Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport: A Guide

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General Mitchell International Airport

Address

5300 S Howell Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207, USA

Get directions

Phone +1 414-747-5300

Web Visit website

With just one terminal consisting of three concourses (plus an international terminal for flights to Mexico and Jamaica), General Mitchell International Airport is a quick 20-minute drive south of downtown Milwaukee just north of Oak Creek. It offers dining choices from local restaurants and easy-to-navigate parking and public-transit connections. Non-stop flights are available to 45 destinations. Nine airlines service the airport, including Delta, United, American and Southwest.

General Mitchell International Airport Code, Location & Contact Information

• Airport Code: MKE
• Location: 5300 S. Howell Ave., Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Website
• Flight Tracker/Departure and arrival info
• Map
• Phone Number: 414-747-5300

Know Before You Go

Don’t be fooled by the relatively small size of this airport. Although it’s rare, there can still be lines at security or a traffic delay from the remote parking lot. This airport has just one terminal with three concourses — Concourses A, B and C — with a small international terminal just north of the parking structure for the few flights servicing Mexico and Jamaica. Note that flights to Toronto depart out of the main terminal. Wear comfortable walking shoes because there is no Airtrain or bus between terminals. Fortunately, you’ll never walk more than 15 minutes between the gate and either check-in or baggage claim. Staff are friendly and relaxed, a testament to the airport’s small size and Midwestern hospitality.

General Mitchell International Airport Parking

All of the remote parking lots serviced by third parties — such as Wally Park — are on South Howell Avenue directly across from the airport. Rates vary from $6 to $15 per day. There is a parking structure attached to the airport with a maximum cost of $24 per 24-hour period or $2 per hour (first 30 minutes are free). The Surface and SuperSaver lots charge between $8 and $15 per day or $2 per hour. Note that if you are an Amtrak passenger, parking in the lot next to the train station runs a maximum of $8 per day.

Driving Directions

There is a dedicated exit (East Layton Avenue) off I-94 that ends at Mitchell International Airport. Like most cities, traffic tends to be heaviest during morning and evening rush-hour traffic. From downtown Milwaukee, the trip takes around 20 minutes by car. Many people utilize 794, which is a freeway spur stretching from downtown Milwaukee to the airport, passing through the communities of Cudahy and St. Francis. If coming from the western suburbs, expect the trip to take between 20 and 45 minutes (with no traffic), using 894 as a shortcut in lieu of common traffic congestion along I-94 or I-43, which extends to the North Shore communities (including Mequon, Whitefish Bay and Grafton).

Public Transportation and Taxis

The Green Line bus route begins and ends at the airport. One-way fare is $2.25 and exact change is required. To catch the bus, wait outside Baggage Claim at Exit 1, past the median and all the way to the left. Service runs every 20 minutes between 3:59 a.m. and 2:33 a.m. daily on a route between Bayshore Town Center in Glendale and the airport, passing through Bay View, the Third Ward, downtown, the East Side, Shorewood and Whitefish Bay. A free shuttle takes passengers between the Amtrak station (Milwaukee Airport Rail Station) and the airport; the Hiawatha line stretches between downtown Chicago and Milwaukee Intermodal Station.

Both Uber and Lyft drop off and pick up at Mitchell International Airport, as well as private taxi services and Go Airport Shuttle. The cost for a one-way shuttle to downtown Milwaukee is around $18. Residents of western suburbs can also take the Coach USA Airport Express to the airport. From Waukesha, a round-trip ticket costs around $18 for a 50-minute trip. 

Where to Eat and Drink 

Fortunately, Mitchell International Airport isn’t all chains although you’ll find French Meadow Bakery and Cafe and Chili’s in Concourse C. Concourse E has very limited selections. Valentine Coffee Roasters is in Concourses C and D, with a third location in the main terminal, pairing breakfast sandwiches, baked goods and wraps with espresso and coffee drinks. (Need your Starbucks fix? A café in the main terminal is open 24 hours a day.)

Pizzeria Piccola in Concourse C plus Nonna Bartolotta’s in Concourse D are part of the Bartolotta Restaurants, serving Italian cuisine, pizzas and gelato in a sit-down restaurant with a grab-and-go counter. Leinenkugel’s Leinie Lounge serves Milwaukee classics—brats and beer—in Concourse D. Vino Volo is a new arrival to the airport; find this wine bar in Concourse C. First-time visitors to Milwaukee will want to order frozen custard at Northpoint in the main terminal. Speaking of the main terminal, a small food court is home to Quizno’s Sub and Famous Famiglia, and Miller Brewhouse serves Miller beer on tap plus typical pub fare.

Where to Shop

If bringing cheese curds to loved ones is on the agenda, don’t buy until you get to the airport. Many retail shops sell Clockshadow Creamery curds, crafted in Milwaukee’s Walker’s Point neighborhood, so fresh they squeak. Green Bay Packers apparel—including foam cheesehead hats—is also not hard to find. Brew City Brand Apparel, in Concourses C and D, is a fun local company with quirky T-shirts, socks, jackets and glass cozies to its name. These make really good souvenirs. Lingering in the atrium could pay off: Renaissance Books, a used bookstore, has a wide selection of reads, from trending fiction to rare books.

WiFi and Charging Stations

WiFi is available for free for 60 minutes through Boingo; after that it’s $4.95 per hour. Twenty-four hours of access runs $7.95. Outlets specifically for charging electronic devices, including phones, are available in banks of seats near the gate. Look for the tall white towers between rows of seats. Throughout the hallways you can find outlets near the floor or on exterior walls within the gate area.

Tips for Your Trip

• Midweek tends to be less busy, with lines on Monday mornings and during the holidays.
• In the main terminal there's a non-profit aviation museum (Mitchell Gallery of Flight).
• Breastfeeding and lactation suites by Mamava are available throughout the airport.
• Children’s play areas are in Concourses C and D.