Milwaukee

This article is about the city in Wisconsin. For the former town in Wisconsin, see Milwaukee (town), Wisconsin. For other uses, see Milwaukee (disambiguation).

Milwaukee
City
Downtown Milwaukee Milwaukee City Hall Milwaukee Riverwalk Harley Museum Milwaukee Art Museum American Family Field Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory
Flag Seal Logo
Nicknames:  Cream City, Brew City, MKE, City of Festivals, The Mil, The 414
Interactive map of Milwaukee
Milwaukee Location within Wisconsin Milwaukee Location within the United States
Coordinates: 43.05°N 87.95°W / 43.05; -87.95
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Milwaukee, Washington, Waukesha
Incorporated	January 31, 1846 (1846-01-31)
Founded by	Solomon Juneau, Byron Kilbourn, and George H. Walker
Named after	Potawatomi for "gathering place by the water"
Government
• Type	Strong mayor-council
• Body	Milwaukee Common Council
• Mayor	Cavalier Johnson (D)
Area
• City	96.82 sq mi (250.75 km2)
• Land	96.19 sq mi (249.12 km2)
• Water	0.63 sq mi (1.63 km2)
Elevation	617 ft (188 m)
Population  (2020)
• City	577,222
• Estimate  (2025)	562,407
• Rank	85th in North America 31st in the United States 1st in Wisconsin
• Density	6,001.1/sq mi (2,317.0/km2)
• Urban	1,306,795 (US: 38th)
• Urban density	2,818/sq mi (1,088.2/km2)
• Metro	1,574,731 (US: 40th)
• CSA	2,049,805 (US: 33rd)
Demonym	Milwaukeean
GDP
• Metro	$130.857 billion (2022)
• Per capita	$83,098 (2022)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Codes	53172, 532XX 53172, 53201–53216, 53218–53228, 53233–53234, 53237, 53259, 53263, 53267–53268, 53274, 53278, 53288, 53290, 53293, 53295
Area code	414
FIPS code	55-53000
GNIS feature ID	1577901
Website	city.milwaukee.gov

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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 had a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, making it the 31st-most populous city in the United States and the fifth-most populous city in the Midwest. The Milwaukee metropolitan area has over 1.57 million residents and ranks as the 40th-largest metropolitan area in the nation. The city is the county seat of Milwaukee County.

Lying at the confluence of the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic rivers, present-day Milwaukee was inhabited by various Algonquian peoples. Following the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, European and American settlers established the city as a hub for trade and industry by capitalizing on its location as a port. Milwaukee was incorporated in 1846. The city attracted immigrants from Germany and elsewhere in Europe, and Milwaukee remains a center of German American culture. In the late-19th and 20th centuries, Milwaukee became known as a national leader in beer production led by the Miller, Pabst, and Schlitz breweries. The city also became known for its strong labor movement and sewer socialism.

Milwaukee is an ethnically and culturally diverse city, though it continues to be one of the most racially segregated cities in the U.S. as a result of early-20th century redlining. Its regional GDP was 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 institutions of higher education, including Marquette University, Milwaukee School of Engineering, and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. The city's major professional sports teams are the Milwaukee Brewers (MLB) and Milwaukee Bucks (NBA).