Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is the primary airport serving Milwaukee, parts of Southern and Eastern Wisconsin, and parts of Northern Illinois.
The airport is located near Holler Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, about 8 miles (~13 km) south of downtown Milwaukee.
In 2024, MKE saw 6.3 million passengers, making it the busiest airport in the state.
Major Airlines - Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines captures nearly 40% of the market share at MKE. The airline flies direct to 19 destinations and operates more than 600 flights in a regular month.
The legacy carriers, Delta and American, rank next, serving 7 destinations each. These routes allow passengers to connect to larger hubs throughout the USA. United also flies to Milwaukee. Their regional subsidiaries, Delta Connection, American Eagle, and United Express, respectively, add more direct flights from MKE to medium-sized hubs.
Alaska Airlines links Milwaukee to its primary hub at Seattle/Tacoma.
The low-cost segment at Milwaukee Mitchell is served by Spirit Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and Sun Country Airlines, the latter providing seasonal non-stop flights to several holiday destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean.
The airport supports international arrivals via its International Arrivals Building for flights without U.S. pre-clearance.
Click here to see all airlines at MKE along with their routes.
Terminal Layout and Gates
The airport has a single terminal with a central building and two concourses (C and D) with a total of 38 gates:
Concourse C: Gates 9 to 25, used by Southwest, United, and Sun Country.
Concourse D: Gates 27 to 56, used by Alaska, American, Frontier, Delta, JetBlue, and Spirit.
Concourse E is closed until further notice.
Security screening is done at each concourse. If you transfer between concourses, you need to be rescreened.
The International Arrivals Building (IAB) handles inbound international flights (excluding pre-cleared flights from Canada or elsewhere). If you’re arriving from abroad, you can take advantage of the free shuttle service from the IAB to the main terminal and the parking lots.
If you get caught in MKE during a long layover, you can hop over to the city and explore some of the best things to do in Milwaukee!
Free WiFi and other services
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout MKE. To connect, select "MKE Free WiFi" from the list of available networks and launch your browser if it doesn’t open automatically. There, you can choose to connect to the complimentary unlimited WiFi or purchase access to an even faster connection.
Additional services at the airport include:
Mamava Nursing Suite: Lactation suites that include power sockets, fold-down shelves, comfortable seating, and a mirror. You can find them across from the Miller Brewhouse, near Gate C21, and near the Children’s play area in Concourse D.
Make-A-Wish Kids Zones: Filled with aviation-themed climb-ons and fun activities. Located across from Chili's restaurant in Concourse C and near gate D30.
Mitchell Gallery of Flight: An aviation museum in the terminal showing Wisconsin’s flight history.
Service Animal Relief Area
ATMs / Mailboxes / Travelers Aid: ATMs and mailboxes are located in the terminal, and there is a Travelers Aid desk.
Pet Relief Area: Both indoor (near the skywalk to the parking garage) and outdoor (outside Baggage Reclaim).
Lost and Found: Contact TSA's Lost & Found at 414-238-6015 or [email protected] for items lost at the Security Checkpoints or Travelers Aid at 414-747-5245, for items lost anywhere else within the terminal.
Traveler’s Aid: A non-profit organization that assists stranded and distressed passengers. Located in the main terminal.
BMO Harris Bank: Landside in the Main Terminal.
Lounges at MKE
There is a Delta Sky Club located in Concourse D, at the Intersection across from the Great American Bagel and Bakery. It’s open every day from 4:30 AM to 7:00 PM (5:30 PM on Sundays). The lounge offers snacks, alcoholic and soft drinks, TVs, flight monitors, premium Wi-Fi, and more. Access is available to premium travelers of Delta up to 3 hours before departure (except for cardholders on a layover who are not subject to this limitation).
A USO Lounge for U.S. military and their families is in the main terminal, landside, before the entrance to Concourse D. It is open from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Monday and Tuesday, and until 6:00 PM from Wednesday to Sunday. This lounge offers Wi-Fi, public computers, TV, food, and drinks.
There are also several conference rooms (Sijan, Lovell, and Maitland) on the upper level of the terminal.
Dining Options at Milwaukee Airport
Dining options span the main terminal and both concourses. Choices are not as wide as at bigger international airports but you will probably be satisfied with the variety.
In the main terminal, there’s Miller Brewhouse, featuring burgers, salads, sandwiches, and a full bar open from 9 AM to 6 PM. The kitchen is open from 10 AM to 5 PM.
Other options in the main terminal include the MKE Streetside Market for grab-and-go items like salads, sandwiches, soups, and pizza (open from 5 AM to 7 PM) and Starbucks (open from 4:30 AM to 7 PM).
