Why visit Cambridge
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 6 parks and trails and 9 places to eat in and around town.
Highlights include Cambridge Public School and High School and Lake Ripley Country Club.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 11°F, and about 42 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Cambridge
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Cambridge
Cambridge is a village in Dane and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,638 at the 2020 census, of which 1,539 were in Dane County and 99 were in Jefferson County. The Dane County portion is part of the Madison Metropolitan Area and the Jefferson County portion a part of the Watertown–Fort Atkinson micropolitan statistical area, which itself is part of the larger Milwaukee-Racine-Waukesha Combined Statistical Area.
From the Wikipedia article Cambridge, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks2
Cambridge Public School and High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic building in Cambridge, Wisconsin, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes9
The Marigold Room
Cafe · Coffee Shop
214 West Main Street, Cambridge
Mo-Fr 07:00-16:00; Sa 08:00-16:00; Su 08:00-15:00
Cambridge Market Cafe
Cafe · Coffee Shop
Mo,Su off; Tu-Fr 07:00-04:00; Sa 07:00-15:00
Shopping1
History
The settlement of Cambridge dates back to October 15, 1847, when the farmer Joseph Keyes filed plans with the Register of Deeds of Dane County. The first structure in the area was a dam on the northern part of Koshkonong Creek. By the late 1880s, Cambridge had grown into a community of about 700 people with shops, hotels, and a post office. Future inventor Ole Evinrude lived there. In 1890 a devastating fire broke out, destroying most of the businesses and parts of Main Street.
The town was rebuilt by 1910, following the fire, and the invention of the automobile ignited tourism. Nearby Lake Ripley became a destination for many Chicago travelers.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Cambridge was touted as the "salt glaze pottery capital of the world" because of the potteries located there.
After Cambridge lost much of its pottery draw, the village began to draw mountain bikers from southeastern Wisconsin. CamRock County Park offers trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, and a 16-mile mountain bike track.
From the History section of Cambridge, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Map of Cambridge
30 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27°F | 11°F | 1.4 in | 10.7 in |
| Feb | 31°F | 14°F | 1.5 in | 11.4 in |
| Mar | 43°F | 25°F | 2.0 in | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 57°F | 36°F | 3.6 in | 2.1 in |
| May | 70°F | 48°F | 4.4 in | 0.1 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 5.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 4.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 81°F | 61°F | 4.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 52°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 40°F | 2.8 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 45°F | 28°F | 2.1 in | 2.0 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 18°F | 1.6 in | 10.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Lake Mills Wwtp (8 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Dane County has had 11 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-10-18: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, And Landslides (Flood)
- 2011-04-05: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2008-06-14: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2008-03-19: Record Snow And Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Dane County Regional Airport (MSN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 19 miles away.
- Fort Atkinson 11 mi southeast, about 17 min by car
- Stoughton 12 mi southwest, about 19 min by car
- Sun Prairie 16 mi northwest, about 26 min by car
- Whitewater 19 mi southeast, about 30 min by car
- Watertown 19 mi northeast, about 31 min by car
- Oregon 19 mi west, about 31 min by car
- Fitchburg 20 mi west, about 33 min by car
- Madison 21 mi west, about 34 min by car
- Janesville 22 mi south, about 36 min by car
- DeForest 22 mi northwest, about 36 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Cambridge Wisconsin Downtown East US 12, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cambridge Country Motel - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Fire Dept. with Matt Kenseth number. 17 - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Piggly Wiggly® Cambridge - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Cell Tower - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Grace ^ Truth Bible Church in Cambridge, Wis - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Veterans Memorial - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Post Office 53523 - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge War Memorial - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Masonic Social Lodge ^245. - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Downtown Cambridge - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Village Halll and Police Department - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Residence - panoramio (1), Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Main Street Cambridge Wisconsin - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Residence - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Old Cambridge Public School and High School - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Tower 1 - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge ACA Allertor 125 Civil Defense Siren - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Saint Pius X Catholic Church Cambridge, Wis - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge High School - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Elementary School - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge High School Football Stadium - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Cambridge Wisconsin Public School and High School NRHP, Royalbroil, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pizza Pit Extreme - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Double SS BBQ - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Village Motel - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- ATC Power Line - panoramio (88), Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Keystone Grill - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Old Grace Lutheran Church - panoramio (1), Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Badger Bank - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Willerup United Methodist Church - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- ATC Power Line - panoramio (15), Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Kurt's Place - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Farm with Two Silos - panoramio (48), Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Coprinellus micaceus 79047484, aarongunnar, CC BY 4.0
- Coprinellus micaceus 79047497, aarongunnar, CC BY 4.0
- Oscar H. Hanson House Bed ^ Breakfast - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Matt Kenseth's Racing museum - panoramio, Corey Coyle, CC BY 3.0
- Puccinia komarovii (06), aarongunnar, CC BY 4.0
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