Commuting to Epic from Madison's Most Common Neighborhoods

Commuting to Epic from Madison's Most Common Neighborhoods

Epic sits in Verona, but Epic employees live everywhere. Here's what the commute actually looks like from the most common Madison-area neighborhoods.

Epic Systems is one of the largest employers in the Madison area, with a campus that spans several hundred acres in Verona. The company hires constantly, and many new hires come from outside Wisconsin and need to figure out where to live. The most common question they ask is the most practical one: how long is the commute?

The honest answer is that it depends entirely on where you live. Some Madison-area neighborhoods are 10 minutes from Epic. Others are 30 minutes or more. And the route, the time of day, and your transportation preferences all change the math.

 

What the commute to Epic actually looks like

The shortest Epic commutes belong to people who live in Verona itself. Most Verona neighborhoods are within 5 to 10 minutes of the Epic campus. For households where everyone works at Epic, living in Verona makes the math simple.

From Fitchburg, the commute is typically 15 to 20 minutes off-peak via the Beltline. Northern Fitchburg neighborhoods are closest. The Fitchburg commute avoids the worst of the Verona Road interchange congestion because it approaches from a different direction than the western Beltline rush.

From the Madison West Side and Middleton, the commute is about 20 minutes off-peak via the Beltline. In morning rush hour, expect 25 to 30 minutes because of the westbound Beltline congestion heading toward the Verona Road interchange. This is one of the most congested stretches on the Beltline, and Epic-bound commuters from the west side feel it most acutely.

From downtown Madison and the Near East Side, the commute is about 20 to 25 minutes off-peak. The route uses the Beltline, which means morning rush hour adds 10 to 15 minutes. Some downtown Epic employees prefer to bike or use transit instead, both of which Epic supports.

From Sun Prairie, the commute is one of the longest among the major Madison suburbs. Off-peak, it's 30 to 35 minutes via the East Beltline. In rush hour, it can stretch to 45 minutes or more because the route crosses both the East and West Beltline during peak congestion. Sun Prairie Epic employees often consider the airport-area commute equivalent (long but predictable) and plan accordingly.

For a fuller view of how these neighborhoods compare across other Madison destinations, our complete Madison commute breakdown covers drive times from every major neighborhood to the most common destinations.

 

Frequently asked questions

What's the shortest commute to Epic from a Madison neighborhood?
Verona itself, by far. Most Verona neighborhoods are within 5 to 10 minutes of the Epic campus. For Epic employees, that proximity is one of the main reasons Verona has grown significantly in recent years. After Verona, the closest Madison-area neighborhoods are Northern Fitchburg and the Madison West Side.

Can Epic employees bike or use transit to campus?
Yes. Epic actively supports both. The Cannonball Trail and Military Ridge State Trail connect parts of Madison to the Verona area for bike commuters. Madison Metro Route 75 connects parts of the west side to Middleton, and some Epic employees combine transit with biking. Many Epic employees who live closer to campus bike regularly during the warmer months.

Is it worth living in Verona just for the short commute?
It depends entirely on the household. If everyone in the household works at Epic, the math strongly favors Verona. If only one person works at Epic and others work elsewhere in Madison, the household may be better off in a more central location like Fitchburg or the Madison West Side, where multiple commutes can be balanced. There's no one-size-fits-all answer.

How bad is the Verona Road interchange for Epic commuters?
The Verona Road interchange where the Beltline meets Highway 151 is one of the chronic bottlenecks on the Madison Beltline. For Epic employees commuting from the west side or downtown, it's the main slowdown point in the morning rush. Most longtime Epic commuters learn the timing and adjust their schedules around it. Leaving 15 minutes earlier often saves 20 minutes of drive time.

What about commuting to Epic from outside Dane County?
Some Epic employees commute from places like Stoughton, New Glarus, Cross Plains, or other smaller communities outside the immediate Madison area. Those commutes are typically 30 to 45 minutes and often appeal to employees looking for more rural settings, larger lot sizes, or lower housing costs. The trade-off is a longer daily drive and less direct access to Madison amenities.

Written by Cait Berry, Insiders Realty - Your local Madison real estate expert helping you live, work, and play right here in Dane County.

Drive times reflect typical conditions and are approximate. Source data drawn from Google Maps and WisDOT traffic studies as of June 2026.