McFarland, Wisconsin


McFarland is a village in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. A suburb of Madison, it is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census. Its ZIP code is 53558. It is the tenth-most populous city in Dane County after Madison.

History

Several burial mounds from the Woodland period are known as the Lewis Mound Group in the village's Indian Mound Park.
McFarland was founded in 1856 by William H. McFarland. Early industries in the village included wheat ad tobacco farming, harvesting winter ice and fish on nearby Lake Waubesa for rail shipment to markets in Chicago. Later, a small resort industry developed along the eastern shore of Lake Waubesa, including Edwards Park and Larson's Beach. After World War II, the village became a bedroom community for Madison. In the late 1950s, McFarland annexed the recently constructed petroleum tank farms north of the village, expanding the village's tax base. This allowed the McFarland School District to fund a new high school. In 1989 a major highway project on the nearby Madison highway called the Beltline made commuting to the village much easier and enabled rapid residential growth.
On June 17, 1992, an F3 tornado destroyed several dozen homes and injured several people in Waubesa Heights, a nearby housing development in the Town of Dunn, in the McFarland School District. At $18.0 million in damage this was the third-costliest tornado in Wisconsin's history behind the Oakfield and Barneveld F5s.
The village celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2006. Among the festivities were banners on light poles, activities such as the Taste of McFarland, live music at the Gazebo near downtown McFarland and free train rides to Madison. Photo displays of "Then and Now" covering McFarland's 150 years of history were placed at the McFarland High School, the local Culver's restaurant, the E.D. Locke Public Library, and other public locations.

Geography

McFarland is located at .
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of, all of its land. It is bordered by Lake Waubesa to the west and Mud Lake to the south.

Time zone

As in the rest of the state of Wisconsin, McFarland forms part of the Central Time Zone.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 7,808 people, 3,079 households, and 2,201 families residing in the village. The population density was. There were 3,200 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the village was 94.4% White, 1.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.7% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.3% of the population.
There were 3,079 households of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. Of all households, 21.9% were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 2.96.
The median age in the village was 39.7 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 31.2% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

Education

The McFarland School District serves the village of McFarland. It operates Conrad Elvehjem Early Learning Center, McFarland Primary School, Waubesa Intermediate School, Indian Mound Middle School and McFarland High School, which is accredited by the AdvancED commission.

Government

McFarland is governed by a village board consisting of a president and six trustees. The president and trustees are elected to two-year terms during spring elections. The Village President of McFarland since November 2012 is Brad Czebotar.
McFarland has a full-time village administrator, who is responsible for the administration of the village government in accordance with the policies established by the Village Board. Other city officers consist of Village Clerk, treasurer, municipal judge, police chief and fire chief.

Events

Since 1985 McFarland has held an annual Fall Family Festival. The festival has carnival rides, train rides, a parade, and many competitions. The three-day festival typically takes place at McFarland Ice Arena parking lot, McFarland High School parking lot or the McFarland Municipal Center parking lot.

Transportation

McFarland is served by the Dane County Regional Airport, which is located 12 miles north of McFarland. McFarland is served by four taxicab companies, and several companies provide specialized transit for individuals with disabilities. Several ride sharing services are also available in McFarland, including Uber and Lyft.

Major highways

A Wisconsin and Southern railroad line runs through the village en route to Janesville.

Bicycle

McFarland is served by the .  This nearly 2.5-mile trail provides an off-road trail connection between Madison, WI and McFarland. It includes the longest inland boardwalk bridge constructed solely for non-motorized transportation in North America.

Municipal Services

Fire Department & Emergency Medical Services

McFarland has a municipal combination fire department, McFarland Fire Rescue, that serves a 14 square mile district that covers the village and surrounding area. McFarland Fire Rescue provides fire protection and advanced emergency medical services. The department, which began in 1908, consists of 68 paid-on-call members who maintain external jobs, and 9 career staff.

Law enforcement

The Village of McFarland is served by the .

Public Library

The E.D. Locke Public Library serves the village. It is part of the South Central Library System. Services include youth programming, adult programming, reference, database, technical services, and circulation.

Media

Further information: List of Wisconsin magazines and List of Wisconsin daily newspapers
McFarland is served by Madison TV, radio, print, and other media. The city is served by one local newspaper:. The McFarland Thistle is a weekly community newspaper.
McFarland has a local Public-access television cable TV station, WMCF.

Economy

Significant employers include the , . Many residents commute to jobs in Madison.

McFarland Historical Museum

The McFarland Historical Museum is maintained by members of the McFarland Historical Society, dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the heritage and history of the Village of McFarland.  The Museum and Log Cabin are open to the public from 1:00 - 4:00pm every Sunday from Memorial Day through September.

Notable people