Answer Book

Deborah Ziff

Ever wondered who is the biggest employer in Dane County? How to find the beach closest to your home? Or where to park on a Badger football game day in Madison?

The Answer Book has, well, the answers.

With lists on where to find everything from a library book to a job, this is the go-to-guide for everything in a fast-changing Capital Region, including Dane, Columbia, Sauk, Dodge and Juneau counties.

The Madison area is growing at a rapid rate. In 2010, Madison is expected to have a population of about 228,000, up from 208,000 in 2000. Regionally, Dane County is expected to grow to almost half a million people in 2010, up from 426,526 in 2000.

With the increased population comes new commercial growth, as the region attracts more national chains and outposts of development.

"The economic vitality and quality of life throughout the Capital Region attest to the region 's strength as a whole, " said Jennifer Alexander, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and the Regional Economic Development Entity.

Under the category of cool, the Hilldale Shopping Center was revamped in the past year and now houses Robert Redford 's Sundance Cinema 608, a third location for the Great Dane Pub and Brewing Company, Sushi Muramoto and more. And the Overture Center for the Arts continues to draw top national and international performances.

Under the category of keeping cool, Madison 's first municipal pool, the Goodman Pool, opened in the summer of 2006 to big crowds and raves.

And trendy national chains are finding the Madison area to be a desirable home. The long-awaited Trader Joe 's grocery store at Monroe Commons opened in October, and the area 's first Costco, a membership warehouse club, is expected to open this fall in Middleton.

The area is also a draw for the biotechnology sector. Employment in this realm has grown by an estimated 7 percent, according to the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.

The counties surrounding Dane also boast natural and recreational attractions. Columbia County is the home of Wisconsin Dells, which attracts more than 2.5 million people annually. Visitors first came more than 150 years ago for canoe tours of the Wisconsin River and bluffs, but now water parks, amusement parks and resorts are as much of a draw.

Wisconsin Dells also extends into Sauk County, where the Circus World Museum in Baraboo is a popular attraction, the site of the original Ringling Bros. Circus ' winter quarters. The state 's busiest park -- Devil 's Lake -- is also in Sauk County, welcoming 1.3 million visitors per year.

Horicon Marsh, the world 's largest freshwater cattail marsh, is in Dodge County and brings thousands of migratory birds and diverse wildlife to the county. And the second and third-largest lakes in Wisconsin are in Juneau County, attracting boaters and fishing enthusiasts.

"The rich natural resources and environmental assets are the foundation of our region 's physical health, as well as places residents value for recharge and relaxation, " Alexander said.

Need to update or change your listing, or want to make a suggestion for the Answer Book?
Contact Cindia Reyes, creyes@madison.com, 608-252-6101