Sun Prairie is a city in
Dane County, Wisconsin
Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin after Milwaukee County. Dane County is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin. ...
, United States. The population was 35,967 at the
2020 census.
It is the most populous suburb of
Madison and is part of the
Madison metropolitan area.
History

President
Martin Van Buren
Martin Van Buren ( ; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as Attorney General o ...
commissioned a party of 45 men, including Augustus A. Bird, to build a capital for the Territory of Wisconsin in
Madison. The group left
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
on May 26, 1837, and traveled for days in the rain. On June 9, the group emerged at the edge of the prairie and with the sun shining for the first time in days, carved the words "Sun Prairie" into a tree. Charles Bird returned to the area two years later and became the first settler.
The Town of Sun Prairie was created on February 2, 1846. The village of Sun Prairie, which grew from that town, was
incorporated in an act of the
Wisconsin legislature
The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...
on March 6, 1868.
On March 17, 1958, the Village Board ordered a referendum election on whether Sun Prairie should incorporate as a city of the fourth class after receiving a petition signed by over 100 electors. In the referendum election on May 6, 1958, 295 voted for incorporating as a city and 284 voted against. On May 15, 1958, the
Wisconsin Secretary of State filed the certificate of incorporation of the city of Sun Prairie.
On July 10, 2018, a gas explosion leveled a downtown city block, destroying a bar and a pizza restaurant, as well as damaging the historic old city hall building and multiple other nearby buildings. Bar owner and Fire Captain Cory Barr was injured in the explosion and died as a result soon after. Many citizens and businesses around Sun Prairie offered their support to the Barr family and the affected businesses through fundraising campaigns. This tragic event was the origin of the tagline "Sun Prairie Strong", a slogan which signifies the city's strength as it comes together as a community.
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
The city of Sun Prairie includes land that once was part of the towns of
Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, Burke, Sun Prairie, and Windsor. On January 5, 2007, the city of Sun Prairie, city of Madison, village of
DeForest, and town of
Burke
Burke (; ) is a Normans in Ireland, Norman-Irish surname, deriving from the ancient Anglo-Norman and Hiberno-Norman noble dynasty, the House of Burgh. In Ireland, the descendants of William de Burgh (''circa'' 1160–1206) had the surname'' de B ...
entered into a cooperative plan under which all remaining land in the town of Burke has been designated for attachment into the cities and village.
Geology
The
Yahara River Valley encompasses part of the city of Sun Prairie. This area contains deep glacial deposits created by the
Wisconsin Glaciation
The Wisconsin glaciation, also called the Wisconsin glacial episode, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex, peaking more than 20,000 years ago. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated ...
. The eastern part of Dane County, known as the
drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word ("little ridge"), first recorded in 1833, in the classical sense is an elongated hill in the shape of an inverted spoon or half-buried egg formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or groun ...
and marsh physiographic area, includes most of Sun Prairie. The deposits found in this area include general glacial deposits and marsh deposits, and consist of many small drumlins interspersed with shallow glacial deposits having poorly defined drainage.
The general
soils associations in the Sun Prairie area include the Dodge-St. Charles-McHenry, Plano-Ringwood-Griswold, and Batavia-Houghton-Dresden Associations. The Dodge-St. Charles-McHenry soils are found in the eastern, southern, and central portions of Sun Prairie. This association has a varied landscape, which is mostly sloping, with some areas on
benches and in
depressions. The Dodge, St. Charles and McHenry soils are well drained to moderately well drained. The Sable soils in this association are nearly level and poorly drained. Most of the soils in this association have moderate permeability and a high available water capacity. Most also have slight to moderate limitations for urban uses and farming.
Cityscape
The landscape of the city consists mostly of gently rolling hills and
plain
In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...
s. The elevation of the city averages about
above mean sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of a location's vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) in reference to a vertical datum based on a historic mean sea level. In geodesy, it is formalized as orthometric height. The zero level ...
