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Milwaukee is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the 31st-most populous city in the United States and fifth-most populous city in the Midwest with a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, while the Milwaukee metropolitan area with over 1.57 million residents is the 40th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County.
Milwaukee was inhabited by many indigenous cultures, particularly the Potawatomi, Menominee, and Ho-Chunk. In the early 19th century, European settlers established the city as a hub for trade and industry, capitalizing on its location as a port. Its history was heavily influenced by Central European immigrants, and it remains a center of German-American culture. Milwaukee grew into a major brewing center, with the Miller, Pabst, and Schlitz breweries shaping its industrial identity. The city also became known for Sewer socialism. While it is an ethnically and culturally diverse city, it continues to be one of the most racially segregated cities as a result of early-20th century redlining.
Milwaukee is rated as a "Sufficiency" city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, with a regional GDP of over $130 billion in 2023. The city is home to Fortune 500 companies Northwestern Mutual, Fiserv, ManpowerGroup, Rockwell Automation, and WEC Energy Group. Its cultural institutions include the Harley-Davidson Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee Public Museum, and Summerfest, one of the world's largest music festivals. It is home to several higher education institutions, such as Marquette University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The city's major league professional sports teams include the Milwaukee Brewers (MLB) and Milwaukee Bucks (NBA).
One theory says it comes from the Ojibwe language word mino-akking, meaning "good land", or words in closely related languages that mean the same.
These included Menominee and Potawatomi. This theory was popularized by a line by Alice Cooper in the 1992 comedy film Wayne's World. Another theory is that it stems from the Fox language language, whose term for "gathering place" is mahn-a-waukee. The city of Milwaukee itself claims that the name is derived from mahn-ah-wauk, a Potawatomi word for "council grounds".The name of the future city was spelled in many ways prior to 1844. People living west of the Milwaukee River preferred the modern-day spelling, while those east of the river often called it Milwaukie. Other spellings included Melleokii (1679), Millioki (1679), Meleki (1684), Milwarik (1699), Milwacky (1761), Milwakie (1779), Millewackie (1817), Milwahkie (1820), and Milwalky (1821). The Milwaukee Sentinel used Milwaukie in its headline until it switched to Milwaukee on November 30, 1844. The city of Milwaukie, Oregon retains the alternate spelling.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Native Americans living near Milwaukee played a role in all the major European wars on the American continent. During the French and Indian War, a group of "Ojibwas and Pottawattamies from the far Lake Michigan" (i.e., the area from Milwaukee to Green Bay) joined the French-Canadian Daniel Liénard de Beaujeu at the Battle of the Monongahela.
In the American Revolutionary War, the Native Americans around Milwaukee were some of the few groups to ally with the rebel Continentals.After the American Revolutionary War, the Native Americans fought the United States in the Northwest Indian War as part of the Council of Three Fires. During the War of 1812, they held a council in Milwaukee in June 1812, which resulted in their decision to attack Chicago in retaliation against American expansion. This resulted in the Battle of Fort Dearborn on August 15, 1812, the only known armed conflict in Chicago. This battle convinced the American government to Indian Removal these groups of Native Americans from their indigenous land. After being attacked in the Black Hawk War in 1832, the Native Americans in Milwaukee signed the 1833 Treaty of Chicago with the United States. In exchange for ceding their lands in the area, they were to receive monetary payments and lands west of the Mississippi in Indian Territory.
One story on the origin of Milwaukee's name says,
The spelling "Milwaukie" lives on in Milwaukie, Oregon, named after the Wisconsin city in 1847, before the current spelling was universally accepted.
Milwaukee has three "founding fathers": Solomon Juneau, Byron Kilbourn, and George H. Walker. Solomon Juneau was the first of the three to come to the area, in 1818. He founded a town called Juneau's Side, or Juneautown, that began attracting more settlers. In competition with Juneau, Byron Kilbourn established Kilbourntown west of the Milwaukee River. He ensured the roads running toward the river did not join with those on the east side. This accounts for the large number of angled bridges that still exist in Milwaukee today. Further, Kilbourn distributed maps of the area which only showed Kilbourntown, implying Juneautown did not exist or the river's east side was uninhabited and thus undesirable. The third prominent developer was George H. Walker. He claimed land to the south of the Milwaukee River, along with Juneautown, where he built a log house in 1834. This area grew and became known as Walker's Point.
The first large wave of settlement to the areas that would later become Milwaukee County and the City of Milwaukee began in 1835, following removal of the tribes in the Council of Three Fires. Early that year it became known that Juneau and Kilbourn intended to lay out competing town-sites. By the year's end both had purchased their lands from the government and made their first sales. There were perhaps 100 new settlers in this year, mostly from New England and other Eastern states. On September 17, 1835, the first election was held in Milwaukee; the number of votes cast was 39.
By 1840, the three towns had grown, along with their rivalries. There were intense battles between the towns, mainly Juneautown and Kilbourntown, which culminated with the Milwaukee Bridge War of 1845. Following the Bridge War, on January 31, 1846, the towns were combined to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee, and elected Solomon Juneau as Milwaukee's first mayor.
Most German immigrants came to Wisconsin in search of inexpensive farmland. However, immigration began to change in character and size in the late 1840s and early 1850s, due to the 1848 revolutionary movements in Europe.Conzen, Kathleen Neils. The German Athens' Milwaukee and the Accommodation of Its Immigrants 1836–1860." PhD diss., vol. 1, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1972. After 1848, hopes for a united Germany had failed, and revolutionary and radical Germans, known as the "Forty-Eighters", immigrated to the U.S. to avoid imprisonment and persecution by German authorities.
One of the most famous "liberal revolutionaries" of 1848 was Carl Schurz. He later explained in 1854 why he came to Milwaukee,
"It is true, similar things cultural were done in other cities where the Forty-eighters had congregated. But so far as I know, nowhere did their influence so quickly impress itself upon the whole social atmosphere as in 'German Athens of America' as Milwaukee was called at the time."" Milwaukee and Watertown as Seen by Schurz in 1854". The Milwaukee Journal, October 21, 1941. Accessed February 5, 2013.
