Monona, WI

Monona hugs Lake Monona's eastern shore just minutes from downtown Madison via Monona Drive or East Washington. Highway 51 runs north-south through town while the Beltline (US 12/18) skirts the northern edge, connecting to I-90/94 and Dane County Airport 8 miles northeast. This lakeside community of 8,500 serves as a popular residential base for Madison commuters. Winnequah Park preserves a rare 1,000-year-old effigy mound shaped like a water spirit.