Madison Metropolitan School District
Shorewood Hills Homes For Sale
Shorewood Hills is a village on the west shore of Lake Mendota, inside the Madison Metropolitan School District, with the UW–Madison campus along its east side and Blackhawk Country Club on village-owned land to the west.
1927
Established
2,182
Population
Dane County · Village
County
On The Map
Where Shorewood Hills sits.
Dane County, Wisconsin, on the west shore of Lake Mendota. Distances below are straight-line from the village, not driving times.
3 mi
The Capitol Square, Madison
as the crow flies
7 mi
Dane County Regional Airport
as the crow flies
9 mi
Dan Chin Homes, McFarland
as the crow flies
Distances are straight-line (“as the crow flies”), not driving times.
Live Listings
Homes for sale in Shorewood Hills.
Real-time listings from the MLS, updated around the clock, in the Village of Shorewood Hills.
Listing data is provided courtesy of the MLS through IDX. Data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
A Local's Perspective
Life in Shorewood Hills.
Shorewood Hills is a village on the west shore of Lake Mendota, incorporated in 1927. It is a separate municipality from Maple Bluff, on the northeast shore of the same lake. The U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 Gazetteer puts the village at about 0.80 square miles of land. The village's 2021 plan places it along the lake, beside the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus, with University Avenue as its commercial street.
The village's 2021 comprehensive plan traces the place to two early plats. College Hills was laid out in 1912 on the Jacob Breitenbach farm, west of the university. John C. McKenna then platted the streets between the lake and University Avenue and called that development Shorewood. Landscape architect O.C. Simonds laid out both. Incorporation joined the plats. The plan says the village then had 52 houses and 205 residents, and that it later annexed Blackhawk Country Club in 1932 and the Garden Homes neighborhood plus the University Avenue corridor in 1957.
The Census Bureau's Vintage 2024 population estimates use a 2020 census base of 2,274 people and estimate 2,182 residents as of July 1, 2024. The 2021 plan, citing the American Community Survey, counted 974 housing units as of 2019, about 67 percent of them single-family detached, and said the village had approved 366 apartments over the previous decade. The whole village sits inside the Madison Metropolitan School District.
See homes, towns and the full school list on the Madison school district page.
At A Glance
- Established
- 1927
- Population
- 2,182
- County
- Dane County · Village
- School district
- Madison Metropolitan School District
- HOA Norm
- Mixed
Highlights
What defines Shorewood Hills.
Lake Mendota's west shore
The lake is the village's north boundary. McKenna Park holds a historic boathouse on the water, and Shorewood Hills Marina sits below Blackhawk Country Club.
Blackhawk Country Club
The village owns a 94-acre parcel, bought in 1944 and leased to Blackhawk Country Club for an 18-hole course and clubhouse. The current lease, signed in 2015, runs through 2044.
University Avenue edge
The commercial corridor and Garden Homes were annexed in 1957. The 2021 plan says newer apartments have gone along this street, next to the university campus.
Neighborhoods
Where to look in Shorewood Hills.
College Hills
The 1912 plat on the Jacob Breitenbach farm, west of the university. The village plan says the first houses here were built for university professors.
The Shorewood plats
John C. McKenna's plats between Lake Mendota and University Avenue, the development he named Shorewood. These streets joined College Hills when the village incorporated.
Blackhawk
Annexed in 1932. The 2021 plan says the village owns about 94 acres here and leases them to Blackhawk Country Club. The marina is on the lake side of the club grounds.
Garden Homes and University Avenue
Annexed in 1957. This is the village's commercial corridor and the area where multi-family buildings, including the Shackleton Square condominiums in 1985 and later apartments, were added.
Lifestyle
Around Shorewood Hills.
Days in Shorewood Hills run between the lake, a few village facilities, and the university campus next door.
McKenna Park — a village park on Lake Mendota with a historic boathouse, a rooftop pavilion, and the village canoe and kayak share.
Shorewood Hills Marina — slips and a mooring field on the lake, north of Blackhawk Country Club.
Blackhawk Country Club — an 18-hole course and clubhouse on village-owned land, leased through 2044. Golf membership is separate from living in the village. The 2021 plan says the village holds its Fourth of July fireworks on the grounds.
Post Farm Park — the village's membership pool and community center, built in 1969–1970. The 2021 plan calls the 50-meter pool the village's largest enterprise.
Shorewood Hills Elementary — the Madison Metropolitan school in the village. The 2021 plan says a recreational easement lets residents use the fields, courts, playground, and village ice rink on the school property.
University Avenue — the south edge of the village, the direct road toward downtown Madison and toward Middleton, with the UW–Madison campus on the east.
First Unitarian Meeting House — Frank Lloyd Wright's meeting house on University Bay Drive. The village's 2021 plan names it as a building in the village.
Schools
Schools for Shorewood Hills.
The village's 2021 comprehensive plan says Shorewood Hills is served by the Madison Metropolitan School District and names one elementary school. The district runs many other schools. A listing in the village is not a promise that every grade is assigned to this building.
Elementary
- Shorewood Hills Elementary School
Shorewood Hills Elementary is the only school the village's 2021 plan names. It does not name a middle school or a high school. Boundaries change, and open enrollment can place a student in a different school. Confirm the schools for a specific address with the Madison Metropolitan School District.
HOAs & POAs
Shorewood Hills HOA norms
Shorewood Hills is a village, not one homeowners association wrapped around every house. Houses on the older plats often have no association. Shackleton Square, the condominiums the 2021 plan dates to 1985, and later apartments along University Avenue can have their own rules. Blackhawk Country Club is a private club on leased village land, separate from owning a house here. If a listing mentions an association, ask for the current documents before you write an offer.
New Construction
Building in Shorewood Hills
Shorewood Hills does not have open farmland for a new subdivision. The house plats date to the 1910s. The 2021 plan's introduction says the village approved 366 apartments over the previous decade, mostly along University Avenue, rather than new house lots on vacant land. Houses for sale are usually resales. When a listing is new construction or a renovation, ask about permits, any association, and what the village allows on that lot.
Keep Exploring
School districts near Shorewood Hills.
Straight Answers
Shorewood Hills buyer questions, answered.
Which school district serves Shorewood Hills?
The Madison Metropolitan School District. The village's 2021 plan says Shorewood Hills Elementary, in the village, has been part of the district since 1962 and serves kindergarten through fifth grade, including some students from Madison. The plan does not name a middle school or a high school. Confirm the assigned schools for a specific address with the district.
What kinds of homes are in Shorewood Hills?
Mostly single-family houses, plus condominiums and apartments along University Avenue. The 2021 plan, citing the American Community Survey, counted 974 housing units as of 2019, about 67 percent of them single-family detached, and said the village had approved 366 apartments over the previous decade. That figure is not a count of homes on the market today.
Is Shorewood Hills on Lake Mendota?
Yes. Lake Mendota is the north boundary. McKenna Park and the marina are on the water, and Blackhawk Country Club sits above the marina. Many streets sit back from the shore. University Avenue is the inland edge.
Is there much new construction in Shorewood Hills?
Very little vacant land. The house plats date to the 1910s, and the 2021 plan describes recent additions as apartments along University Avenue. Expect resales more often than a new subdivision. A small village can have a quiet week or several listings at once.
How do people get from Shorewood Hills to downtown Madison?
Most people drive University Avenue, which runs along the south edge of the village toward downtown Madison and, the other way, toward Middleton. The 2021 plan also describes off-street trail access toward downtown, and Metro Transit buses serve the avenue. Distances on the map are straight-line miles, not driving times.
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