Schurz was referring to the various clubs and societies Germans developed in Milwaukee. The American Turners established its own Normal College for teachers of physical education and the German-English Academy.Rippley, LaVern J. and Eberhard Reichmann, trans. "The German Americans, An Ethnic Experience." Max Kade German-American Center and Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis. (accessed February 5, 2013). Milwaukee's German element is still strongly present; the city celebrates its German culture by annually hosting a German Fest in July and an Oktoberfest in October. Milwaukee boasts a number of German restaurants, as well as a traditional German beer hall. A German language immersion school is offered for children in grades K–5.
Although the German presence in Milwaukee after the Civil War remained strong and their largest wave of immigrants had yet to land, other groups also made their way to the city. Foremost among these were Polish people immigrants. Because Milwaukee offered the Polish immigrants an abundance of low-paying entry-level jobs, it became home to one of the largest Polish-American communities. For many residents, Milwaukee's South Side is synonymous with the Polish community. Milwaukee County's Polish population of 30,000 in 1890 rose to 100,000 by 1915. St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and the surrounding neighborhood was the center of Polish people life in Milwaukee. As the Polish community surrounding St. Stanislaus continued to grow, Mitchell Street became known as the "Polish Grand Avenue". As Mitchell Street grew more dense, the Polish population started moving south to the Lincoln Village neighborhood, home to the Basilica of St. Josaphat and Kosciuszko Park. Other Polish communities started on the East Side of Milwaukee. Jones Island was a major commercial fishing center settled mostly by Kashubians and other Poles from around the Baltic Sea. Milwaukee has the fifth-largest Polish population in the U.S. at 45,467, ranking behind New York City (211,203), Chicago (165,784), Los Angeles (60,316) and Philadelphia (52,648). The city holds Polish Fest, an annual celebration of Polish culture and Polish food.
In addition to the Germans and Poles, Milwaukee received a large influx of other immigrants from Lithuania, Italy, Ireland, France, Russia, Bohemia, and Sweden, who included American Jews, Lutherans, and Catholics. Italian Americans total 16,992 in the city, but in Milwaukee County, they number at 38,286. The largest Italian-American festival in the area, Festa Italiana, is held in the city, while Irishfest is the largest Irish-American festival in southeast Wisconsin. By 1910, Milwaukee shared the distinction with New York City of having the largest percentage of foreign-born residents in the United States. In 1910, European descendants ("Whites") represented 99.7% of the city's total population of 373,857. Milwaukee has a strong Greek Orthodox Community, many of whom attend the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church on Milwaukee's northwest side, designed by Wisconsin-born architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Milwaukee has a sizable Croats population, with Croatian churches and their own historic and successful soccer club Croatian Eagles at the 30-acre Croatian Park in Franklin, Wisconsin.
Milwaukee also has a large Serbs population, who have developed Serbian restaurants, a Serbian K–8 School, and Serbian churches, along with an American Serb Hall. The American Serb Hall in Milwaukee is known for its Friday fish fries and popular events. Many U.S. presidents have visited Milwaukee's Serb Hall in the past. The Bosnian population is growing in Milwaukee as well due to late-20th-century immigration after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
During this time, a small community of migrated from the South in the Great Migration. They settled near each other, forming a community that came to be known as Bronzeville. As industry boomed, more migrants came, and African-American influence grew in Milwaukee.
In 1892, Whitefish Bay, South Milwaukee, and Wauwatosa were incorporated. They were followed by Cudahy (1895), North Milwaukee (1897) and East Milwaukee, later known as Shorewood, in 1900. In the early 20th century, West Allis (1902), and West Milwaukee (1906) were added, which completed the first generation of "inner-ring" suburbs.
In the 1920s, Chicago gangster activity came north to Milwaukee during the Prohibition era. Al Capone, noted Chicago mobster, owned a home in the Milwaukee suburb Brookfield, where moonshine was made. The house still stands on a street named after Capone.
By 1925, around 9,000 Mexicans lived in Milwaukee, but the Great Depression forced many of them to move back south. In the 1950s, the Hispanic community was beginning to emerge. They arrived for jobs, filling positions in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. During this time there were labor shortages due to the immigration laws that had reduced immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe. Additionally, strikes contributed to the labor shortages. Wisconsinhistory.org, additional text.
In the mid-20th century, African-Americans from Chicago moved to the North side of Milwaukee. Milwaukee's East Side has attracted a population of Russians and other Eastern Europeans who began migrating in the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War. Many Hispanics of mostly Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage live on the south side of Milwaukee. In the 1930s the city was severely segregated via redlining. In 1960, African-American residents made up 15 percent of Milwaukee's population, yet the city was still among the most segregated of that time. As of 2019, at least three out of four black residents in Milwaukee would have to move to create racially integrated neighborhoods.
Milwaukee's population peaked at 741,324 in 1960, where the Census Bureau reported the city's population as 91.1% white and 8.4% black. By the late 1960s, Milwaukee's population had started to decline as people moved to suburbs, aided by ease of highways and offering the advantages of less crime, new housing, and lower taxation.Glabere, Michael. "Milwaukee:A Tale of Three Cities" in, From Redlining to Reinvestment: Community Responses to Urban Disinvestment edited by Gregory D. Squires. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2011; p. 151 and passim Milwaukee had a population of 594,833 by 2010, while the population of the overall metropolitan area increased. Given its large immigrant population and historic neighborhoods, Milwaukee avoided the severe declines of some of its fellow "Rust Belt" cities.
