Quickly Find In The Tabs Below:
|
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is one of the 25 largest cities in the United States with a population of nearly 600,000 people. It is also the largest city in Wisconsin as well as an international seaport. Milwaukee is located in southeast Wisconsin, on the western bank of Lake Michigan, and an hour and thirty minutes west of the state capital, Madison. The Milwaukee metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1.7 million people.
Milwaukee is home to ten Fortune 1000 company headquarters, including such household names as Johnson Controls, Northwestern Mutual, and Harley-Davidson.
Milwaukee is ranked as the 14th "Most Fun U.S. City" in a survey conducted in 2003 by Cranium Inc. Factors taken into account in the ranking include: the number of sports teams, restaurants, dance performances, toy stores, the amount of a city's budget that is spent on recreation, and other factors.
Milwaukee experiences all four seasons and rapidly changing weather. July is the warmest month of the year with an average temperature of 76 degrees Fahrenheit. January is the coldest month, with average temperatures remaining below freezing at 26 degrees Fahrenheit. The "lake effect" of Lake Michigan makes for cooler summers, warmer winters (than surrounding areas further from the lake), and plenty of snow.
The Milwaukee area was originally inhabited by several native American tribes. The first white settler to the area was a French Canadian fur trader who established a trading post in 1795. What was to become Milwaukee was originally three towns founded by three different men in 1833 and 1834. In 1846 the towns were combined and incorporated as the City of Milwaukee.
The name Milwaukee is derived from the Indian word Millioke, which, depending on interpretation, means "the good land", or "gathering place by the water", or "beautiful or pleasant lands".
Milwaukee is a center for the arts and culture, including conservatories, museums, the performing arts, and more. Some of Milwaukee's more notable museums include:
For patrons of the performing arts, Milwaukee offers the following:
Milwaukee is known as the "city of festivals" because of its numerous festivals throughout the year. Milwaukee's many festivals include: Bastille Days, CajunFest, Festa Italiana, German Fest, the Great Circus Parade, the Holiday Folk Fair, Irish Fest, Mexican Fiesta, Polish Fest, Summerfest, and the Wisconsin State Fair.
Milwaukee offers enough professional sports to keep most sports fans very happy. Milwaukee's professional sports teams include:
Of course, as one might expect of a city on one of the Great Lakes, Milwaukee also offers a tremendous number of water-related activities.
Milwaukee has attractions too numerous to do justice in a simple list. Some of Milwaukee's more unique attractions include:
Milwaukee is well known for its diverse cuisine, including American, English, German, Greek, Indian, Mexican, and more. Good sources for information on the latest events, happenings, night clubs, performances, and restaurants can be found in the entertainment section of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee Magazine, or online at OnMilwaukee.com.
=Comparing Milwaukee to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Wisconsin (State):
Ratings range from
(lowest) to
(highest).
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Female Share of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Racial Diversity | ![]() | ![]() |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | ![]() | ![]() |
| Senior Citizens | ![]() | ![]() |
| Well-Paid Single Men | ![]() | ![]() |
| Male Share of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Age of the Population | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | ![]() | ![]() |
| Portion of People Married | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| People in Middle Class or Better | ![]() | ![]() |
| People Above Poverty | ![]() | ![]() |
| College Educated Adults | ![]() | ![]() |
| Median Family Income | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Public Transportation Use | ![]() | ![]() |
| Short Commute Times | ![]() | ![]() |
| Walking and Biking to Work | ![]() | ![]() |
| Working at Home | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| People Living Alone | ![]() | ![]() |
| Affordability of Rents | ![]() | ![]() |
| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | ![]() | ![]() |
| Housing Recently Built | ![]() | ![]() |
| Affordability of Property Taxes | ![]() | ![]() |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | ![]() | ![]() |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Low Property Crime | ![]() | ![]() |
| Low Violent Crime | ![]() | ![]() |
| Milwaukee Careers Milwaukee career and employment information. |
| Milwaukee Colleges Milwaukee colleges and trade schools. |
| Milwaukee Graduate Schools Milwaukee Graduate and Business Schools |
| Milwaukee Hotels & Travel Milwaukee hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
| Milwaukee Mortgage Milwaukee property, mortgage, and real estate. |
|
|
|
Career Stories from workers: daily activities, job tips, best/worst job aspects, training, etc.
Daily Career & Education News from our staff. We're an approved Google News provider!
Resource Center. A starting point for all CityTownInfo career and college resources.
Career Overviews of hundreds of careers: descriptions, salaries, forecasts, schools, more.
Best Careers Not Requiring Degrees: Good pay, job growth, low need for degrees.
Helpful Articles, many in "how-to" format; e.g., "How to Become a Chef".
These lists link to thousands of detailed school profiles.
Colleges by State. Nearly every college and trade school in the country.
Colleges Listed Alphabetically. About 7,000 colleges & trade schools, including online schools.
Colleges by Major City. Browse cities with multiple college options.
Online Colleges. Colleges with online degree programs.
Graduate Schools by State. Colleges offering graduate degree programs.
Graduate Schools by Major City. Find cities with multiple graduate school options.
We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.

Select a photo to view (Source):
Milwaukee (yacht club boat house) between 1880 and 1899
Facade of the library between 1900 and 1905
Dining room (Pfister Hotel) between 1900 and 1905
Are you an official in the Milwaukee government or quasi-government agency such as the chamber of commerce, visitors bureau or economic development council? If so, visit our information page for government officials to see how CityTownInfo can support you.
Webmasters & Bloggers: Please link to this page on Milwaukee. Just copy the HTML below and paste it into your web page or blog.