Dane County elevation and terrain tools
Southern Wisconsin • County seat: Madison
Dane County is centered on Madison and the lakes of the Yahara River chain. Drumlins, marshes and lakes cover the glaciated east and center, while the west reaches into the unglaciated Driftless Area.
Open the mapLidar coverage
Lidar projects that cover Madison, from the USGS 3DEP work-unit index. Other parts of the county may come from other projects; the coverage guide explains how to check any spot.
| Project | Year | Cell size | Point density |
|---|---|---|---|
| WI_5County_2_B24used by the elevation model | 2024 | 1.6 ft per pixel | — |
| WI_DaneCo_2017 | 2.0 ft per pixel | — |
Property boundaries
The Property tool queries Wisconsin Statewide Parcel Map Initiative (local governments) for parcels in Dane County and uses a returned boundary for supported terrain analyses. The statewide aggregation has local gaps and may differ from current records. If no usable parcel is found, draw or upload an area instead. Parcel maps are not legal surveys; most file downloads cover the rectangle around a selection.
Tools for Dane County
A PDF terrain report for a parcel: hillshade, contours, slope and elevation statistics.
How the tool worksContour lines at the interval you choose, on the map and as vector files.
How the tool worksHours of direct sun on any day of the year, with shadows cast by the terrain.
How the tool works