.
Sun Prairie has developed a number of
traditional neighborhood developments (TND).
Often referred to as "
new urbanism
New Urbanism is an urban design movement that promotes environmentally friendly habits by creating Walkability, walkable neighbourhoods containing a wide range of housing and job types. It arose in the United States in the early 1980s, and has ...
", these neighborhoods focus on the pedestrian and the appearance of city streets. While these developments have sought to address the problems and concerns associated with conventional
suburb
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
an development and
urban sprawl
Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city". Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted ...
, many occupy former farmland and undeveloped rural lands. The city's planners addressed the criticisms that they were "attempting to recreate "pretend" neighborhoods"
by noting that the aim of the TND was to borrow those design ideas and features effective in older neighborhoods and adapting them to current needs.
Climate
In the
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
, Sun Prairie is in the warm summer humid continental climate zone (Dfa). Summers tend to be hot and humid. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average maximum temperature of and the coldest month of the year is January, with an average minimum temperature of . Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with an average difference of , and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of .
The annual average precipitation at Sun Prairie is . Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, and the wettest month of the year is August with an average rainfall of .
Flooding
The city of Sun Prairie encounters occasional flooding because of the presence of
hydric soil Hydric soil is soil which is permanently or seasonally saturated by water, resulting in anaerobic conditions, as found in wetlands.
Overview
Most soils are aerobic. This is important because plant roots respire (that is, they consume oxygen ...
s,
spring melting and its proximity to the Koshkonong Creek. This condition is compounded by storm water runoff from development and urbanization in the upper reaches of the watershed. Many residents of the city believe that the problems with flooding are worsening, becoming more frequent over the last 14 years.
A flood on April 11, 2008, caused by heavy overnight rains that outpaced the city's storm drain system and leaked into the sewer system, resulted in flooding in residential basements. The city suffered considerably from the
June 2008 Midwest floods
The June 2008 Midwestern United States floods were flooding events which affected portions of the Midwestern United States. After months of heavy precipitation, a number of rivers overflowed their banks for several weeks at a time and broke th ...
.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2020, there were 35,967 people, 14,697 households, and 11.682 families in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 78%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 7.65%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.43%
Native American, 5.45%
Asian, 0.59% from
other races, and 4.04% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 3.26% of the population. There were 14,967 households, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.6% were married couples living together, 27.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 14.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 10.4% were non-families. 31.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.05.
The median age in the city was 37.7 years. 23.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.1% were from 25 to 44; 22.4% were from 45 to 64; and 13.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 52.8% male and 57.2% female.
2010 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2010, there were 29,364 people, 11,636 households, and 7,641 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 12,413 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 85.4%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 6.1%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 3.7%
Asian, 1.4% from
other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 4.3% of the population. There were 11,636 households, of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.3% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.08.
The median age in the city was 33.3 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 32.8% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 8.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.
2000 census
As of the
census
A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 20,369 people, 7,881 households, and 5,437 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,133.7 people per square mile (823.5/km
2). There were 8,198 housing units at an average density of 858.8 per square mile (331.4/km
2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.68%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 3.10%
Black
Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
or
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.29%
Native American, 1.34%
Asian, 0.03%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 0.98% from
other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. 2.72% of the population were
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race.
There were 7,881 households, out of which 38.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 33.7% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $51,345, and the median income for a family was $61,197. Males had a median income of $40,510 versus $28,786 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year.
In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the city was $23,277. About 3.8% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
QBE Insurance
QBE Insurance Group Limited is an Australian multinational general insurance and reinsurance company headquartered in Sydney, Australia. QBE offers commercial, personal and specialty products and risk management products. The company employs aro ...
has American operations in Sun Prairie. Other significant employers include the Sun Prairie School District,
American Family Insurance
American Family Mutual Insurance Company, also abbreviated as AmFam, is an American private mutual company that focuses on property, casualty, and auto insurance, and also offers commercial insurance, life, health, and homeowners coverage ...
