Badger Bus
Badger Bus is a family-owned Madison, Wisconsin–based motorcoach operator founded in 1920, running six daily Madison–Milwaukee scheduled routes plus charter services in motorcoaches, sprinters, trolleys, and vans across the U.S. and Canada, serving corporate, athletic, government, education, wedding, and tour-operator clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1920
- HeadquartersMilwaukee, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Badger Bus does
Badger Bus (Badger Transportation Services; DBA Badger Coaches) is a privately held, family-owned motorcoach transportation company founded in 1920 and headquartered at 5501 Femrite Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, with 251–500 employees. The company operates a modern fleet of more than 70 vehicles spanning four classes — 38/40/56-passenger MCI/Prevost/Van Hool motorcoaches, 13-passenger Mercedes-Benz Sprinter executive vans, 30-passenger vintage trolleys, and 11/14-passenger transit vans — equipped with Cradlepoint 5G Wi-Fi, onboard restrooms, climate control, and wheelchair accessibility. Core products are scheduled intercity routes (six daily Madison-to-Milwaukee departures with stops at UW Madison, Johnson Creek, Goerke's Corners, Milwaukee Amtrak Intermodal, and Milwaukee Mitchell Airport; plus Friday/Sunday service to Menomonie, Eau Claire, Mall of America, and the University of Minnesota) and a broad charter service portfolio segmented across corporate, university/collegiate, athletic, government/military (DoD Approved Carrier), wedding, senior, social events, educational, and tour operator verticals.
Revenue is generated through a mix of transactional ticket sales (online via Betterez and cash-at-bus with a price differential), scheduled route add-ons such as Badger Bundles (bulk ticket packs), Summerfest special-event service, and quote-based charter contracts sold by a dedicated enterprise sales team. Pricing for scheduled routes runs $30–$35 one-way Madison-Milwaukee (cash) with online fares lower, child discounts at 50%, and ancillary fees for extra baggage ($5) and bikes ($10); charter billing is one-time per engagement. Go-to-market is dual-channel: direct-to-consumer online ticketing plus enterprise field sales, with marketing concentrated on the company's website, email newsletter, and segment-specific landing pages.
Customer reach spans Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois via direct operations, with charter coverage across the entire U.S. and Canada. Long-tenured named customers include University of Wisconsin Athletics (50+ year partnership), Carthage Athletics (official transportation provider), Colony Brands, and Great Lakes Shore Excursions. The company holds DoD Approved Carrier status and a Satisfactory DOT safety rating, which are core enablers of its government/military charter vertical and represent meaningful regulatory barriers to entry. Technology differentiation is concentrated in fleet amenities (5G Wi-Fi, accessibility equipment) rather than software platforms; the company has no app, no public API, and no disclosed AI capabilities.
Badger Bus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Badger Bus
- Legal name
- Badger Bus
- Website
- https://badgerbus.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1920
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Badger Bus is a family-owned Madison, Wisconsin–based motorcoach operator founded in 1920, running six daily Madison–Milwaukee scheduled routes plus charter services in motorcoaches, sprinters, trolleys, and vans across the U.S. and Canada, serving corporate, athletic, government, education, wedding, and tour-operator clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Badger Bus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Intercity and Charter Bus Transportation
- NAICS
- Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation (48521), Charter Bus Industry (485510)
- SIC
- Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scheduled Intercity Coach Operators (TLAFAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- National Intercity Coach Operators (Scheduled Network) (THAIADAA)
Keywords
Where Badger Bus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milwaukee
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Badger Bus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Scheduled Route Tickets: One-way and round-trip bus tickets for scheduled routes between Madison and Milwaukee, including stops at UW Madison, Johnson Creek, Goerke's Corners, Milwaukee Intermodal, and Mitchell Airport. Also includes Friday/Sunday routes to Eau Claire, Menomonie, Mall of America, and University of Minnesota.
- Charter Bus Services: Customized charter bus rentals for corporate events, weddings, athletic teams, field trips, and private events. Fleet includes motorcoaches (38-56 passenger), executive sprinters (13 passenger), vintage trolleys (30 passenger), and transit vans (11-14 passenger).
- Badger Bundles: Bulk ticket packs of 5 or 10 tickets for Madison-Milwaukee routes, offering savings for frequent travelers. Tickets expire 1 year after purchase.
- Special Event Services: Special transportation services for Summerfest and other major events, including dedicated shuttle routes and schedules.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Madison to Milwaukee Intermodal - Online vs Cash |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Madison to Milwaukee Airport - Online vs Cash |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Summerfest Special Service |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Multi-year contract | Badger Bundles (5 or 10 packs) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Children's Fare |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Badger Bus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Badger Bus operates scheduled intercity bus routes between Madison and Milwaukee (six daily departures) plus Friday/Sunday service to Minnesota destinations, alongside a diversified charter bus service spanning corporate, wedding, athletic, educational, government/military, and tour operator verticals. The fleet of over 70 vehicles includes 38-56 passenger motorcoaches (MCI, Prevost, Van Hool), 13-passenger Mercedes Sprinters, 30-passenger vintage trolleys, and 11-14 passenger transit vans, with Cradlepoint 5G Wi-Fi and accessibility equipment across the fleet. Ticketing is sold online via Betterez, by phone, and at the bus; charters are sold via a quote-based enterprise sales process.