Since the 1980s, the city has begun to make strides in improving its economy, neighborhoods, and image, resulting in the revitalization of neighborhoods such as the Historic Third Ward, Lincoln Village, the East Side, and more recently Walker's Point and Bay View, along with attracting new businesses to its downtown area. These efforts have substantially slowed the population decline and have stabilized many parts of Milwaukee. Largely through its efforts to preserve its history, Milwaukee was named one of the "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2006. Historic Milwaukee walking tours provide a guided tour of Milwaukee's historic districts, including topics on Milwaukee's architectural heritage, its glass skywalk system, and the Milwaukee Riverwalk.
In the 2010s and 2020s, Milwaukee underwent several development projects, including the opening of the Bradley Symphony Center. The Hop streetcar system began operation in 2018, and the Fiserv Forum opened the same year.
Milwaukee's terrain is sculpted by the glacier path and includes steep bluffs along Lake Michigan that begin about a mile (1.6 km) north of downtown. In addition, southwest of Milwaukee is the Kettle Moraine and lake country that provides an industrial landscape combined with inland lakes.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. The city is overwhelmingly (99.89% of its area) in Milwaukee County, but there are two tiny unpopulated portions that extend into neighboring counties.
Milwaukee is crossed by Interstate 43 and Interstate 94, which come together downtown at the Marquette Interchange. The Interstate 894 bypass (which as of May 2015 also contains Interstate 41) runs through portions of the city's southwest side, and Interstate 794 comes out of the Marquette interchange eastbound, bends south along the lakefront and crosses the harbor over the Hoan Bridge, then ends near the Bay View neighborhood and becomes the "Lake Parkway" (WIS-794).
One of the distinctive traits of Milwaukee's residential areas are the neighborhoods full of so-called . These are two-family with separate entrances, but with the units stacked one on top of another instead of side-by-side. This arrangement enables a family of limited means to purchase both a home and a modestly priced rental apartment unit. Since Polish-American immigrants to the area prized land ownership, this solution, which was prominent in their areas of settlement within the city, came to be associated with them.
The tallest building in the city is the U.S. Bank Center, completed in 1973. In 2024 Architectural Digest, a prominent design publication, rated Milwaukee's skyline as the 15th most beautiful skyline in the world.
Because of Milwaukee's proximity to Lake Michigan, a convection current forms around mid-afternoon in light wind, resulting in the so-called "lake breeze" – a smaller scale version of the more common sea breeze. The lake breeze is most common between March and July. This onshore flow causes cooler temperatures to move inland usually , with much warmer conditions persisting further inland. Because Milwaukee's official climate site, Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, is only from the lake, seasonal temperature variations are less extreme than in many other locations of the Milwaukee metropolitan area.
As the sun sets, the convection current reverses and an offshore flow ensues causing a land breeze. After a land breeze develops, warmer temperatures flow east toward the lakeshore, sometimes causing high temperatures during the late evening. The lake breeze is not a daily occurrence and will not usually form if a southwest, west, or northwest wind generally exceeds . The lake moderates cold air outbreaks along the lakeshore during winter months.
Aside from the lake's influence, overnight lows in downtown Milwaukee year-round are often much warmer than suburban locations because of the urban heat island effect. Onshore winds elevate daytime relative humidity levels in Milwaukee as compared to inland locations nearby.
Thunderstorms in the region can be dangerous and damaging, bringing hail and high winds. In rare instances, they can bring a tornado. However, almost all summer rainfall in the city is brought by these storms. In spring and fall, longer events of prolonged, lighter rain bring most of the precipitation. A moderate snow cover can be seen on or linger for many winter days, but even during meteorological winter, on average, over 40% of days see less than on the ground.
Milwaukee tends to experience highs that are or above on about nine days per year, and lows at or below on six to seven nights. Extremes range from set on July 24, 1934, down to on both January 17, 1982, and February 4, 1996. The 1982 event, also known as Cold Sunday, featured temperatures as low as in some of the as little as to the north of Milwaukee.
, there are more than 3,000 drinking fountains in the Milwaukee Public School District; 183 had lead levels above 15 parts per billion (ppb). 15 ppb is the federal action level in which effort needs to be taken to lower these lead levels. In the city, more than 10% of children test positive for dangerous lead levels in their blood .
The 2020 census population of the city included 1,198 people incarcerated in adult correctional facilities and 9,625 people in university student housing.
According to the American Community Survey estimates for 2016–2020, the median income for a household in the city was $43,125, and the median income for a family was $51,170. Male full-time workers had a median income of $42,859 versus $37,890 for female workers. The per capita income for the city was $24,167. About 19.6% of families and 24.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.1% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over. Of the population age 25 and over, 84.4% were high school graduates or higher and 24.6% had a bachelor's degree or higher.
| + Racial and ethnic composition as of the 2020 census | ||
| Black or African American (NH) | ||
| White (NH) | ||
| Hispanic or Latino | ||
| Asian Americans (NH) | ||
| Native American (NH) | ||
| Pacific Islander (NH) | ||
| Other |
According to the 2010 Census, 44.8% of the population was White (37.0% non-Hispanic white), 40.0% was Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.5% Asian, 3.4% from two or more races. 17.3% of Milwaukee's population was of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race) (11.7% Mexican, 4.1% Puerto Rican).
| 22.9% |
| 71.4% |
| 4.2% |
| 0.7% |
| 2.2% |
According to the 2006–2008 American Community Survey, 38.3% of Milwaukee's residents reported having African American ancestry and 20.8% reported German American ancestry. Other significant population groups include Polish American (8.8%), Irish American (6.5%), Italian American (3.6%), English American (2.8%), and French American (1.7%). According to the 2010 United States census, the largest Hispanic backgrounds in Milwaukee as of 2010 were: Mexican (69,680), Puerto Rican (24,672), Other Hispanic or Latino (3,808), Central American (1,962), South American (1,299), Cuban (866) and Dominican (720). Per the 2022 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the German American population was 87,601. Per the 2023 American Community Survey one-year estimates, the Mexican American population was 82,845, comprising over 60% of the city's Latino population.
