County · code 55025
Dane CountyWisconsin
Dane County is a county in Wisconsin, with its seat in Madison. It was created on December 7, 1836, and named after Nathan Dane.
- Founded1836
- County seatMadison
- Named forNathan Dane
- Land area1,196 sq mi + 41 sq mi water
- Population561,504 2020 Census
- Parcels mapped190,635 checked 15 October 2026
Where it is
Dane on the map of Wisconsin
Wisconsin has 72 counties and county equivalents, each with its own records office. Shapes with a page are links.
History
Formed in 1836 from Crawford County, Iowa County and Milwaukee County
An old deed may name a county that no longer exists, or a boundary that has since moved.
Dane County was created by Wisconsin Territory on December 7, 1836, from Crawford, Iowa, and Milwaukee counties. It was not fully organized at first and was attached to Iowa County for judicial purposes until May 6, 1839. Over the following years, Dane County lost territory to the creation of Sauk County in 1840 and Portage County in 1844, which were initially attached to Dane for judicial purposes before being fully organized and detached. Dane became a county in the state of Wisconsin on May 29, 1848.
- 1836Dane County created Dane created by Wisconsin Territory from Crawford, Iowa, and Milwaukee; Dane not fully organized, attached to Iowa "for judicial purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1836, no. 28, secs. 4, 14/pp. 93-94
- 1839Changed Dane fully organized, detached from Iowa. · Wis. Terr. Laws 1838-1839, loc. acts, no. 56, secs. 1-2, 9/pp. 128-130
- 1840Lost territory Dane lost to creation of Sauk; Sauk not fully organized, attached to Dane "for all county and judicial purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1839-1840, no. 23, secs. 1-3/p. 32
- 1841
- 1848Became part of Wisconsin Dane became a county in the state of Wisconsin. · U.S. Stat., vol. 9, ch. 89 [1846]/pp. 56-58, and ch. 50 [1848]/pp. 233-235; Van Zandt, 128, 130
Show all 8 changes
- 1836Dane County created Dane created by Wisconsin Territory from Crawford, Iowa, and Milwaukee; Dane not fully organized, attached to Iowa "for judicial purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1836, no. 28, secs. 4, 14/pp. 93-94
- 1839Changed Dane fully organized, detached from Iowa. · Wis. Terr. Laws 1838-1839, loc. acts, no. 56, secs. 1-2, 9/pp. 128-130
- 1840Lost territory Dane lost to creation of Sauk; Sauk not fully organized, attached to Dane "for all county and judicial purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1839-1840, no. 23, secs. 1-3/p. 32
- 1841
- 1841Changed Portage organized "for all purposes of county government;" Portage remained attached to Dane "for judicial purposes." · Wis. Terr. Laws 1840-1841, no. 38, secs. 2-3/p. 74
- 1844
- 1844
- 1848Became part of Wisconsin Dane became a county in the state of Wisconsin. · U.S. Stat., vol. 9, ch. 89 [1846]/pp. 56-58, and ch. 50 [1848]/pp. 233-235; Van Zandt, 128, 130
Land and parcels
What the maps cover in Dane
Who publishes each layer, how good it is, and when we last checked.
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Parcels Good enough
Lot lines and tax-map numbers for 190,635 parcels from Dane County. Drawn for tax purposes: usually within a few feet of a survey, but not a survey.
checked 15 October 2026 -
Address points Missing
No public address points layer found for Dane County yet.
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Buildings Reference
Roof outlines traced from aerial imagery from FEMA Response Geospatial Office with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Good for seeing what is on a lot; not accurate enough to set a fence from.
checked 18 October 2026
- Official
- from the office that keeps the record
- Good enough
- a reliable statewide or national copy
- Fallback
- a guide only; check the official record
- Missing
- nothing public found yet
People and land
Dane by the Census
Source: US Census Bureau, 2020 Census; US Census Bureau, 2020 Gazetteer Files. Not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Rules and offices
Who to ask before you build, dig or sell
Official county pages only. We link to them; we do not copy them, because they change.
Inside a city or town, permits usually come from that city rather than the county.
Zoning and code
County government
- County government
The official website of Dane County.
See your own lot on these maps
Open Dane County on Parcel Chart's free map and click your parcel. Save it with a free account; the full record of your place (site map, projects, documents) is Pro, in early access.
Questions
Common questions about Dane County
- When was Dane County founded?
- Dane County was founded in 1836, formed from Crawford County, Iowa County and Milwaukee County, and named after Nathan Dane.
- What is the county seat of Dane County?
- The county seat of Dane County is Madison.
- Is there an online parcel map for Dane County?
- Yes. Dane County publishes a parcel map of 190,635 parcels, rated good enough here. You can click any parcel on it in Parcel Chart's free map, no sign-in needed.
- Has Dane County's boundary or name changed?
- Dane County was created in 1836 from Crawford County, Iowa County and Milwaukee County. Since then the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries records 7 later changes, chiefly involving Portage County, Sauk County and Brown County.
- Who issues building permits in Dane County?
- The county's page on building permits: Park Permits. Inside a city or town, ask that city first.
- Is my lot in a flood zone?
- We do not have flood maps for Dane County yet. Look up the address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, which shows the effective flood map for any lot.
Nearby