Brooklyn, WI

Brooklyn is a village split between Dane and Green counties, halfway between Madison and Janesville along the Highway 14 corridor. The 2020 census counted 1,524 residents, with 1,026 in Dane County and 498 in Green County. The settlement grew from a stagecoach stop and then a railroad crossing, after Hiram Capwell helped draw the rail line through the area. The county line that divides Brooklyn was once the stagecoach line, which is still the best local clue to how the village got its start.

Brooklyn incorporated in 1905 and now has three parks: Smithfield on the east side, Legion on the south side, and Water Tower Park to the north. Smithfield adds a basketball court, pavilion, playground, and restrooms, while Brooklyn Elementary belongs to the Oregon School District. State Highways 92 and 104 pass through the village, with Highway 14 connecting toward Madison and Janesville. Brooklyn's local scoop is a two-county village where a stagecoach line, a railroad, and three parks all fit inside one small grid.