The Milwaukee metropolitan area was cited as being the most segregated in the U.S. in a Jet Magazine article in 2002. The source of this information was a segregation index developed in the mid-1950s and used since 1964. In 2003, a non-peer-reviewed study was conducted by hired researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee which claimed Milwaukee is not "hypersegregated" and instead ranks as the 43rd most integrated city in America. According to research by demographer William H. Frey using the index of dissimilarity method and data from the 2010 United States Census, Milwaukee has the highest level of black-white segregation of any of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
In 2015, Milwaukee was rated as the "worst city for black Americans" based on disparities in employment and income levels. The city's black population experiences high levels of incarceration and a severe educational achievement gap.
Per the 2022 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the Hmong American population was 11,469, numerically the largest Hmong population of any city in Wisconsin. In 2013, Mark Pfeifer, the editor of the Hmong Studies Journal, stated Hmong people in Milwaukee had recently been moving to the northwest side of Milwaukee; they historically lived in the north and south areas of Milwaukee.Pabst, Georgia. " Report shows growth in Hmong community". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 6, 2013. Retrieved March 2, 2014. The Hmong American Peace Academy/International Peace Academy, a K–12 school system in Milwaukee centered on the Hmong community, opened in 2004.
Polish people, Slavs, European Jews, people from the Mediterranean including Greeks, Italians, and Syrians immigrated to Milwaukee after 1880.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee is headquartered in the city. The School Sisters of St. Francis have their motherhouse in Milwaukee, and several other religious orders have a significant presence in the area, including the Jesuits and . Milwaukee, where Joseph Kentenich was exiled for 14 years from 1952 to 1965, is also the center for the Schoenstatt Movement in the US. Milwaukee is home to numerous historic Catholic parishes, including the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The oldest church building in Milwaukee is St. Joan of Arc Chapel, which was built in France and presently located on the Marquette University campus. The Basilica of St. Josaphat was the first church to be given basicila designation in Wisconsin and the third in the US. Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, northwest of Milwaukee in Hubertus, Wisconsin, was also made a basilica in 2006.
The Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee is based in the city, as are several Lutheran bodies, including the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the South Wisconsin District of the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod, which operates Concordia University Wisconsin in the suburb of Mequon; and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, which was founded in Milwaukee in 1850 and has headquarters in the suburb of Waukesha. Milwaukee Lutheran High School and Wisconsin Lutheran High School are the nation's oldest Lutheran high schools.
The St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral is a landmark of the Serbian community in Milwaukee, located by the American Serb hall, which the congregation also operated until putting it up for sale in January 2021 due to financial challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a presence in the Milwaukee area. The Milwaukee area has two stakes, with fourteen wards and four branches among them. The closest temple is the Chicago Illinois Temple. The area is part of the Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission.
The Milwaukee metropolitan area ranks fifth in the United States in terms of the number of Fortune 500 company headquarters as a share of the population. Milwaukee also has a large number of financial service firms, particularly those specializing in mutual funds and transaction processing systems, and a number of publishing and printing companies. Service and managerial jobs are the fastest-growing segments of the Milwaukee economy, and health care alone makes up 27% of the jobs in the city.
Milwaukee was once the home to four of the world's largest beer breweries (Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, and Miller), and was the number one beer producing city in the world for many years. As late as 1981, Milwaukee had the greatest brewing capacity in the world. Despite the decline in its position as the world's leading beer producer after the loss of two of those breweries, Miller Brewing Company remains a key employer by employing over 2,200 of the city's workers. Because of Miller's position as the second-largest beer-maker in the U.S., the city remains known as a beer town. The city and surrounding areas are seeing a resurgence in microbreweries, nanobreweries and brewpubs with the craft beer movement.
The historic Milwaukee Brewery in "Miller Valley" at 4000 West State Street, is the oldest functioning major brewery in the United States. In addition to Miller and the heavily automated Leinenkugel's brewery in the old Blatz 10th Street plant, other stand-alone breweries in Milwaukee include Milwaukee Brewing Company, a microbrewery in Walker's Point neighborhood; Lakefront Brewery, a microbrewery in Brewers Hill; and Sprecher Brewery, a German brewery that also brews craft sodas. Since 2015, nearly two dozen craft brewing companies have been established in the city.
There was intense competition for markets with Chicago, situated across the state line in Illinois, and, to a lesser degree, with Racine and Kenosha in Wisconsin. Eventually, Chicago won out due to its superior financial markets and transportation position, including the Chicago Portage and being the hub of the railroad lines in the United States. Milwaukee did solidify its place as the commercial capital of Wisconsin and an important market in the Midwest.
Because of its easy access to Lake Michigan and other waterways, Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley has historically been home to manufacturing, stockyards, rendering plants, shipping, and other heavy industry. Manufacturing was concentrated on the north side, with a peak of over 50 manufacturers in that industrialized area.
Reshaping of the valley began with the railroads built by city co-founder Byron Kilbourn to bring product from Wisconsin's farm interior to the port. By 1862 Milwaukee was the largest shipper of wheat on the planet, and related industry developed. were built and, due to Milwaukee's dominant German American, breweries sprang up around the processing of barley and hops. A number of tanneries were constructed, of which the Pfister & Vogel tannery grew to become the largest in America.
In 1843 George Burnham and his brother Jonathan opened a brickyard near 16th Street. When a durable and distinct cream-colored brick came out of the clay beds, other brickyards sprang up to take advantage of this resource. Because many of the city's buildings were built using this material it earned the nickname "Cream City", and consequently the brick was called Cream City brick. By 1881 the Burnham brickyard, which employed 200 men and peaked at 15 million bricks a year, was the largest in the world.
