Map of Waunakee village

Waunakee (/ˌwɔːnəˈkiː/) is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 14,879 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. Waunakee bills itself as “The Only Waunakee in the World”.

Waunakee village overview:
Name:	Waunakee village
LSAD Code:	47
LSAD Description:	village (suffix)
State:	Wisconsin
County:	Dane County
Elevation:	928 ft (283 m)
Total Area:	7.17 sq mi (18.58 km²)
Land Area:	7.17 sq mi (18.57 km²)
Water Area:	0.00 sq mi (0.01 km²)
Total Population:	14,879
Population Density:	1,959.83/sq mi (756.74/km²)
ZIP code:	53597
Area code:	608
FIPS code:	5584350
GNISfeature ID:	1576318
Website:	www.vil.waunakee.wi.us

Online Interactive Map

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Waunakee online map. Source: Basemap layers from Google Map, Open Street Map (OSM), Arcgisonline, Wmflabs. Boundary Data from Database of Global Administrative Areas.

Waunakee location map. Where is Waunakee village?

Waunakee location on the U.S. Map. Where is Waunakee village. — Waunakee location on the U.S. Map.

Waunakee location on the Wisconsin map. Where is Waunakee village. — Location of Waunakee in Wisconsin.

History

When the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad wanted to expand its line from Madison to Saint Paul, a door was opened for development of a town. The original location of the village was intended to be at Packham’s Mill, about where Mill Road crosses the railroad track today two miles southeast of today’s downtown Waunakee. However, two local settlers, Louis Baker and George Fish, platted a village on their land two miles further northwest along the railroad. Railroad officials agreed to moving a train depot to the new community in exchange for $1,500 and two miles of right of way. The village was founded in 1871 and formally incorporated in 1893. Baker and Fish did not want to take credit for naming the community, so they asked Simeon Mills and Mr. Hill of Madison to come up with a list. The name “Waunakee” has a Native American origin meaning “fair and pleasant valley.”

Robert F. Kennedy visited the village to campaign for his brother John for president in February 1960.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush visited the village to campaign for her son George for president in October 2000.

The landmark Waunakee Railroad Depot located in the central part of town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It now houses the Waunakee Area Chamber of Commerce offices.

Waunakee Road Map

Waunakee city Satellite Map

Geography

Waunakee is located at 43°11′14″N 89°27′8″W / 43.18722°N 89.45222°W / 43.18722; -89.45222 (43.187253, −89.452244).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 6.39 square miles (16.55 km), of which, 6.38 square miles (16.52 km) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km) is water.

The village is bordered on the south and east by the town of Westport, the north by the town of Vienna, the northwest by the town of Dane, and to the west by the town of Springfield.

Six Mile Creek, the main waterway through the community, runs west to east before making a southerly turn through the village on its way to Lake Mendota.