,
Colony Brands, and Frontier Communications. Many residents commute to jobs in Madison.
Arts and culture
Events

Sun Prairie's Jimmy the Groundhog is the local favorite on Groundhog Day in February. The
United States Congressional Record described the city as the "Groundhog Capital of the World" in 1955. During the city's Groundhog Day celebration on February 2, 2015, Jimmy bit Mayor Jonathan Freund's ear. The next day, Freund issued a proclamation that pardoned and absolved Jimmy "of any perceived wrongdoing and charges" under the city's ordinances. Two weeks later, Freund came in last of three candidates in the city's mayoral
primary election
Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...
. Following the biting incident, the
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
and the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) is a government agency of the U.S. state of Wisconsin charged with conserving and managing Wisconsin's natural resources. The Wisconsin Natural Resources Board has the authority to set polic ...
declared that capturing wild animals for exhibit was against the law.
Sun Prairie's next Groundhog Day celebration on February 2, 2016, featured a caged groundhog purchased for $1,200.
[
In mid-June, the city holds a local Taste of the Arts fair, in conjunction with the Georgia O'Keeffe Celebration.] Artwork is exhibited and instructional classes for arts and crafts are held. A Georgia O'Keeffe recreation discussion is held.
The Flags of Freedom Field Show is a day-long series of events in July, involving high-school marching band competitions with bands from throughout the United States and Canada. It is hosted by the Sound of Sun Prairie.
In mid-August of each year, Sun Prairie hosts a Sweet Corn Festival. Over 70 short tons of sweet corn are served or sold during the weekend event, which includes a carnival, a parade down Main Street and performances by local and regional musical groups.
Points of interest
Six sites in Sun Prairie are listed in the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
: the Sun Prairie Downtown Historic District (which includes the Old City Hall), Dr. Charles G. Crosse House, the Chase Grain Elevator, Fuhremann Canning Company Factory, the Adam and Mary Smith House, and the Sun Prairie Water Tower. The Crosse House was built in 1864 by a locally prominent physician and city leader. The Fuhremann Canning Company Factory, in use from 1900 to 1974, now is used as a restaurant space for The Nitty Gritty Restaurant. The Adam and Mary Smith House was constructed in 1879 by Adam Smith, who had come to Wisconsin to do shingle work on the Wisconsin State Capitol
The Wisconsin State Capitol, located in Madison, Wisconsin, houses both chambers of the Wisconsin Legislature along with the Wisconsin Supreme Court and the Governor of Wisconsin, Office of the Governor. Completed in 1917, the building is the ...
. The Sun Prairie Water Tower, located at the junction of Columbus, Church and Cliff Streets, was designed by Frank Stegerwald and constructed in 1912 of stone, metal, and wood.
Other points of interest include:
* The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
The National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame is an American Hall of Fame and museum for midget cars. The Hall of Fame is located at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, and can be accessed during weekly Sunday races during the summe ...
at Angell Park Speedway
Angell Park Speedway is a 1/3 mile () dirt racetrack located in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The track has been run by the city's fire department since 1903. Racing occurs every Sunday approximately Memorial Day until Labor Day. Special racing even ...
* Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum
The Sun Prairie Public Library's service area includes the city of Sun Prairie, the Town of Sun Prairie, the Town of Bristol, and other area communities. It is part of the South Central Library System. Services include youth programming, adult programming, reference, database, technical services, and circulation.
The Sun Prairie Family Aquatic Center is a municipal swimming pool that serves the Sun Prairie area. Opened on May 30, 1992, it replaced the previous municipal pool that opened in 1958 in Angell Park. The Family Aquatic Center has an 18-foot drop slide, two diving boards, eight competition lanes, and a 210-foot water slide. There are play structures and sand volleyball courts inside the pool compound. The Sun Prairie Piranhas, the city's youth swim team, practice at the Family Aquatic Center. They are a member of the Tri-County Swimming Conference.