Flour mills, packing plants, breweries, railways and tanneries further industrialized the valley. With the drained and the Kinnickinnic and dredged, attention turned to the valley. Along with the processing industries, bulk commodity storage, machining, and manufacturing entered the scene. The valley was home to the Milwaukee Road, Falk Corporation, Cutler-Hammer, Harnischfeger Corporation, Chain Belt Company, Nordberg Manufacturing Company and other industry giants. Early in the 20th century, Milwaukee was home to several pioneer brass era automobile makers, including Ogren (1919–1922).
The Milwaukee Public Museum has been Milwaukee's primary natural history and history museum for 125 years, with over of permanent exhibits. Exhibits feature Africa, Europe, the Arctic, Oceania, and South and Middle America, ancient Western civilizations, dinosaurs, the tropical rainforest, streets of Old Milwaukee, a European Village, live insects and arthropods, a Samson gorilla replica, the Puelicher Butterfly Wing, hands-on laboratories, and animatronics. The museum also contains an IMAX movie theater/planetarium. Milwaukee Public Museum owns the world's largest dinosaur skull.
Discovery World, Milwaukee's largest museum dedicated to science, is just south of the Milwaukee Art Museum along the lakefront. Visitors are drawn by its interactive exhibits, saltwater and freshwater aquariums, as well as touch tanks and digital theaters. A double helix staircase wraps around the kinetic sculpture of a human genome. The S/V Dennis Sullivan Schooner Ship docked at Discovery World is the world's only re-creation of an 1880s-era three-masted vessel and the first schooner to be built in Milwaukee in over 100 years. It teaches visitors about the Great Lakes and Wisconsin's maritime history. Betty Brinn Children's Museum is geared toward children under ten years of age and is filled with hands-on exhibits and interactive programs, offering families a chance to learn together. Voted one of the top ten museums for children by Parents Magazine, it exemplifies the philosophy that constructive play nurtures the mind.
Pabst Mansion was built in 1892 by beer tycoon Frederick Pabst and was once considered the jewel of Milwaukee's famous avenue of mansions called the "Grand Avenue". Interior rooms have been restored with period furniture, to create an authentic replica of a Victorian Mansion. The Milwaukee County Historical Society features Milwaukee during the late 19th century through the mid-20th century, including a research library. The Wisconsin Black Historical Society documents and preserves the historical heritage of African descent in Wisconsin, exhibiting collecting and disseminating materials depicting this heritage. America's Black Holocaust Museum, founded by lynching survivor James Cameron, featured exhibits which chronicle the injustices suffered throughout history by African Americans in the United States. The Jewish Museum Milwaukee is dedicated to preserving and presenting the history of the Jewish people in southeastern Wisconsin and celebrating the continuum of Jewish heritage and culture.
The Harley-Davidson Museum, opened in 2008, pays tribute to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The Mitchell Gallery of Flight at Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport exhibits Milwaukee's aviation history.
Additionally, Milwaukee has a burgeoning mural arts scene. Black Cat Alley is a well-known arts destination in a one-block alleyway in the East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee, recognized for its street art mural installations. It is behind the historic Oriental Theatre and includes both temporary and semi-permanent installations by a variety of artists and art groups. Another highly visible corridor of street art in Milwaukee is on the south side in the Walker's Point neighborhood, especially along 5th and 2nd streets.
Milwaukee hosts a variety of primarily ethnically themed festivals throughout the summer. Held generally on the lakefront Summerfest grounds, these festivals span several days (typically Friday plus the weekend) and celebrate Milwaukee's history and diversity. Festivals for the LGBT (PrideFest) and Polish-Americans (Polish Fest) communities are typically held in June. Summerfest spans 11 days at the end of June and beginning of July. There are French-Americans (Bastille Days), Greek-Americans, Italian (Festa Italiana) and German-Americans (German Fest) festivals in July. The African, Arab-Americans, Irish-Americans (Irish Fest), Mexican, and American Indian events wrap it up from August through September. Milwaukee is also home to Trainfest, the largest operating model railroad show in America, in November.
Milwaukee County hosts the Zoo-A La Carte at the Milwaukee County Zoo, and various ethnic festivals like Irish Fest, Polish Fest, German Fest, and Festa Italiana celebrate various types of cuisine in summer months.
The large concentrations of German and other European immigrants contributed to the musical character of the city. were held regularly. "National Saengerfest; Great crowds assembling at Milwaukee for the Festival". New York Times July 21, 1886.
In the early 20th century, guitarist Les Paul and pianist Liberace were some of the area's most famous musicians. Both Paul, born in Waukesha, and Liberace, born in West Allis, launched their careers in Milwaukee music venues. Paramount Records, primarily a jazz and blues record label, was founded in Grafton, a northern suburb of Milwaukee, in the 1920s and 1930s. Hal Leonard Corporation, founded in 1947, is one of the world's largest music print publishers, and is headquartered in Milwaukee. More recently, Milwaukee has a history of Rock music, hip hop, jazz, soul music, blues, punk rock, ska, industrial music, electronica, world music, and pop music bands.
Milwaukee's most famous music venue is Summerfest. Founded in 1968, Summerfest features 700–800 live musical acts across 12 stages during 11 days over a 12-day period beginning in late June; while the dates adjust each year, Summerfest always includes July 4. On the Summerfest grounds, the largest venue is the American Family Insurance Amphitheater with a 23,000 person capacity. Adjacent is the BMO Harris Pavilion, which has a capacity of roughly 10,000. The BMO Harris Pavilion also hosts numerous concerts and events outside of Summerfest; other stages are also used during the numerous other festivals held on the grounds.
Venues such as Pabst Theater, Marcus Center for Performing Arts, the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts, Marcus Amphitheater (Summerfest Grounds), Riverside Theater, the Northern Lights Theater, and The Rave frequently bring internationally known acts to Milwaukee. 'Jazz in the Park', a weekly jazz show held at downtown Cathedral Square Park, has become a summer tradition; free, public performances with a picnic environment. Nearby Pere Marquette Park hosts "River Rhythms" on Wednesday nights.
