Blood, Trauma, and Biohazard Cleanup in Sun Prairie, WI

Sun Prairie got its name on June 9, 1837, when Augustus A. Bird's work party, sent to build Wisconsin's territorial capitol in Madison, emerged from days of rain into sunshine on the prairie and carved the words "Sun Prairie" into a tree.

Charles Bird, brother of Augustus, returned in 1839 to become Sun Prairie's first settler, and the village was incorporated in 1868.

Sun Prairie became a city in 1958 after one of the closest votes in its history — 295 residents voted for city incorporation and 284 voted against.

Sun Prairie is the birthplace of artist Georgia O'Keeffe, born November 15, 1887 on the family farm in the Town of Sun Prairie; the Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum keeps a room dedicated to her, and an avenue in the city bears her name.

Sun Prairie calls itself the "Groundhog Capital of the World," a title the U.S. Congressional Record recognized in 1955, and its prognosticator Jimmy the Groundhog makes his forecast every February 2.

Jimmy the Groundhog made national news on Groundhog Day 2015 when he bit Mayor Jonathan Freund on the ear during the ceremony — the mayor issued Jimmy an official pardon the next day.

Sun Prairie's annual Sweet Corn Festival, held each August at Angell Park, serves about 80 tons of steamed Wisconsin sweet corn and draws well over 100,000 visitors.

Angell Park is also home to Angell Park Speedway, a historic one-third-mile dirt oval famous for midget auto racing, including the Badger Midget races that close out the Corn Festival.

The 2020 census counted 35,967 people in Sun Prairie living in 14,376 households, making it the most populous suburb of Madison.

Sun Prairie has been one of Wisconsin's fastest-growing cities for decades, growing from 20,369 people in 2000 to 29,364 in 2010 and 35,967 in 2020.