Government & Politics
Sun Prairie has a mayor–council form of government. The mayor is elected at large every odd-numbered year. Steve Stocker, previously an alderman, was elected mayor on April 1, 2025, after running unopposed.
The city council consists of eight alderpersons, who along with the mayor, make up the common council. There are four aldermanic districts, with two alderpersons per district, each serving for two-year terms over alternating years. The council manages the city's budget and financial operations as well as determines the salaries of all officers and employees of the city.
Sun Prairie has a full-time city administrator, who is responsible for the administration of the city government in accordance with the policies established by the common council. Other city officers consist of director of administrative services, city attorney, city engineer, city clerk, assessor, municipal judge, police chief and fire chief.
Representative Melissa Ratcliff and Senator Melissa Agard represent the city of Sun Prairie in the Wisconsin State Legislature. At the federal level, the city is represented by Ron Johnson
Ronald Harold Johnson (born April 8, 1955) is an American businessman and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from Wisconsin, a seat he has held since 2011. A Rep ...
( R) and Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Suzanne Green Baldwin (born February 11, 1962) is an American politician and lawyer serving since 2013 as the Seniority in the United States Senate, junior United States senator from Wisconsin. A member of the Democratic Party (United Stat ...
( D) in the U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...
and Mark Pocan ( D) in the House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...
.
Mayors
Presidential Election Results
2000 – Present:
1960 – 1996:
Education
The Sun Prairie Area School District administers local public education. The system, which as of the 2018–19 school year enrolled 8,500 students, consists of 9 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2 high schools, and an alternative learning high school.
There are two parochial schools in Sun Prairie. Founded in 1892, Sacred Hearts School is a Catholic school serving children of pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Peace Evangelical Lutheran School is a Pre-K through 8th grade school of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as Christian theology, theologically conservative, it was founded ...
. Calvary Baptist, which had an enrollment of 25 students, closed effective June 30, 2008.
Media
The Sun Prairie Media Center (a department of the city) has had at least two local public-access television cable TV stations, KSUN (originally KSUN-12) and KIDS-4, for over 30 years. In 2023, the Media Center split KSUN into 2 stations, KSUN Now and KSUN Life. KSUN Now is primarily used for government programming, while KSUN Life is used for community programming. High school sports games are the exception to this, airing on either channel depending on circumstance. KIDS-4's programming content, camera, sound, lighting, editing, writing, and direction are produced by 30 to 40 children selected each year, one of the projects that have been created within this space is a series based on the events of the COVID-19 pandemic named simply 2020 the Movie and has 2 sequels and a prequel along with it. Historically, these children have ranged in age from nine to fourteen, but in 2000, the first high school-aged crew was introduced.
In July 2015, WLSP-LP (103.5), also run by the Sun Prairie Media Center, came to the air as a community radio station.
The city is served by two local newspapers: the ''Sun Prairie Star'' (formerly the ''Star Countryman''), and the ''Hometown Advertiser''. Also available is the ''Wisconsin State Journal
The ''Wisconsin State Journal'' is a daily newspaper published in Madison, Wisconsin by Lee Enterprises. The newspaper, the second largest in Wisconsin, is primarily distributed in a 19 county region in south-central Wisconsin. As of Septembe ...
'', a Madison regional newspaper.
Radio and television are available over the air and on cable/satellite from Madison.
Transportation
Roadways
* runs concurrently with I-90 from Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
to Portage
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
. In Madison, they are joined by I-94 until Portage. This overlap occurs in the area immediately between the metropolitan city of Madison and Sun Prairie.
* runs east–west through the western, central and southern portions of the state, and is located to the west of Sun Prairie. A total of of Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
lie in Wisconsin; the Madison exit (designated 135B) leads to US 151 North and Sun Prairie.