The Milwaukee area is known for producing national talents such as Steve Miller (rock), Wladziu Valentino Liberace (piano), Al Jarreau (jazz), Eric Benet (neo-soul), Speech (hip hop), Daryl Stuermer (rock), Streetz-n-Young Deuces (Hip-Hop), BoDeans (rock), Les Paul (jazz), the Violent Femmes (alternative), Coo Coo Cal (rap), Die Kreuzen (punk), Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy (punk), Eyes To The Sky (hardcore), Rico Love (R&B), Andrew Mrotek of The Academy Is... (alt-rock), Showoff (pop-punk), The Promise Ring (indie), Lights Out Asia (post-rock), the Gufs (alt rock), Brief Candles (rock), IshDARR (rap), Decibully (indie), and Reyna (synth-pop).
| Milwaukee Bucks | Basketball | 1968 | Eastern and Central (NBA)Fiserv Forum | |
| Milwaukee Brewers | Baseball | 1970 | National League (MLB) | American Family Field |
| Milwaukee Bavarians | Soccer | 1929 | United Premier Soccer League | Heartland Value Fund Stadium |
| Marquette Golden Eagles | Basketball | 1916 | Big East Conference (NCAA) | Fiserv Forum |
| Milwaukee Panthers | Basketball | 1956 | Horizon League (NCAA) | UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena |
| Milwaukee Admirals | Ice hockey | 1970 | American Hockey League | UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena |
| Milwaukee Wave | Indoor soccer | 1984 | Major Arena Soccer League | UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena |
| Brewcity Bruisers | Roller Derby | 2006 | WFTDA | UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena |
| Milwaukee Milkmen | Baseball | 2018 | American Association of Independent Professional Baseball | Franklin Field |
| USL Milwaukee | Soccer | 2022 | USL Championship | Iron District Stadium |
| FC Milwaukee Torrent | Soccer | 2015 | National Premier Soccer League (Men) Women's Premier Soccer League (Women) | Hart Park |
The city is represented in two of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada–the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball and the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. Milwaukee does not have a National Football League team or a National Hockey League team. For a short time, Milwaukee was home to the NFL's Badgers, from 1922 to 1926. Today, the city is generally considered a second home market for the NFL's Green Bay Packers. The team split its home schedule between Green Bay and Milwaukee from 1933 to 1994, although most home games during that time were played in Green Bay. Of the games played in Milwaukee, the majority were played at County Stadium. County Stadium. stadiumsofprofootball.com. However, by 1991, the Packers claimed that revenue from the Milwaukee games were 60% of the revenue generated from the Green Bay games, and Milwaukee officials did not act upon the Packers' request that County Stadium be replaced with an updated stadium. The Packers' longtime flagship station is Milwaukee-based WTMJ AM 620. Packers Radio Network: Station Listing . Green Bay Packers.
Milwaukee also has a strong history of nonprofessional sports dating back to the 19th century. Abraham Lincoln watched cricket in Milwaukee in 1849 when he attended a game between Chicago and Milwaukee. In 1854, the Milwaukee Cricket Club had 150 members.Flannery, Jerome. The American Cricket Annual for 1890. p. 9.
Milwaukee was the host city of the International Cycling Classic, which included the men's and women's Superweek Pro Tour races, featuring cyclists and teams from across the United States and more than 20 other countries.
The Milwaukee Riverwalk is a continuous pedestrian walkway along the Milwaukee River containing art displays, cafés and restaurants. It extends from the Historic Third Ward district to Caesars Park near Brady Street. It also links to the Hank Aaron State Trail, Lakeshore State Park, and Erie Street Plaza. The Hank Aaron State Trail is a shared-use path that travels east-west between Lakeshore State Park to Wauwatosa via the Menomonee Valley.
Lakeshore State Park consists of on the shores of Lake Michigan. It is situated adjacent to both Discovery World and Henry Maier Festival Park. It is the only urban state park in Wisconsin and features restored prairie and a pebble beach. In addition to the prairie, portions of the park are planted with Poa pratensis.
The Urban Ecology Center offers programming for adults and children from its three branches located in Riverside Park, Washington Park, and the Menomonee Valley (near Three Bridges Park). The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources operates a nature center at Havenwoods State Forest. The city is also served by two nearby suburban nature centers. Wehr Nature Center is operated by Milwaukee County in Whitnall Park, spread across Franklin, Greendale and Hales Corners. Admission is free, and parking costs $5 per vehicle. The Schlitz Audubon Nature Center in Bayside, Wisconsin, charges admittance fees for visitors.
The Monarch Trail, on the Milwaukee County Grounds in Wauwatosa, is a trail that highlights the fall migration of the monarch butterflies.Annysa Johnson. " Activists hope engineering school won't disturb Monarch Trail: Thousands of monarchs fly south annually along path through Milwaukee County Grounds". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, September 14, 2008.
Milwaukee County Farmers Markets, held in season, sell fresh produce, meats, cheeses, jams, jellies, preserves and syrups, and plants. Farmers markets also feature artists and craftspeople. Locations include: Aur Farmers Market, Brown Deer Farmers Market, Cudahy Farmers Market, East Town Farm Market, Enderis Park Farmers Market, Fondy Farmers Market, Mitchell Street Market, Riverwest Gardeners' Market, Silver Spring Farmers Market, South Milwaukee Farmers Market, South Shore Farmers Market, Uptown Farmers Market, Wauwatosa Farmers Market, West Allis Farmers Market, and Westown Market on the Park.
Milwaukee has a history of giving long tenures to its mayors; from Frank Zeidler to Tom Barrett, the city had only four elected mayors (and one acting) in a 73-year period. When 28-year incumbent Henry Maier retired in 1988, he held the record for longest term of service for a city of Milwaukee's size, and when Barrett retired in 2021, he was the longest-serving mayor of any of the United States' 50 largest cities.
