Monona

History

Originally part of the Town of Blooming Grove, Monona was incorporated as a village on August 29, 1938. Prior to 1938, the area mainly consisted of farmland and summer homes. However, by 1938, permanent homes and small businesses had become much more common in the area. During the 1950s, Monona grew in population from 2,544 to 8,178. In 1963, Monona built a community center and adjacent swimming pool. In 1967, a public library was built. In 1969, when Monona was incorporated as a city, a city hall was built across from the library. It houses all city operations, including the fire and police departments. It became the first mound protected under Wisconsin's Burial Sites Preservation Act. The Monona Landmarks Commission placed a historical marker at the site in 2020. During the 1940s, the Outlet Mound was cut into during street construction, and skeletons were uncovered. This Indian burial mound was thought to have been built around 1,500 years ago by the Hopewell. In 1944, it was saved from destruction and donated to the city. The area where the mound was discovered, now known as Indian Mounds Park, is located at the corner of Midwood and Ridgewood Avenues. The Tompkins-Brindler Mound Group is a group of mounds in Woodland Park. The group includes two linear mounds which are roughly and long. The mounds were built during the late Woodland period.

Geography

Monona is located at (43.057029, -89.333716). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  81,314
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  76,231
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  75,066
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  63,613
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  63,528
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  59,220
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  58,329
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  57,752

Largest nearby schools

• Middleton High
  High · Middleton · 2,309 students · 15.3:1 ratio
• West High
  High · Madison · 2,147 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Vel Phillips Memorial High
  High · Madison · 2,025 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• East High
  High · Madison · 1,649 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• LaFollette High
  High · Madison · 1,482 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Wisconsin Virtual Academy K-8 (WIVA)
  Elementary · McFarland · 1,365 students · 23.1:1 ratio
• Wisconsin Virtual Academy High (WIVA)
  High · McFarland · 1,270 students · 21.5:1 ratio
• Oregon High
  High · Oregon · 1,269 students · 14.4:1 ratio