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About Our Area

Welcome to Southeastern Wisconsin, the home of beautiful scenery and friendly people.

Milwaukee has been nicknamed "A Great Place on a Great Lake," a name that really applies to the entire region, from Ozaukee County south to the Illinois state line and from Lake Michigan west to the glacial hills of Waukesha and Washington counties.

Nestled on the western shores of Lake Michigan, this region is the hidden jewel of the Upper Midwest. It blends small town ambiance and big city excitement into a way of living that quickly captures the hearts of newcomers, many of whom never want to move away.

Southeastern Wisconsin offers a wealth of business and social opportunities. Its diversified economy is built on a firm foundation of industrial, high-tech and service jobs.

The area's rich ethnic heritage has spawned a variety of colorful events and award-winning restaurants. But this is no news to people who live here. Southeastern Wisconsin has been a great home town since Native Americans arrived hundreds of years ago.

For festivals and fun, Milwaukee can't be beat. From May through September the city vibrates with a dizzying array of activities, including parades, music festivals, ethnic celebrations and church socials, bicycle races, sailing regattas, block parties and art fairs.

Sports fans can attend professional basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey and arena football games, or they can watch Marquette University or University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's basketball teams battle their NCAA opponents.

There are more than 15,000 acres of parkland in Milwaukee County alone, or about one acre for every 60 residents. This includes several miles of public lakefront along the eastern edge of the downtown.

Surrounding counties have their own special charms. Washington County is home to the recently developed Ice Age Trail and Pike Lake State Park, which provide plenty of peaceful trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. Sparkling lakes and fish-filled rivers are sprinkled throughout Waukesha County, another popular destination for nature enthusiasts.

Ozaukee County features a wealth of historic treasures. The Cedar Creek Mill and the Wittenberg Woolen Mill are located amid a cluster of specialty shops, art galleries and restaurants in Cedarburg.

There's Wisconsin's last covered bridge at Covered Bridge Park in the Town of Cedarburg; Port Washington's Pebble House, which was built in 1848 with 20-inch thick rubble stone walls; and Ozaukee County Pioneer Village, a living museum that features homes, barns and outbuildings constructed in the 1800s.

Racine County is an economic and cultural center of its own, home to several international corporations and a beautiful 1,000-slip marina and festival park that is the social center of the city. Here you will find the inspiring creations of world-renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright, a bustling street market known as Seven Mile Fair and a lakefront zoo.

And for those who are itching to drive, there are many nearby attractions, both man-made and natural. Chicago and Madison are less than 90 minutes away, while Wisconsin's North Woods, Michigan's Upper Peninsula and beautiful Door County can be reached in just a few hours.

Before we begin extolling the area's virtues, let's get an idea of what is meant when people talk about metropolitan Milwaukee.

The city of Milwaukee is located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, about 90 miles north of Chicago. With a population of 612,740, it is the largest city in Wisconsin and the 17th-largest city in the nation.

As defined by the federal government, the Milwaukee metropolitan area includes the four counties that surround the city - Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha. Nearly 1.5 million people live in the four-county region, which makes it the 36th-largest metropolitan area in the country.

Although located just 20 minutes south of Milwaukee, Racine is classified as its own metropolitan area, with an estimated population of 85,000.

Southeast Wisconsin is ideally located. Nearly 64 million people, or one-fourth of the nation's population, live within 600 miles of Milwaukee. Yet nature is always close by - whether you want to sail on Lake Michigan or hike a bluff that was carved out by glaciers more than 11,000 years ago.

Climate

Milwaukee is located on roughly the same latitude as Eugene, Oregon; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Boston,Massachusetts; and Genoa, Italy. Because of the metropolitan area’s northern location, its residents can truly enjoy the beauty found in each of the four seasons whether it be the cherry and apple blossoms of spring, the refreshing lake breezes of summer, the brilliant colors of fall or the glistening, peaceful snows of winter.

Lake Michigan, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, moderates temperatures, taking the sizzle out of the summer sun and warming winter winds.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures range from an average high of 53 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the spring, 78 degrees in the summer, 59 degrees in the fall and 29 degrees in the winter.

Average precipitation is 33 inches. The area receives 47 inches of snowfall, which equals approximately 6 inches of rain.

You will be hard-pressed to find a weekend in Milwaukee when there is nothing to do. Professional sports teams play year-round.

Theater, dance and opera companies keep the stages filled. And there are dozens of small clubs offering a variety of music, including blues, jazz, swing and rock ’n’ roll. If your musical tastes are more classical, you might enjoy a night with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra or an afternoon of chamber music.

Perhaps you’re just hungry. If so, you will be amazed at the variety of excellent ethnic restaurants in the metropolitan area. Whatever your tastes, you will quickly discover there is no shortage of things to do in Milwaukee.

Metropolitan Milwaukee is home to several nationally and internationally known companies, including Briggs & Stratton, CNH Global (formerly J.I. Case) GE Medical Systems, Golden Books Publishing Co., Harley-Davidson, Johnson Controls, Manpower, Master Lock, Miller Brewing Company, Quad/Graphics, Rockwell International and S.C. Johnson.

The area's major manufacturing industries include agricultural equipment, electronic controls, printing, mining machinery and sophisticated medical equipment.

In recent years, Milwaukee's service sector has been the primary job engine, creating nearly 60 percent of all new jobs. Milwaukee is also noted for electronic commerce.

Two of the world's largest financial data processing firms - Metavante (formerly M&I Data) and e-Funds Corporation - are world leaders in electronic transactions and on-line banking.

The Milwaukee area is served by five integrated health care systems - Aurora Health Care, Covenant Healthcare, Horizon Healthcare, ProHealth Care and All Saints Health System. Together, these systems employ more than 33,000 people in the Milwaukee area in a variety of medical and non-medical positions.