* as it occurs in Wisconsin runs east–west through the western, central and southeastern portions of the state. The junction of I-90 and i-94 occurs roughly six miles to the southwest of Sun Prairie heading eastward toward Milwaukee at what is commonly known as the "Badger Interchange" where the three interstates (I-39, I-90 and I-94) meet at the eastern terminus of WIS 30.
*
U.S. Route 151 (normally called U.S. Highway 151, 151 or US-151) is a freeway in Sun Prairie that runs northeast–southwest across the eastern to southwest portions of the state. Sun Prairie is divided lengthwise by US-151, southwest to northeast, having four different access points: Windsor Street, Reiner Road/Grand Ave., Main Street and Bristol Street.
*
Wisconsin Highway 19 (often called Highway 19, STH 19 or WIS 19) is a state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
which passes around the north side of Madison and crosses US-151 as it passes through Sun Prairie. It serves as a local connector route
A connector is a highway or freeway road in the United States that connects to another highway or freeway. It can be part of an interchange such as the MacArthur Maze or a longer roadway such as the Interstate 635.
A connector route is a typ ...
that links via various interchanges the communities of Sun Prairie, Watertown and Waunakee. The roadway follows two-lane surface road for the entire length with the exception of urban multilane arterials.
Prior to 1947, WIS 19 followed the current route of US-18 between Bridgeport
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut and the fifth-most populous city in New England, with a population of 148,654 in 2020. Located in eastern Fairfield County at the mouth of the Pequonnock River on Long Is ...
and Madison. The route then passed through downtown Madison and followed then WIS 31 (part of the current US-151) to Sun Prairie. East of Sun Prairie the route followed its present-day alignment to Watertown. The route then followed present-day WIS 16 to Waukesha and east from there along present-day WIS 59 into Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
. When the U.S. Highway system was implemented, WIS 19's western terminus was relocated to Madison. The portion between Madison and Sun Prairie remained despite the debut of US-151 as did the eastern portion that became concurrent with US-16. In 1947, the eastern terminus was moved to Watertown, the section along US-151 was removed, and the portion between Mazomanie and Sun Prairie was implemented.
The part of WIS 19 roughly from those interstates west to WIS 113 had at one time been on the corridor of a planned beltline route around the north side of Madison.[North Mendota Parkway Advisory Committee](_blank)
accessed 13 August 2006
Sun Prairie is bordered by the following county roads:
* ''C'' (also named N. Grand Avenue) runs north–south and borders Sun Prairie to the west and is crossed by interchange by US-151.
* ''N'' (also named N. Bristol Street) runs north–south and bisects a third of the city to the west and is crossed by interchange by US-151.
* ''VV'' (also named Twin Lane Road) runs north–south and borders the city to the east and is crossed by interchange by US-151.
* Vinburn Road, which borders the city to the north, runs west toward DeForest and east toward Columbus.
Bus service
Sun Prairie contracts with Madison Metro Transit to provide two local service bus routes in Sun Prairie, and additional service into Madison. In 2024, Madison is planned to begin regional bus rapid transit service from Sun Prairie through Madison.
Railroads
Sun Prairie has tracks for freight trains to the south of the city.
Public services
Fire department
Sun Prairie has a combination fire department that serves both the city and town of Sun Prairie, as well as the town of and Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
. The department, which began in 1891, became a City department in 2024 to serve the needs of the growing community. The Town of Burke exited a 100+ year partnership at that time. The fire department has 12 fire apparatus vehicles, and two vintage vehicles, a 1927 Stoughton fire engine refurbished by a past fire department chief and a second 1927 Stoughton fire engine that was Sun Prairie's first motorized fire truck.
Emergency medical services
Sun Prairie maintains its own emergency medical service
Emergency medical services (EMS), also known as ambulance services, pre-hospital care or paramedic services, are emergency services that provide urgent pre-hospital treatment and stabilisation for serious illness and injuries and transport to ...
