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Milwaukee

Facts

  • Milwaukee got its name from the Indian word, Millioke, which means:
    “Meeting place of good water.”
  • Natives first arrived in the area 500 years before the Golden Age of Greece
  • Ningbo China and Milwaukee are sister cities
  • Heilongjiang has been Wisconsin's sister province/state for over 30 years. 
  • Milwaukee had a population of 300 natives when the first whites arrived in 1674 led by Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette
  • As early as 1850, almost two-thirds of the city's residents were foreign born, and by 1890, Milwaukee was considered the most "foreign" city in the United States.
  • Thirteen Milwaukee-area companies are among the Fortune 500 largest publicly held companies
  • Milwaukee is the largest city in Wisconsin, the 25th largest city in the nation
  • City of Milwaukee population (2007): 573,358
  • Milwaukee Metro area (2007): 1.7 million

  • Average commute time: 22 minutes, among U.S. major cities’ lowest
  • Milwaukee’s 11-day “Big Gig” known as Summerfest is the largest music festival in the world
  • Started in 1968, Summerfest now has an annual attendance of more than one million people
  • The Milwaukee area's standard-of-living is one of the highest in the country, 12 percent higher than the national average
  • Milwaukee is safe. Of the nation's 45 largest metropolitan areas, Milwaukee had the 11th lowest violent crime rate in 2005, according to the FBI.
  • Milwaukee is often referred to as Cream City. In the 1830's builders used clay from the shores of Lake Michigan. After being formed into a brick and fired, the bricks turn yellow.
  • Milwaukee has had three Socialist mayors: Emil Siedel served from 1910-1912, Dan Hoan from 1914-1938, and Frank Zeidler from 1948-1960.
  • Temperatures range from an average high of 54 degrees (Fahrenheit) in the spring, 79 degrees in the summer, 59 degrees in the fall, and 31 degrees in the winter.
  • Average rainfall is 30 inches.
  • The area receives 47 inches of snowfall, equal to about 5 inches of rain.
  • Nearly 65 million people, or one-fourth of the U.S. population, live within 600 miles of Milwaukee
  • The Port of Milwaukee handles more than 3 million tons of commerce annually and is a principal export site for heavy machinery, food, leather, and lumber
  • Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport is rated the third best airport in the nation by frequent flyers
  • The first workable typewriter was invented in Milwaukee in 1867
  • Over 5 million tourists visit Milwaukee every year

  • Wisconsin Overview
    A depiction of Milwaukee’s business environment and lifestyle. 370kb PDF file