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Milwaukee, Wisconsin

18 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1892 and the latest in 1980. It stands in Milwaukee City. It lies in ZIP code area 53202. It stands on Menomonee River. The Survey maps it on the Milwaukee quadrangle. 577,222 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 617 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Milwaukee within Milwaukee County

On record in Milwaukee

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 12 of 216 shown

Every listing in Milwaukee County

Population over time

3 figures

Milwaukee fell from 628,088 to 577,222 between 1990 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

YearPeople Change
1990628,088
2010594,833-33,255 (-5%)
2020577,222-17,611 (-3%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

8 surveys from 18 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

24 since 2018

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 24 fires within 5 miles of Milwaukee between 2018 and 2020, burning about 12 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined18
Debris and open burning3
Smoking1
Equipment and vehicle use1
Recreation and ceremony1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
7 August 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1767699
11 August 2018Debris and open burning1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1806070
1 August 2018Debris and open burning1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1803975
30 July 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources2005439
24 July 2020Missing data/not specified/undetermined1.0 acresWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1762641
19 July 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1805394
8 June 2020Debris and open burningunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1746257
19 June 2020Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreWisconsin Department of Natural Resources1750036

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Milwaukee County

Mines and quarries near this place

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Milwaukee: 1 plant, 1 past producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Iron, REE, Thorium. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Cerac Inc.REE, ThoriumPast Producer
Dcs MillIronPlant

Every working recorded in Milwaukee County

Storms near this place

60 of 77 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Milwaukee in 77 storm reports between 1993 and 2026: 33 thunderstorm wind, 20 hail, 9 flood, 8 lightning. The reports record 6 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
February 1999Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee3 hurt, $25,000no account filed
July 2010LightningWest Milwaukee2 hurtTwo sisters, 25 years old and 30 years old, attempting to run home from a nearby sandwich shop, were injured when struck by lightning. They were taken to a nearby hospital and admitted for treatment of their injuries.
July 1998Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee1 hurt, $1,000no account filed
July 1997LightningMilwaukee$1,000,000Lightning caused a massive fire at a towing business on the south side of Milwaukee. The building and its contents were a total loss.
June 1999Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$200,000no account filed
June 1999Flash FloodMilwaukee$75,000no account filed
August 2016Flash FloodWest Milwaukee$50,000Two to three inches or rain in approximately 1 hour resulted in the flooding of creeks and streets. Several cars were stalled or stranded, especially on Layton Avenue just west of Howell Avenue. A car drove into a drainage ditch when the driver could not tell where the parking lot ended and a drainage ditch began. Knee deep water was reported on the streets. Some basements flooded, and manhole covers were reported blown off by the overflowing storm sewers.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$50,000Powerful wind gusts to an estimated 61 knots (70 mph) took the roof of a lumberyard off, which took down nearby power-lines. Around 45 customers were without power for a time as a result. Large trees and powerlines were toppled.
July 2006Flash FloodMilwaukee$50,000Two lanes on westbound and eastbound I-94 were closed due to flash flooding near the Marquette Interchange. Some water damaged occurred to construction equipment, and there was some soil erosion.
September 2005Flash FloodMilwaukee$50,000Widespread flooding across most of Milwaukee County. Several feet of water was reported on Interstate 43 at North Avenue, causing it to close for several hours. Three cars were stranded as water rose very rapidly. One to three feet of water was also reported on roadways at the UW-Milwaukee campus. On the UW-Milwaukee campus, over 4 inches of rain fell during the evening. Some basements were flooded in low lying areas, resulting in damage to contents.
August 1993Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$50,000Over extreme southeast Wisconsin isolated severe thunderstorms knocked down trees and power lines and produced a funnel cloud and three waterspouts.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$50,000no account filed
April 2026Thunderstorm WindWest Milwaukee$30,000A large tree down on cars at the intersection of 20th St. and West Greenfield Ave.
September 2000LightningMilwaukee$30,000no account filed
July 1999Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$30,000no account filed
May 1999Flash FloodMilwaukee$25,000no account filed
June 1997LightningSouth Milwaukee$20,400Lightning struck an antenna and traveled into garage, setting fire to two cars, a truck camper, motorcycle and other things in the garage.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$20,000Trees and power lines down on West Tower Rd.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$20,000Trees and power lines down on 25th and Wells.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$20,000Trees and power lines down on Wright and Holton.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$20,000Trees and power lines down on 76th street.
June 2005HailSouth Milwaukee$20,000Hail dented cars and siding, and broke a patio glass table top along with a window.
August 2005Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$20,000no account filed
August 1998FloodMilwaukee$20,000no account filed
July 2006LightningMilwaukee$15,000Lightning struck a home in the 1800 block of W. Greenfield Ave., resulting in a roof fire.
June 2022Thunderstorm WindSouth Milwaukee$12,000Numerous trees and tree limbs down at Grant Park.
August 1996Thunderstorm WindNorth Milwaukee$11,000no account filed
June 2022Thunderstorm WindSouth Milwaukee$10,000Numerous trees and branches down.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$10,000Trees and power lines down on N. 13th St.
September 2022Thunderstorm WindWest Milwaukee$7,000Downed tree on top of a car.
May 2000LightningMilwaukee$5,000no account filed
May 1999LightningMilwaukee$4,000no account filed
May 1999LightningMilwaukee$4,000no account filed
May 2024FloodWest Milwaukee$3,000A car lost control and hit the median wall after driving through deep, ponded water during heavy rain in the left lane of southbound Interstate 94/43 on the high rise bridge. The lane was briefly closed while Milwaukee Public Works addressed the high water issue.
September 2000Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$2,000no account filed
June 2016Thunderstorm WindSouth Milwaukee$1,000A rotted 2-3 foot diameter tree snapped at its base.
May 2000Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$1,000no account filed
February 1999FloodMilwaukee$1,000no account filed
July 1997Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$1,000no account filed
July 1997Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee$800no account filed
June 2015Thunderstorm WindNorth Milwaukee$500Two large tree branches down.
May 2024HailSouth Milwaukee-Photo provided on Facebook.
May 2024HailSouth Milwaukee-Photo provided on Facebook.
April 2006HailMilwaukee-Reported at 27th and Oklahoma.
April 2006Funnel CloudSouth Milwaukee-A trained spotter reported a cold air funnel cloud at the intersection of Highway 32 and Drexel.
April 2006HailMilwaukee-Report provided by WISN TV 12 studios.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee-Trees down.
July 2006HailMilwaukee-Some small tree branches down due to hail.
March 2005HailMilwaukee-Located on the UW-Milwaukee campus.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee-Measured by the Fox TV-6 school network site at UW-Milwaukee. Large tree branches down.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee-A line of severe thunderstorms accompanied by hail up to one inch in diameter and winds to 60 mph knocked down many trees and power lines and caused minor property damage across southern Wisconsin. Several funnel clouds were also observed.
May 2024HailSouth Milwaukee-no account filed
May 2024HailSouth Milwaukee-no account filed
April 2016HailWest Milwaukee-no account filed
August 2015HailSouth Milwaukee-no account filed
November 2013HailSouth Milwaukee-no account filed
July 2006HailMilwaukee-no account filed
August 2006HailMilwaukee-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee-no account filed
June 2005Thunderstorm WindMilwaukee-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Milwaukee County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Shorewood3.6 miles18
West Milwaukee3.9 miles18
Whitefish Bay5.1 miles18
Saint Francis5.2 miles16
Wauwatosa5.4 miles20
West Allis5.5 miles20
Cudahy6.0 miles17
Glendale6.8 miles19

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on MilwaukeeAn encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q37836The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1577901. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.