Be a know-sy neighbor 👀

How to use the City of Madison property lookup tool

Madison neighborhoods really shine in the fall. | Photo by 608today

Ever wonder how much your house is actually worth? Or more curiously, your neighbor’s? Enter: The City of Madison’s property lookup tool.

This online tool allows local residents, potential investors, and even nosy neighbors to retrieve an excess of information about commercial + residential properties all over the 608. (Think: cost, taxes, sqft.)

Let’s break down how to use this city resource.

📍 Search by address + range

This is by far the easiest way to do your research — or snoop around. Using information like a house number, street name, and unit number, the property lookup tool will generate a list of possible matching records.

👤 Search by last name

Unless you want to sift through the 300+ homeowners with the surname of Smith, we recommend steering clear of this less-refined search parameter.

🔢 Search by parcel number

A parcel number is an identification code used for tax, title, deed + property line information. You can find a property’s parcel number using the address lookup tool, or at the top of your tax bill.

🔎 What exactly are we looking at?

There is a sea of information on this City portal, here are some of the most useful data points.

See property owner’s details like full name and primary address.
Find basic information like living area descriptions, listed amenities, and date of construction.
Watch properties’ value compound over time + find actual land value in addition to improvement costs.
Review the history of purchase prices and see previous granters/grantees.
Learn about local schools, aldermanic districts, and more voting + civic information.

Click here to have your event featured.

Today

Dane County Farmers’ Market | Wed., Oct. 12 | 8:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. | 200 block of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Madison | Free | Shop for farm fresh produce + other artisan goods during this smaller open-air market. 🥕
Fall Book Sale | Wed., Oct. 12-Sat., Oct. 15 | 4-8 p.m. | Memorial Library, 728 State St., Madison | $5 | Come early to shop a large collection of bargain books, or swing by towards the end to grab the best prices.

Thursday

Jonathan Van Ness: Imaginary Living Room Olympian | Thu., Oct. 13 | 7 p.m. | Orpheum Madison, 216 State St., Madison | $45+ | Enjoy side-splitting comedy from the acclaimed stylist + TV and podcast personality known for “Queer Eye.” 🎤
Night Swimming | Thu., Oct. 13 | 9 p.m. | Crucible, 3116 Commercial Ave., Madison | Free | Join DJ Bandit and DJ Samogon for a night of eclectic dance music.

Friday

KING PRINCESS: The Hold On Baby Tour | Fri., Oct. 14 | 8 p.m. | The Sylvee, 25 S. Livingston St., Madison | $24+ | Hear a set from the esteemed American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Brooklyn, New York. 🎶
Madison Night Market/Science on the Square Fusion | Fri., Oct. 14 | 4-8 p.m. | Downtown Madison, 452 State St., Madison | Free | Explore hands-on science activities while also supporting local businesses and vendors. 🔬

Saturday

Hop Haus Beer Run | Sat., Oct. 15 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | Hop Haus Brewing Company, 2975 Sub-Zero Pkwy., Fitchburg | $50 | Participate in a 5K run/walk and a 21+ Beer Mile.

Sunday

Northside Farmers’ Market | Sun., Oct. 16 | 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Northside Towncenter, 2901 N. Sherman Ave., Madison | Free | Browse crafts and listen to live music as you shop this local market. 🧺

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

Weather

63º | Rain | 70% chance of rain

State

WisDOT announced $132 million in funding for local road + general transportation projects across Wisconsin. Learn more about the fourth-quarter payments received by local municipalities this month.

Civic

The City of Madison Engineering Division launched an informational web series about design projects taken on during the 2022 construction season. Watch Street Meets to get up to speed on projects like the Blair Street intersection construction.

Opening

Amara — Hilldale’s new “contemporary coastal Italian” eatery — is opening on Tues., Oct. 25. The restaurant from Rule No. One Hospitality Group, known for Merchant and Lucille, will serve handmade pasta + small plates. 🍽️ (Madison.com)

Edu

UW-Madison welcomed its largest-ever freshman class this year, bringing 8,628 new Badgers to the 608. Of these new students, Wisconsinites make up over 40% of the class with 3,787 freshmen right from the Dairyland. (Channel 3000)

Traffic

According to WisDOT, Beltline travel times are down 30% since the new Flex Lanes opened in July. This infrastructure allows for the inside median shoulders to be used as an additional travel lane during peak travel times. 🚗 (Cap Times)

Arts

GLEAM — an immersive light, sound, and art experience — is leaving Olbrich Gardens. See the show before Sat., Oct. 29 to witness the 16-acre garden + tropical Bolz Conservatory in a new light. 💡

Seasonal

Plan ahead for a gourd time at Garver Feed Mill’s Pumpkin Party on Sun., Oct. 30. Compete in a costume contest, carve pumpkins, make craft displays, and enjoy fall-themed sips + bites.

Try This

The Wisconsin Historical Society is hosting a series of immersive workshops at Old World Wisconsin. Sign up for traditional woodworking or cooking classes on Sat., Nov. 5 + 12.

Announced

If you love this newsletter (and supporting local) as much as we love strolls in the arboretum, morning lattes from Wonderstate + Saturdays spent tailgating and cheering on the Badgers (which is a lot) — we’ve got something for you: 608today just launched a membership program. Learn more + sign up.

Trending

Fast-track those holiday shopping plans. For the first time, Amazon is hosting a second Prime Day with the Prime Early Access Sale today, Oct. 12. Some of the best deals we’ve seen: $120 off a Shark cordless vacuum, $100 off a Vitamix One, and $180 off a deep tissue massage gun.*

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

Madison ranked No. 46 for driving cities

Madison ranked No. 46 on best + worst driving cities

From this view it looks like Madison should’ve ranked much higher. | Photo by majerusphoto

In a WalletHub listing released yesterday, Tues., Oct. 11, Madison was ranked No. 46 of America’s best + worst cities to drive in.

Using a sample of the 100 most populated US cities, WalletHub measured:

Cost of ownership + maintenance
Traffic + infrastructure
Safety
Access to vehicles + maintenance

The 608 rated well in categories one and three. However, we were near the bottom in two and four, including No. 95 overall for access and maintenance. Is this true to your experience? Let us know if you have a hard time finding service or if you’ve got some pro tips on the matter.

While we can’t solve all of our traffic, infrastructure + vehicle maintenance problems, we can try to alleviate some of the headaches. Check out some of 608today’s transportation guides:

🅿️ Madison’s best parking hacks + pro tips
🚌 Madison’s Metro Transit network redesign
⛽ Gas-conscious alternatives to driving

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Ryan.

Editor’s pick: With the Amara opening in just a few weeks, we decided it’d be best for 608today to get some boots on the ground for opening night. You know, for research purposes. Might we see you there?

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Find a local community on Facebook.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Ally Geiger, Ryan Waldman, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Julie Brown | Advertise with us.

ADVERTISE | SHOP | CAREERS | ETHICS

Did a friend forward this free newsletter to you?