In addition, there are many employment opportunities at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, which includes the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Blood Center of Southeastern Wisconsin and Curative Rehabilitation Services.

What's New In MILWAUKEE: The Genuine American City

Miller Park: Milwaukee's New Ballpark
The inaugural 2001 season brought record crowds to Miller Park home of the Milwaukee Brewers. This state-of-the-art ballpark, a beautiful addition to Milwaukee,reflects the architectural heritage of the city and Wisconsin while keeping a sense of baseball's rich traditions that fans love. Miller Park is the only ballpark in North America that boasts a fan-shaped, convertible roof and a natural grass playing field.

The Brewers promise you will enjoy the finest in ballpark amenities and fan comfort ballpark amenities and fan comfort, including our city's favorite baseball traditions; "tailgating" along the Menomonee River, "Secret Stadium Sauce" - a must on a bratwurst, Bernie Brewer's homerun celebration, and the famous Sausage Race.

Milwaukee Art Museum
Adorning Milwaukee's lakefront is the Milwaukee Art Museum's (MAM) $100 million expansion designed by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava. This monumental project with its wing-like brise soleil, described as a moving sunscreen with a span larger than a Boeing 747, gives Milwaukee's skyline a unique signature masterpiece.

The expansion features dramatic new gallery space, a lake-view restaurant, a 300-seat auditorium, museum store and elegant public gardens.

Potawatomi Bingo Casino
The newly expanded entertainment center features 1,000 slots, 24 blackjack tables and a Bingo hall that seats over 2,000 players! In addition, the "Northern Lights Theater" plays host to the hottest entertainment anywhere.

William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising and Design
Can you believe that the average person sees more than 20,000 television commercials in a year?

Find out how advertising impacts our culture at this one-of-a-kind museum where visitors can try recording a 30-second radio commercial and explore changing exhibitions, each telling a different story through television and radio commercials, billboards, package designs, magazine ads and interactive displays. Visit the gift shop, ArtSpace II, featuring advertising memorabilia, fine design objects, works of contemporary artists, books and more.

Wisconsin Lake Schooner Project
Enjoy Milwaukee's skyline and experience traditional sailing aboard the 133', three-masted S/V Denis Sullivan, a re-created 19th century Great Lakes schooner. Be a part of the crew on a three-hour sail on Lake Michigan. Day sails are offered from June 1 through September 30.

River Walk & Downtown Streetscape
The River Walk winds along the Milwaukee River with access to some ofMilwaukee's best restaurants, brewpubs, exciting nightlife and shops. Eye-catching art displays adorn the River Walk.

Milwaukee Public Museum Puelicher Butterfly Wing
No visit to Milwaukee is complete without a trip to the Milwaukee Museum. From dinosaurs to bacteria - trace the planet's ever-changing biosphere in "Exploring Life on Earth," the Museum's newest exhibit.

Over 600 butterflies from around the world take flight in a lush, tropical garden featuring blooming plants and a cascading waterfall in the Puelicher Butterfly Wing. This exhibit also includes a learning gallery with a working butterfly laboratory where you can study butterflies and moths through interactive stations.

The Museum is one of the country's best in natural history, featuring more than 6 million artifacts and specimens, including a Costa Rican Rain Forest, the world's largest dinosaur skull and a modern day powwow.

The Basilica of St. Josaphat
One of Milwaukee's most treasured churches, the Basilica of St. Josaphat dedicated its new visitor's center as the Pope John Paul II Pavilion. The new pavilion shares the same beautiful historic architecture of the church, featuring 17 stain glass windows mouth blown from Germany and France, a donor's chapel and a gift shop.

Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum
You will be transported to Italy when you visit the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum. This magnificent 1923 Italian Renaissance-style villa showcases one of only a few Italian Renaissance Gardens in the United States.

Scaletta d'Aqua, a dramatic stone stairway with a water cascade is the focal point of this unparalleled site of beauty. Wander through the secret gardens and stroll through the meadow and orchard overlooking Lake Michigan.

Paradise Landing at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center
Paradise Landing is the first urban indoor waterpark of its kind in America! Offers families a unique tropical getaway 365 days a year.

Paradise Landing boasts 20,000 square feet of fun and excitement, including a 3-story Jamaican village with four water slides, an idyllic lagoon, a kiddy pool and a hydro-therapy spa. There's even an interactive game center for the kids, plus Cabana Cove, where families can enjoy "A Taste of Paradise." Hotel construction also included 230 new rooms.

Reiman Publications Visitor Center and Taste of Home Restaurant
Located in the historic suburb of Greendale, this unique attraction is regarded as an ideal group tour destination. Reiman Publications, publisher of magazines such as Reminisce, Taste of Home, and Birds & Blooms, welcomes guests to their Visitor Center where they can see a working test kitchen, talk with an editor, artist or company representative and shop at an outlet of the Country Store catalog division.

Guests can stroll the charming village of Greendale filled with many wonderful shops and restaurants, including the Taste of Home Restaurant, offering a combination of down-home ambience and elegant dining.

Wisconsin State Fair Park
Improvements to the Wisconsin State Fair Park include a new Grand Entry Way, renovation of the dairy cattle barn, relocation of the midway, razing of the poultry and rabbit barn, razing the old youth dorm and a new fence line. This first phase of the redesign project was completed in August 2000.

The Harley-Davidson Museum
A $30 million project will showcase the Harley-Davidson motorcycling experience through an interactive museum and exhibits and presentations about Harley-Davidson history, culture and lifestyle. It will feature exhibits from the company's collection of vintage vehicles, memorabilia and current products. The project, will include a Harley-Davidson restaurant, banquet facilities, specialty and retail shopping and an outdoor special events area.

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