, which is a charter member of Dane County's Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS). Responding to over 3,200 calls in 2020, the department addresses medical and rescue calls in the city of Sun Prairie, village of Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
** Marshall railway station
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Is ...
, and the towns of Bristol
Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...
, Medina
Medina, officially al-Madinah al-Munawwarah (, ), also known as Taybah () and known in pre-Islamic times as Yathrib (), is the capital of Medina Province (Saudi Arabia), Medina Province in the Hejaz region of western Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ...
, Sun Prairie and York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
. in a district covering with a population of nearly 50,000.
The EMS was founded in October 1977 as an extension of the local police department. The city's rapid growth affected ambulance response times negatively, and the 1980s saw the hiring of a full-time EMS director. In the 1980s and 1990s, most of the service was slowly replaced by full-time EMTs. In the 1990s, the service made a transition from EMT-basic personnel to that of intravenous technician levels and paramedic level.
Sun Prairie EMS transports to all Madison hospitals and to Columbus Community Hospital in Columbus. In 2009 St. Mary's Hospital of Madison opened a free-standing emergency room
An emergency department (ED), also known as an accident and emergency department (A&E), emergency room (ER), emergency ward (EW) or casualty department, is a medical treatment facility specializing in emergency medicine, the acute care of pat ...
facility in Sun Prairie. It was demolished in 2024 to make way for a new outpatient facility on the same site.
Utilities
Sun Prairie Utilities, a municipal not-for-profit, locally owned municipal electric and water utility was founded in 1910. SPU is a member of Wisconsin Public Power, Inc (WPPI), from whom it purchases electricity. Natural gas
Natural gas (also fossil gas, methane gas, and gas) is a naturally occurring compound of gaseous hydrocarbons, primarily methane (95%), small amounts of higher alkanes, and traces of carbon dioxide and nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide and helium ...
is supplied to the city by WE-Energies, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Sun Prairie's water is supplied from six wells pumped into the system or stored in the three water towers, which maintain a storage capacity of . The city owns and operates it own waste water treatment facility.
Notable people
* Jerome L. Blaska, Wisconsin state representative
* Will Butcher, 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner
* Willard H. Chandler, Wisconsin state senator
* Charles G. Crosse, physician and politician
*Paige Davis
Paige Davis (born October 15, 1969) is an American television personality and actress.
She is best known as the host of the TLC (TV network), TLC home improvement reality television program ''Trading Spaces'' from 2001 until 2008, and hosted th ...
, actress best known as a host of reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
series ''Trading Spaces
''Trading Spaces'' is an hour-long American television reality program that originally aired from 2000 to 2008 on the cable channels TLC and Discovery Home. The format of the show was based on the BBC TV series '' Changing Rooms''. The first ...
''
* Nathan Haseleu, NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver
* Gary Hebl, Wisconsin state representative
* Robert Kastenmeier, congressman
A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...
who lived in Sun Prairie while in office
* Todd Kluever, former NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
driver and 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year
* John A. List, University of Chicago economist, pioneer in charity research
* Peter Muschinske, U.S. Navy admiral
*Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 March 6, 1986) was an American Modernism, modernist painter and drafter, draftswoman whose career spanned seven decades and whose work remained largely independent of major art movements. Called the "M ...
, artist, winner of Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, alongside the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by decision of the president of the United States to "any person recommended to the President ...
and National Medal of Arts
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and Patronage, patrons of the arts. A prestigious American honor, it is the highest honor given to artists and ar ...
* Irvin E. Rockwell, Idaho state senator
* Ellen Clara Sabin, educator
* Casey Scheuerell, musician
* Stacy Jo Scott, artist, teacher, curator and writer
* Andy Thompson, former MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
player for the Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
References
Further reading
*
External links
City of Sun Prairie
Sun Prairie Chamber of Commerce
{{authority control
Cities in Wisconsin
Cities in Dane County, Wisconsin
Populated places established in 1839
1839 establishments in Wisconsin Territory