Product overview
Badger Bus operates as a regional bus transportation company offering both scheduled route service and charter services. The core product portfolio consists of scheduled daily routes between Madison and Milwaukee (six daily departures) plus Friday/Sunday service to Minnesota destinations. Charter services include a fleet of over 70 vehicles spanning four main vehicle types: 38/40/56-passenger motorcoaches, 13-passenger Mercedes Sprinter executive vans, 30-passenger vintage trolleys, and 11/14-passenger transit vans. These vehicles support specialized service verticals including corporate logistics, athletic team transportation, wedding events, educational field trips, government/military logistics, and tour operator partnerships. Ancillary products include Badger Bundles (bulk ticket packs) and Summerfest special event service. The company positions itself on modern amenities including Cradlepoint 5G Wi-Fi across the fleet and over 100 years of operational history.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Badger Bundles: Pack of 5 or 10 tickets for Madison-Milwaukee trips offering savings through advance bulk purchase. Tickets expire 1 year after purchase.
Products and services
- Madison-Milwaukee Daily Route Service Six daily scheduled bus routes connecting UW Madison, Johnson Creek, Goerke's Corners, Milwaukee Amtrak Intermodal, and Milwaukee Mitchell Airport. Modern buses with onboard Wi-Fi and comfortable amenities; one-way and round-trip tickets sold to individual travelers.
- Madison-Minnesota Route Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Serving communities for over 100 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Badger Bus
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments9 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Badger Bus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
Badger Bus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Badger Bus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Greyhound: National scheduled intercity bus operator owned by Flix Mobility. Larger incumbent with broader network overlap across Wisconsin and Minnesota scheduled routes and broader charter capability.
Emerging players
- FlixBus: Fast-growing app-based intercity bus operator expanding into the Midwest market. Directly comparable scheduled-route competitor with stronger mobile booking infrastructure.
Direct peers
- Indian Trails: Michigan-based scheduled intercity bus operator connecting Midwest cities including service into Wisconsin. Directly comparable as a regional scheduled-route motorcoach carrier.
- Megabus: Low-cost scheduled intercity bus operator in the U.S., including Midwest routes. Comparable digital-first scheduled competitor on price-sensitive intercity corridors.
- Jefferson Lines: Minnesota-based regional scheduled intercity bus operator serving the upper Midwest including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and neighboring states. Directly comparable as a regional scheduled-route operator in the same geography as Badger.
- Barons Bus Lines: Regional charter and scheduled bus operator serving Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois with similar charter verticals (schools, sports, corporate). Comparable Midwest motorcoach operator.
- Burlington Trailways: Regional motorcoach operator running scheduled and charter service across the Midwest, including Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Comparable as a multi-vertical Midwest fleet operator.
- Van Galder Bus Company: Wisconsin-based motorcoach operator (Coach USA Wisconsin) running scheduled service between Madison, Milwaukee, and Chicago plus charter. Closest direct competition on Badger's Madison-Milwaukee corridor.
- LUX Bus America: Premium motorcoach charter and tour operator serving the western U.S. Comparable as a charter-focused regional motorcoach company with modern fleet and corporate/event mix.
Regional players
- Peter Pan Bus Lines: Northeast scheduled and charter motorcoach operator serving the Boston-to-DC corridor. Comparable scheduled-and-charter mix, though primarily East Coast geography rather than direct Badger territory.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Badger Bus social profiles
Digital presenceBadger Bus compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Badger Bus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Badger Bus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Badger Bus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Badger Bus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Badger Bus
What does Badger Bus do?
Badger Bus operates scheduled intercity bus routes between Madison and Milwaukee (six daily departures) plus Friday/Sunday service to Minnesota destinations, alongside a diversified charter bus service spanning corporate, wedding, athletic, educational, government/military, and tour operator verticals. The fleet of over 70 vehicles includes 38-56 passenger motorcoaches (MCI, Prevost, Van Hool), 13-passenger Mercedes Sprinters, 30-passenger vintage trolleys, and 11-14 passenger transit vans, with Cradlepoint 5G Wi-Fi and accessibility equipment across the fleet. Ticketing is sold online via Betterez, by phone, and at the bus; charters are sold via a quote-based enterprise sales process.
Is Badger Bus a public or private company?
Badger Bus is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Badger Bus founded?
Badger Bus was founded in 1920. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Badger Bus based?
Badger Bus is headquartered in Milwaukee, United States, in the North America region.
How does Badger Bus make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Scheduled Route Tickets are the primary driver. The others are charter Bus Services, badger Bundles and special Event Services.
Who are Badger Bus's main competitors?
Greyhound is listed as a broad incumbent. FlixBus is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Indian Trails, Megabus, Jefferson Lines, Barons Bus Lines, Burlington Trailways, Van Galder Bus Company and LUX Bus America. Peter Pan Bus Lines is listed as a regional player.
Does Badger Bus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Badger Bus.
What industry is Badger Bus in?
Badger Bus's product category is Intercity and Charter Bus Transportation. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFAFAA, Scheduled Intercity Coach Operators, with a secondary code of THAIADAA, National Intercity Coach Operators (Scheduled Network). Its NAICS code is 48521 and its SIC code is 4100.