisconsin. One of the legislature's tasks was to select a permanent location for the territory's capital. Doty lobbied aggressively for Madison as the new capital, offering buffalo robes to the freezing legislators and choice lots in Madison at discount prices to undecided voters.
Doty named his city Madison for James Madison, the fourth President of the U.S. who had died on June 28, 1836, and he named the streets for the other 38 signers of the U.S. Constitution.
Madison was incorporated as a village in 1846, with a population of 626. When Wisconsin became a state in 1848, Madison remained the capital, and the following year it became the site of the University of Wisconsin (now University of Wisconsin-Madison).
The original capitol was replaced in 1863 and the second capitol burned in 1904. The current capitol was built between 1906 and 1917.
As of the census of 2020, the population was 269,840.
The city was 71.0% White, 9.5% Asian, 7.4% Black or African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.8% from other races, and 7.8% from two or more races, and 8.7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The per capita income for the city was $39,595. About 6.0% of families and 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over. #driving #travel #drivingtour

[@drewhunkins7192]

I've lived in Madison for 24 years, it's great, I love Madison! I love it, but to just dwell on the few bad things about it for a moment: • the homeless beggars can be aggressive • Most mid-priced restaurants are of low quality • Lots of marijuana, lots, it’s everywhere • traffic is bad bc the lakes bottle things up • Housing and rents are too expensive • Good luck trying to find a dine-in coffee shop open after 8 p.m.

[@marypeterson1053]

Went to school in Madison in the 60's. BEST CITY EVER.

[@BobKlax]

It’s not for the middle class anymore, it has completely changed.

[@KarlaSigaDrame]

Hi, can we have a chat about the place because i'm currently working on a novel which takes place in Madison and I have never been there. Your feedback will be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

[@SergeyDemchishin]

Hello. Nice city, nice video. Thank you very much.

[@keithb22]

Thank you for the video. I have not had a chance to visit this city yet but it's still in my plan. Just reminding you to be careful when stopping at the red traffic light (2:56) because some intersections have a warning sign . People forget that sometimes 😂

[@exploreusacities]

Yeah, I drove down a whole road I wasn't supposed to. I guess it's for busses only. Never seen that!

[@mciramp688]

@@exploreusacities Yes, State St. For the longest time, State St was restricted for vehicular traffic, but there was a small period of time they opened it up to all cars (within the last 10 years). I was just in Madison a few weeks ago and saw it is back to busses, bikes, pedestrians and emergency vehicles. Rightfully so, there are so many people on State St. it's more of a mall than a street IMO. I can tell you drove through there early in the morning for that street to be as empty as it was.

[@auraluxe888]

thanks for this. watching because i get anxiety about driving & parking in big cities :D

[@KarlaSigaDrame]

Hi, can we have a chat about the place because i'm currently working on a novel which takes place in Madison and I have never been there. Your feedback will be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

[@NathanRyan-w1y]

Madison is not a big city.

[@usepaperclip]

Thanks for the video. Lots of things changed - I went to school here from 94 to 98. Cheers from Jakarta, Indonesia

[@KarlaSigaDrame]

Hi, can we have a chat about the place because i'm currently working on a novel which takes place in Madison and I have never been there. Your feedback will be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

[@LilSippy333]

@@KarlaSigaDrame hmu i live in madison

[@RaulSantos-ul5qj]

Nice City, thanks

[@sparklebell7475]

Might consider moving here in the near future

[@BobKlax]

It’s expensive, You have to make at least 6 figures to live comfortably here otherwise it’s best to live outside of Dane county.

[@Destina33]

@@BobKlaxwhere would you recommend?

[@Jaggerbush]

Cute town. I worked for Hamilton Relay in the mid 2000s that took me to Madison. The biggest take away? Spotted Cow and New Glarus beer.

[@afshinshawn6802]

❤ thank you for the awesome video 📸 been wanting to visit Madison for years🎉 haven't gotten to yet 😢 your video helped to get an idea of the landmark... thank you again ❤

[@exploreusacities]

You're very welcome!

[@Smokesome773]

The only thing i miss about this city is the calmness and freeness. Missing alot of things to bring out its full potential

[@Emmanuel-yo8rv]

Leaving New York soon to move here it looks calm.

[@sconnie360]

Nice video. I work in Madison and photograph the Capitol building regularly with my drone. My question about your video is: how did you get away with driving down State Street behind that bus? The only vehicles allowed on that street are buses, police, and - I believe - taxis.

[@exploreusacities]

Hehe, yea, I had no clue where I was going, but I did see my blunder while editing the video. Not the worst I’ve done on camera! 😆

[@AdamJRowen]

12:51 Favorite part of the city.