In addition to the election of a Mayor and Common Council on the city level, Milwaukee residents elect county representatives to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, as well as a Milwaukee County Executive. The current County Executive is David Crowley.
Milwaukee has been a Democratic stronghold for more than a century at the federal level. At the local level, Socialists often won the mayorship and (for briefer periods) other city and county offices during much of the first sixty years of the 20th century. The city is split between seven State Senate districts, each of which is divided between three state Assembly districts. All but four state legislators representing the city are Democrats; the four Republicans—two in the State Assembly and two in the State Senate—represent outer portions of the city that are part of districts dominated by heavily Republican suburban counties. In 2008, Barack Obama won Milwaukee with 77% of the vote. Tim Carpenter (D), Lena Taylor (D), Robyn Vining (D), LaTonya Johnson (D), Chris Larson (D), Alberta Darling (R), and Dave Craig (R) represent Milwaukee in the State Senate; Daniel Riemer (D), JoCasta Zamarripa (D), Marisabel Cabrera (D), David Bowen (D), Jason Fields (D), LaKeshia Myers (D), Sara Rodriguez (D), Dale P. Kooyenga (R), Kalan Haywood (D), David Crowley (D), Evan Goyke (D), Jonathan Brostoff (D), Christine Sinicki (D), Janel Brandtjen (R), and Mike Kuglitsch (R) represent Milwaukee in the State Assembly.
Milwaukee makes up the overwhelming majority of Wisconsin's 4th congressional district. The district is heavily Democratic, with victory in the Democratic primary often being considered tantamount to election. The district is currently represented by Democrat Gwen Moore. A Republican has not represented a significant portion of Milwaukee in Congress since Charles J. Kersten lost his seat in the 5th district in 1954 to Democrat Henry S. Reuss. The small portions of the city extending into Waukesha and Washington counties are part of the 5th District, represented by Republican Scott L. Fitzgerald.
Milwaukee's Mexican Consulate serves 65 counties in Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.Tom Daykin. " Mexican Consulate to open Milwaukee office". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 6, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2016.
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In 2001 and 2007, Milwaukee ranked among the ten most dangerous large cities in the United States.see e.g., Violent crime rankings, 2001 Milwaukee is ranked seventh among large cities Despite its improvement since then, Milwaukee still fares worse when comparing specific crime types to the national average (e.g., homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) The Milwaukee Police Department's Gang Unit was reactivated in 2004 after Nannette Hegerty was sworn in as chief. In 2006, 4,000 charges were brought against suspects through Milwaukee's Gang Unit. In 2013 there were 105 murders in Milwaukee and 87 homicides the following year.Ashley Luthern. " City homicide numbers down, but pain of families remains great". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, December 31, 2014. In 2015, 146 people were killed in the city.Julie Bosman and Mitch Smith. " As Chicago Murder Rate Spikes, Many Fear Violence Has Become Normal". The New York Times, December 28, 2016. In 2018, Milwaukee was ranked the eighth most dangerous city in the US.Elisha Fieldstadt. " The most dangerous cities in America, ranked". CBS News, March 14, 2018.
Milwaukee is also home to over two dozen private or parochial school high schools and numerous private middle and elementary schools. Eight high schools are operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. In 1990, Milwaukee became the first city in the United States to offer a school voucher program.
Milwaukee's major network television affiliates are WTMJ-TV 4 (NBC), WITI-TV 6 (Fox), WISN-TV 12 (ABC), WVTV 18 (The CW), WCGV-TV 24 (MyNetworkTV), and WDJT 58 (CBS). Spanish-language programming is on WTSJ-LD 38 (Visión Latina) and WYTU-LD 63 (Telemundo). Milwaukee's Milwaukee PBS are WMVS 10 and WMVT 36.
Other television stations in the Milwaukee market include WMKE-CD 7 (Quest), WVCY-TV 30 (FamilyNet), WBME-CD 41 (Me-TV), WMLW-TV 49 (Independent), WWRS 52 (TBN), Sportsman Channel, and WPXE 55 (ION Television)
There are numerous radio stations throughout Milwaukee and the surrounding area.
There are two cable PEG channels in Milwaukee: channels 13 and 25.
Until 2015, Journal Communications (a NYSE-traded corporation) published the Journal Sentinel and well over a dozen local weekly newspapers in the metropolitan area. At that time, Journal was split into the Journal Media Group for publishing, while the television and radio stations went to the E. W. Scripps Company (Journal founded WTMJ-TV, along with WTMJ and WKTI). As a result, it was criticized for having a near-monopoly in local news coverage." Duel in Milwaukee". Time, January 3, 1972.Hoffmann, Gregg. " WisBiz In-Depth: Newspaper chain ownership explodes in state ". wisbusiness.com, January 31, 2005. Journal Media Group merged with Gannett in 2016, while Scripps sold the radio stations in 2018 to Good Karma Brands, effectively splitting off the monopoly completely.
The city is the home of Red Letter Media, independent filmmakers responsible for such works as Space Cop.
Other health care non-profit organizations in Milwaukee include national headquarters of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and the Endometriosis Association.
A 2015 study by Walk Score ranked Milwaukee as the 15th most walkable out of the 50 largest U.S. cities. As a whole, the city has a score of 62 out of 100. However, several of the more densely populated neighborhoods have much higher scores: Juneautown has a score of 95; the Lower East Side has a score of 91; Yankee Hill scored 91; and the Marquette and Murray Hill neighborhoods both scored 89 each. Those ratings range from "A Walker's Paradise" to "Very Walkable."
