Milwaukee has one of the most systematic and well organised public transport systems. This city located near Chicago is well connected by rail and roadways as well as airways. It has one major airport and plenty of smaller airports. It has well developed light rail and bus systems. Cab services in Milwaukee are also extremely reliable.
Travel to Milwaukee by Rail
Image Courtesy Avagara at Panoramio.com
Though there is an absence of a local train service in Milwaukee, you can opt for Amtrak’s Hiawatha or choose the Empire Builder lines from the Intermodal Station on St. Paul Avenue located in downtown Milwaukee. Intermodal station is an important hub for transport in downtown Milwaukee. Passengers using Amtrak train service or the Greyhound can travel with ease through well developed rail lines in the city. Indian Trails and Coach US bus services complete the system of public transport.
Intermodal Station
Address- 433 W., St Paul Avenue
Amtrak
This serves the Milwaukee area through the Empire Builder and the Hiawatha Service. Hiawatha line is located between Milwaukee and Chicago city and there are 7 daily trip each way from Monday to Friday and six daily trips on weekends. Tickets for Amtrak cost around USD 22 and the ride takes 1 hour 30 minutes. Amtrak is perfect for traveling in downtown Milwaukee and to the airport. You can traverse the short distance between tourist attractions and downtown hotels via Amtrak.
Telephone Number - 1-800-USA-RAIL
Empire Builder
Empire Builder runs from Chicago to Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Spokane and Portland ultimately. The trip lasts for 44 hours and tickets cost around USD 260. Empire Builder stops only at the Milwaukee Intermodal station with weekly special internet fares to Portland and the Twin Cities.
Travel to Milwaukee by Air
Image Courtesy Gaston08 at Panoramio.com
General Mitchell International Airport
The main Milwaukee airport is the General Mitchell International located in the southeastern part of the city. Airlines that operate on this airport include Air Canada, American Airlines, United, US Airways, Alaska Airlines, Southwest Airlines and Frontier as well as Delta. Direct international flights operate from Canada, Mexico, Jamaica and Dominican Republic to Milwaukee from this airport. General Mitchell International is the largest airport in Wisconsin. The largest carrier at this airport is Southwest.
General Mitchell International Airport
Address- South Howell Avenue, Milwaukee WI
Telephone Number- 14147475300
Other Milwaukee Airports
Chicago’s other main airports include O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport. These are better options for those who want an hourly link between the airport and rail services. For instance, a direct shuttle operates on an hourly basis from Chicago O’Hare Airport to Milwaukee Intermodal Station. Mitchell International is situated on the southern side of Milwaukee city and this site has also been an airfield since the 1920s.
Travel to Milwaukee by Road
Image Courtesy Dan Diebert at Panoramio.com
Milwaukee has state highways along the 11,800 mile system with Interstate, US or State Trunk Highway designations. These highways and roadways are maintained by Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
- Interstate Highways- Wisconsin is home to 4 mainline interstate routes- I-90, I-94, I-43 and I-39.
- US Highways - There are 14 US routes in total namely 2,8, 10, 12,18, 14, 53, 61,63, 41,45, 141 and 151.
- State Trunk Highway- Wisconsin was the first state in the US to establish statewide posted route numbering system in 1917.
- Country Trunk Highway- Each country in Wisconsin maintains CTH or Country Trunk Highway system where routes are designated through letters. For instance CTH running between Racine and Kenosha countries is labeled CTH-KR.
Local Transportation in Milwaukee
Bus System in Milwaukee
Milwaukee buses are the least expensive way to get to another place. Local routes will transport people to different points in the city while Freeway Flyers can traverse from suburbs or outlying communities to downtown parts of the city. Several bus services use Milwaukee Intermodal station for a hub for regional and national bus routes
Greyhound
These bus services serve Appleton, Green Bay, Chicago, Madison and more locations. However, it does not link the city to the airport.
Telephone Number- 8002312222
Coach USA
Coach USA buses also travel from the Intermodal station to Union Station in Chicago. The ride lasts for 2 hours and the fare is USD 47.
Telephone Number- 8773247767
Cream City Rickshaw/Pedicab Services in Milwaukee
This eco-friendly transport service is located in downtown Milwaukee, East Side, Riverwest and Bay View. These pedicabs are a popular transport option in the summers at Milwaukee.
Lake Express
A high speed ferry service operates between Milwaukee and Muskegon, Michigan. This ferry service accommodates 12 bikes, 46 automobiles and 248 persons. It departs from the south shore harbor south of downtown.
Milwaukee Trolley Loop and Streetcar
Milwaukee trolley loop service can be opted for from Thursdays to Saturdays from 11 in the morning to 9 in the evening in the months of June to September.
Telephone- 414562RIDE
Milwaukee Streetcar is set to become operational from the summer of 2016.
Milwaukee County Transit System
The Milwaukee County Transit System connects close to 45 million riders on an annual basis. There are bike racks in the buses and more diesel buses have also been added to this system.
Taxis
Taxi and cab rental services also operate in Milwaukee. You can contact any of the cab services below for a well organized ride through the city.
American United Taxi Cab and All City Veteran Taxi
Address- South 2nd Street, Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number- 4142205000
Yellow Cab Cooperative
Address- North 6th Street, Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number- 4142711800
Franklin Cab Company
Address- South Rutland Avenue, Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number - 14143138734
Ortiz Taxi and Transportation Services
Address- Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number - 14149157130
Cab Motion
Address- Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number - 14148172338
Brew City Taxicab
Address- 1939, Martin Luther King Dr., Milwaukee WI
Telephone Number- 14149304000
AAA Airport Express and Taxi
Address- Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number - 12627812227
Chaffee Limousine Service
Address- West Lincoln Avenue
Telephone Number- 14145410121
Riteway Bus Service Inc
Address- South 10th Street, Milwaukee WI
Telephone Number- 14147623932
A Discount Cab
Address- South 77th Street, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Telephone Number- 14143245319
Showroom Luxury Car Service
Address- West Bluemound Road, Milwaukee WI
Telephone Number- 14142319506
United Health Care
Address- North Sherman Boulevard, Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number- 14148730258
Transit Plus
Address- North 17th Street, Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number- 14143431700
Go Riteway Airport Shuttle
Address- South 16th Street, Milwaukee WI
Telephone Number- 141457005200
Airport & Beyond LLC
Address- South Rolland Road, Milwaukee WI
Telephone Number - 12626133670
MyDriver
Address- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Telephone Number- 14149823750
Go Kid Go
Address- South Howell Avenue, Milwaukee, WI
Telephone Number- 14142128855
A complete map guide to get around Milwaukee