[@exploreusacities]

It’s fabulous! Madison has it all

[@KarlaSigaDrame]

Hi, can we have a chat about the place because i'm currently working on a novel which takes place in Madison and I have never been there. Your feedback will be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

[@DubsDarbo]

I really enjoyed this. Having left Madison over 50 years ago, I still could name the streets downtown but then got lost when in the residential area. The last half of the video was leaving town to the east down E. Washington Ave. If it's going that far from downtown, maybe it should have driven around the UW campus that borders downtown instead.

[@JaylenPotts-zs2qw]

Just love Wisconsin

[@baylakeaviation]

Fun fact: 10:51 that's one of the first produced 7 digit wisconsin license plates. The 7 digits started in 2017 with AAA sequentially and now 8 years later As will run out and Bs will start next month!

[@AllThingsFitnessandLifestyle]

Beautiful city. Please don’t come mess it up.

[@walterdiaz6147]

Como extraño esta ciudad ❤ 😢 👍🇮🇱🇦🇷🦅vivi ahi 10 años saludo desde Argentina Buenos Aires👌👍

[@exploreusacities]

Greetings! I like your new President Javier!

[@jisham2]

I went to school at UW in the 70 s and moved to Austin , Texas in the late 80s where I still live. I found the 2 cities to be very similar. I believe the UW rowing team used to train in Austin at certain times of the year. Not sure if that’s still the case. Going to Madison for a few days in June. Really looking forward to see how much has changed both on campus and around the city

[@ins1981Lest]

They still do their winter training there!

[@truthfacts5438]

Surprisingly dense for a city of its size, almost reminds me of a miniature San Fran

[@grey59s]

It's bc we're an isthmus. The capitol square is only 6 blocks lake to lake. We gotta squeeze a lot in, and contractors legally can't build over a certain number of stories within so many feet/miles of the state capitol. Madison isn't as nice as it seems. There's a shooting almost every day. Be careful out here. Even downtown make sure you look over your shoulder. Most the time it's a beautiful, and nice/safe place, but it gets cracking out here too. Mostly refugees that come up here from Chicago Milwaukee thinking they can commit crimes here with impunity bc we're some untapped market or something.

[@Chopakachi]

@@grey59syou don’t know wtf u talking about a lot of crime homicides and assault are done by local white men also smh racist mofo

[@Star-twins100]

@@grey59s do you just like to lie in your fun time?

[@Kitkatty1313]

People used to call Madison the little San Francisco in the 90s. But that was more because Madison was known to be a liberal island in conservative rural Wisconsin, and San Francisco was the most liberal city people could think of. Fun fact: Madison WI was just listed as one of the least "sinful" cities in the US.

[@hadji828]

Great vid of a great area! I just wish it didn't cost so much to live there...

[@matthewf2730]

Lol 9:04 you drove down a street that is only for buses and emergency vehicles (state st) 😬 good video and cool camera set up tho

[@exploreusacities]

I should count as a bus

[@gh8079mu-ur]

I lived there for nearly 40 years until about 12 years ago. I thought this was pandemic footage ive never seen so little traffic or people before. Then I saw it was Sunday.

[@KarlaSigaDrame]

Hi, can we have a chat about the place because i'm currently working on a novel which takes place in Madison and I have never been there. Your feedback will be immensely appreciated. Thanks!

[@guaanaca28]

I was living in Madison love the schools and the city 🥰

[@pjguer-coe3071]

Who had the skills and the material means to build a capitole at this time?

[@bwillzzz8776]

homesick, this did the trick

[@anthonymendoza6210]

Looks like Pasadena or Glendale California. Egh.

[@martyaz]

Big capitol building.

[@exploreusacities]

It was grand, indeed. Next state capitol to be visited will be Missouri, which I learned only last week is Jefferson City. We shall see how their capitol stacks up.

[@the4thempire]

Largest stat capital building in the US.

[@jkong7023]

😆

[@jacquelineflores8393]

Looks nicer than I though it would...Madison had a bad reputation a few years back.

[@exploreusacities]

The city itself is fabulous, it's undeniable

[@CamelloDric]

Why

[@jacquelineflores8393]

@@CamelloDric crime was high drug dealers etc...but it got cleaned up and looks very nice again

[@RaeMae0613]

@@jacquelineflores8393 It's is worse than ever. Just went back for a visit yesterday and could wait to leave. Awful,crime and drug infested place. Sad.

[@jacquelineflores8393]

@@RaeMae0613 really....that's awful to hear.. 🙁

[@walterdiaz6147]

🇦🇷🇺🇲

[@theophano]

Too bad this mksss the beautiful University of Wisconsin campus located on the other lake on the west side of the Capitol.

[@HowIsVietnam]

they sell on the street, like asian countries.

[@NathanRyan-w1y]

Most of the video is not even of Downtown. Come on man!