On Concourse C, there are:
Auntie Anne’s pretzel shop
Barons’ Beer Garden serving craft beer and cocktails.
Vino Volo Wine Bar.
Chili’s: A famous chain offering burgers, sandwiches, salads, appetizers, and more.
Cousins Subs: a Wisconsin-based, fast casual sandwich shop.
Pizzeria Piccola: Serves authentic Neapolitan pizzas.
On Concourse D, dining includes:
Garden District Kitchen & Bar: Offers eggs, bagels, sandwiches, and more for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Great American Bagel: Bagels and other breakfast options.
Nonna Bartolotta’s: Italian fare, including pizzas, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and gelato. Also offers meals to go.
Bonne Terre: A French cafe with various food and drinks on the menu.
Auntie Anne
Starbucks
Transport to and from the airport
The airport is accessible via Howell Avenue or Interstate 41 via Exit 318 (Hwy 119). The driving distance to downtown Milwaukee is ~6 miles (9 km).
Public transportation in MKE is primarily buses, but an option exists to connect to Amtrak.
The MCTS GreenLine bus connects Bayshore Town Center and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport via downtown Milwaukee. Its frequency is approximately once every 25 minutes between 4 AM and 1 AM. This bus stops at the Baggage roadway traffic island outside of Exit 2.
MCTS Route 80 bus connects downtown Milwaukee to Milwaukee Airport and the MATC-South Campus in Oak Creek. The bus stops on the Ticketing curb near the American/United entrance.
MKE provides a free shuttle that runs every 10 minutes, 24 hours/day, between the terminal (stops in front of Baggage Claim Door #5) and the Amtrak rail station just south of the terminal. There you can connect to long-distance trains or regional services:
Hiawatha Line: Service between Milwaukee Intermodal Station and Chicago's Union Station.
Borealis Line: Service between Chicago's Union Station and St. Paul's Union Depot.
Long-distance coaches that serve MKE include:
Badger Coaches: For Waukesha, Johnson Creek, Madison, La Crosse, and Minneapolis.
Coach USA: For Milwaukee, Waukesha, Racine, and Kenosha Counties.
FlixBus: For multiple destinations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.
Lamers: For Wausau, Stevens Point, Waupaca, Appleton, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, and Milwaukee.
Taxis are available outside of Baggage Claim 3. Follow the signs to the taxi lane behind the rental car area. A taxi to downtown Milwaukee costs around 20-30 USD, depending on distance and time of day.
Similarly, ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft pick up passengers near Carousel 2.
See your options for private transfer from Milwaukee International Airport.
Car Rental at MKE
The rental car area is directly opposite the terminal building. All rental car companies are located there.
These include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and SIXT. Turo, a car-sharing service, is also found there.
See deals for rental cars and book online.
Official Parking at Milwaukee International Airport
MKE Airport offers official parking in proximity to the terminal. There are several Parking Pay Stations throughout the terminal to speed up your payment and exit.
The Hourly and Daily Garage is a quick walk from the terminal. You can park there for free for up to 30 minutes, after which normal charges of $2/hour apply. The daily charge in the hourly part (3rd and 4th floor, RED area) is $27, whereas it drops to $18 in the daily part of the garage.
The Surface Lot is located south of the parking garage, still within walking distance of the terminal. Parking for the first 30 minutes is also free. The hourly charge is $2, and the maximum daily charge is $18.
The Saver Lot is the most economical parking option at MKE, with parking charges of $2/hour and a daily max of $11. It is located on Air Cargo Way, connected to the terminal via a free shuttle bus that runs every 5-10 minutes, 24/7.
Another cheap parking alternative is the Amtrak Station Parking, located on 6th Street, south of Grange Avenue and the Airport Spur. It costs $2 per hour or $11 per day, but requires that you hold an Amtrak ticket.
Electric Vehicle ChargePoint stations are available in the Daily and Saver lots at $5 per charge.
Valet Parking is available on the left side of ticketing, across from the terminal. It costs $28 per day.
There is also a Cell Phone Waiting Lot, where you can park and remain in your vehicle for free while waiting for arriving passengers. It is located south of the parking garage.
Hotels near Milwaukee Airport
There are around 10 nearby hotels to the airport, most of which offer free shuttles to and from the terminal.
Options include:
Hyatt Place
Super 8 by Wyndham
Royce Hotel
Best Western Plus Milwaukee Airport Hotel & Conference Center
Clarion Pointe Milwaukee Airport
Given MKE’s proximity to downtown (about 6 miles) and good transport links, you can also choose to stay in the city. To see more hotels near MKE and book online, click here.
Milwaukee, WI, USA