Mitchell is served by twelve airlines, which offer roughly 240 daily departures and 245 daily arrivals. Approximately 90 cities are served nonstop or direct from Mitchell International. It is the largest airport in Wisconsin and the 34th largest in the nation. The airport terminal is open 24 hours a day. Since 2005, Mitchell International Airport has been connected by the Amtrak Hiawatha train service, which provides airport access via train to Chicago and downtown Milwaukee. Southwest, Frontier Airlines, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air Canada, and Delta Air Lines are among the carriers using Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport gates. In July 2015, it served 610,271 passengers.
In 2010, $800 million in federal funds were allocated to the creation of high-speed rail links from Milwaukee to Chicago and Madison, but the funds were rejected by Wisconsin governor Scott Walker. Hubbuch, Chris. "Walker defends rejecting fed funds for passenger rail" La Crosse Tribune December 4, 2011 In 2016, WisDOT and IDOT conducted studies to upgrade service on the Amtrak Hiawatha line from seven to ten times daily between downtown Milwaukee and downtown Chicago. As a result of the 2021 infrastructure bill and the "Amtrak Connects Us" initiative, the Milwaukee Intermodal Station is again projected to serve passenger trains to Madison and Green Bay, with the goal of the new routes being operational by 2035.
Intercity bus services to the city include Amtrak Thruway, Badger Bus, Flixbus, Greyhound Lines, Indian Trails, Jefferson Lines, Lamers Bus Lines, Megabus, Wisconsin Coach Lines and other intercity bus operators.
A modern streetcar system, The Hop, connects Milwaukee Intermodal Station, downtown Milwaukee, and Ogden Avenue on the city's Lower East Side. The initial M-Line opened for service on November 2, 2018. Service to the lakefront, through the The Couture, on the L-Line opened on October 29, 2023.
Milwaukee has no commuter rail system. Previous efforts to develop one proposed a 0.5% sales tax in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties to fund an expansion of Metra's Union Pacific North Line to Milwaukee Intermodal Station. A 1990s Wisconsin DOT plan determined the path forward for east-west transportation in Milwaukee to be a mix of a comprehensive light rail system, an expansion of I-94 with HOV lanes, and increased bus service to Waukesha County. Despite being awarded $289 million for this plan from the federal government, local Republican leaders rescinded support for light rail. The "locally preferred alternative" would have connected destinations including downtown Milwaukee, UW-Milwaukee, and the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center.
I-43 enters Milwaukee from Beloit in the southwest and continues north along Lake Michigan to Green Bay via Sheboygan and Manitowoc. I-43 southwest of I-41/I-894/US 41/US 45 Hale Interchange is known as the Rock Freeway. I-43 is cosigned with I-894 East and I-41/US 41 South to I-94 is known as the Airport Freeway. At I-94, I-43 follows I-94 to the Marquette Interchange. I-43 continues north known as the North-South Freeway to Wisconsin Highway 57 near Port Washington.
Approved in 2015, Interstate 41 follows I-94 north from the state line before turning west at the Mitchell Interchange to the Hale Interchange and then north to Green Bay via Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and Appleton. I-41/US 41/US 45 from the Hale Interchange to Wisconsin Hwy 145 is known as the Zoo Freeway.
Milwaukee has two auxiliary Interstate Highways, I-894 and I-794. I-894 bypasses downtown Milwaukee on the west and south sides of the city from the Zoo Interchange to the Mitchell Interchange. I-894 is part of the Zoo Freeway and the Airport Freeway. I-794 extends east from the Marquette Interchange to Lake Michigan before turning south over the Hoan Bridge toward Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, turning into Highway 794 along the way. This is known as the Lake Freeway.
Milwaukee is also served by three US Highways. U.S. Highway 18 (US 18) provides a link from downtown to points west heading to Waukesha along Wells Street, 17th/16th Streets, Highland Avenue, 35th Street, Wisconsin Avenue, and Blue Mound Road. US 41 and US 45 both provide north–south freeway transportation on the western side of the city. The freeway system in Milwaukee carries roughly 25% of all travel in Wisconsin. Milwaukee County is also served by several Wisconsin highways, namely 24, 32, 36, 38, 57, 59, 100, 119, 145, 175, 181, 190, 241, and 794.
In 2006, Milwaukee obtained bronze-level status from the League of American Bicyclists, a rarity for a city its size, then silver-level status in 2019.
The Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin holds an annual Bike to Work Week. The event, held in May each year, has frequently featured a commuter race between a car, a bus, and a bike; and also a morning ride into work with the mayor.
In 2008, the city identified over of streets on which bike lanes will fit. It created a plan labeling of those as high priority for receiving bike lanes. As part of the city's Bicycle and Pedestrian Task Force's mission to "make Milwaukee more bicycle and pedestrian friendly", , over 700 bike racks have been installed throughout the city. Since October 2018, when it enacted a Complete Streets policy, the city continuously considers the addition of bicycle facilities to roadways as part of new road projects.
In 2009, the Milwaukee County Transit System began installing bicycle racks to the front of county buses. This "green" effort was part of a settlement of an asbestos lawsuit filed by the state against the county in 2006." County hopes bike racks on buses cancel out asbestos – Plan may settle environmental lawsuit by state ". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The lawsuit cites the release of asbestos into the environment when the Courthouse Annex was demolished.
In August 2014, Milwaukee debuted a bicycle sharing system called Bublr Bikes, which is a partnership between the City of Milwaukee and a local non-profit, Midwest Bike Share (dba Bublr Bikes). , the system operates over 100 stations in the city and neighboring West Allis and Wauwatosa.
Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons stands tall and has 32 stories, making it the second tallest building in Milwaukee.
Fiserv Forum, a new multipurpose arena at 1111 Vel R. Phillips Avenue, has been built to accommodate the Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles, as well as college and professional ice hockey games. Construction on the $524 million project began in November 2015 and opened to the public on August 26, 2018. The arena is intended to be the focal point of a "live block" zone that includes public space surrounded by both commercial and residential developments. The arena has a transparent facade and a curved roof and side that is meant to evoke the water forms of nearby Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River.
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