Port Washington

About Port Washington

Port Washington is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. Located on Lake Michigan's western shore east of Interstate 43, the community is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area 27 miles (43 km) north of Milwaukee. The city's artificial harbor at the mouth of Sauk Creek was dredged in the 1870s and was a commercial port until the early 2000s. The population was 12,353 at the 2020 census.

When French explorers arrived in the area in the 17th century, they found a Native American village at the mouth of Sauk Creek—the present location of historic downtown Port Washington. The United States Federal Government forcibly expelled the Native Americans in the 1830s, and the first settlers arrived in 1835, calling their settlement "Wisconsin City" before renaming it "Port Washington" in honor of President George Washington. In the late 1840s and early 1850s, the community was a candidate to be the Washington County seat. Disagreements between municipalities and election fraud prevented Washington County from having a permanent seat of government until the Wisconsin State Legislature intervened, creating Ozaukee County out of the eastern third of Washington County and making Port Washington the seat of the new county.

For much of its history, Port Washington has been tied to the Great Lakes. Early settlers used boats to transport goods including lumber, fish, and grains, although the community's early years were marred by shipwrecks, which led the U.S. Federal Government to construct Port Washington Harbor in 1871. Commercial fishing prospered in Port Washington until the mid-20th century, and beginning in the 1930s, the Port Washington Generating Station used the harbor to receive large shipments of coal to burn for electricity. The commercial harbor closed in 2004 when the power station switched to natural gas for fuel, but the community maintains an active marina for recreational boaters. In the 21st century, Port Washington celebrates its lacustrine heritage with museums, public fish fries, sport fishing derbies, and sailboat races.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Port Washington weather: 7-day forecast

Source: National Weather Service (NOAA).

Live webcams in Port Washington

Webcams: Windy.com

Living in Port Washington

Median household income

$81,948

Median home value

$296,300

Median rent

$1,008/mo

Median age

40.5

Map of Port Washington

Tap any street on the map to see it in Street View below. Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Port Washington Street View

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Port Washington, WI population

Port Washington had 12,353 residents in the 2020 Census.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Decennial Census.

Port Washington at a glance

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Gazetteer, ZCTA), USGS GNIS, Wikidata.

Towns near Port Washington

• Saukville3.5 mi W
• Fredonia6.0 mi NW
• Grafton6.4 mi SW
• Belgium7.1 mi N
• Waubeka7.6 mi NW
• Newburg8.9 mi W
• Cedarburg9.0 mi SW
• Random Lake11.4 mi N
• Cedar Grove11.8 mi N
• Thiensville12.6 mi SW
• Mequon14.9 mi SW
• Bayside15.2 mi S

Straight-line distance between town centers.

Frequently asked questions about Port Washington