Brookfield, Wisconsin facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This page is about the city. For the adjacent town, see Brookfield (town), Wisconsin.

Quick facts for kids

Brookfield, Wisconsin

City

Brookfield Office Park

Flag

Seal

Motto(s):

Minutes from Milwaukee, Miles from Expected

Location of Brookfield in Waukesha County, Wisconsin

County

Waukesha

Incorporated

August 14, 1954

Government

• Type

Mayor–council

Area

• Total

27.66 sq mi (71.63 km²)

• Land

27.29 sq mi (70.68 km²)

• Water

0.37 sq mi (0.95 km²) 1.327%

Elevation

830 ft (253 m)

Population

(2020)

• Total

41,464

• Density

1,433.31/sq mi (553.41/km²)

Time zone

UTC−6 (Central)

• Summer (DST)

UTC−5 (Central)

ZIP Code(s)

53005, 53045, 53072

Area code(s)

262

FIPS code

55-10025

Brookfield is a city in eastern Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. It's located west of Milwaukee. In 2020, about 41,464 people lived here. Brookfield is right next to the Town of Brookfield. It's also part of the larger Milwaukee metropolitan area.

History of Brookfield
- Brookfield in the 1900s
Geography and Climate
- Brookfield's Climate
People of Brookfield
- Population in 2010
Economy and Business
Arts and Fun Activities
Education in Brookfield
Transportation
Famous People from Brookfield
Sister Cities
Images for kids
See also

History of Brookfield

Brookfield is in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. This area was first home to the Potawatomi Native American people. The first European settler, William Howe, arrived in 1820. He received land from the President. Later, Robert Curren bought land in 1836. He opened a tavern and an inn.

In May 1838, many white settlers led the local Potawatomi people west. Caroline Ingalls, the mother of famous author Laura Ingalls Wilder, was born in Brookfield in 1839. Her cabin was near where Brookfield Road and Davidson Road are today. By 1839, the area needed a school. The 1840 census showed 148 people living there.

In the 1840s, George Gebhardt traded with the nearby Potawatomi and Menominee tribes. The first church, St. Dominic, was built in 1843 by Irish Catholic settlers. In 1848, telegraph lines reached Brookfield. This made communication much easier. In 1849, a sickness called cholera came to Brookfield. It caused many deaths. In the same year, Brookfield residents voted to allow black residents to vote.

In 1850, the Milwaukee and Mississippi Railroad (now Canadian Pacific Rail) built tracks through the town. A train station, called Brookfield Junction, was built in 1853. In 1850, the Town of Brookfield had 1,944 people. It covered about 36 square miles. The town grew slowly over the years. Its economy was mostly farming. Brookfield Junction became a trading center for nearby farms. The Civil War did not affect the town much. In 1867, a second train station was built. It is still standing today.

Brookfield in the 1900s

In the 1900s, Waukesha County was known as "Cow County, U.S.A." This was a fun nickname from advertisers. It helped Wisconsin become famous for its dairy products. The Spanish flu also affected the area.

On May 31, 1914, a tornado hit Brookfield. It caused a lot of damage to farms. Later, a famous gangster, Al Capone, had a place to live in Brookfield. He also had a secret place to make drinks on Brookfield Road. In 1928, the first suburban neighborhood was built. It was called Kinsey's Garvendale. But the Great Depression started soon after. This slowed down new building projects.

Development in Brookfield really picked up after World War II. More people wanted to live in the suburbs. There wasn't enough housing in cities. Also, many babies were born after the war. The government also helped people build homes. This helped the town grow a lot. After adding nearby areas, people decided to make Brookfield a city.

The City of Brookfield was officially formed on August 14, 1954. It was created from parts of the Town of Brookfield. A small part of the town still exists today. Franklin Wirth was the first mayor. At that time, the city had 7,900 people. It covered 17.5 square miles. Much of the land was still used for farming. So, the city's leaders wanted to plan for new offices and businesses. They wanted the city to have a strong economy.

Today, Brookfield covers over 27 square miles. More than 40,000 people live here.

Geography and Climate

Brookfield covers about 27.59 square miles (71.63 square kilometers). Most of this is land. A small part is water. A special line called the sub-continental divide runs through Brookfield. On the east side of this line, water flows towards Lake Michigan. From there, it goes to the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. On the west side, water flows to the Fox River. This river eventually reaches the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.

There is a place where herons live. It's located northwest of Capitol Drive and Brookfield Road.

Brookfield's Climate

Brookfield has a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold, snowy winters.

Climate data for Brookfield, Wisconsin (1981–2010 normals)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	62 (17)	66 (19)	82 (28)	91 (33)	101 (38)	101 (38)	109 (43)	102 (39)	101 (38)	88 (31)	78 (26)	68 (20)	109 (43)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	27.8 (−2.3)	31.9 (−0.1)	43.1 (6.2)	56.4 (13.6)	67.8 (19.9)	78.0 (25.6)	81.9 (27.7)	79.9 (26.6)	72.7 (22.6)	59.8 (15.4)	45.4 (7.4)	31.5 (−0.3)	56.4 (13.6)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	10.7 (−11.8)	14.4 (−9.8)	23.5 (−4.7)	35.0 (1.7)	45.0 (7.2)	54.8 (12.7)	59.8 (15.4)	58.6 (14.8)	49.8 (9.9)	38.3 (3.5)	27.7 (−2.4)	15.4 (−9.2)	36.1 (2.3)
Record low °F (°C)	−29 (−34)	−28 (−33)	−14 (−26)	7 (−14)	25 (−4)	29 (−2)	41 (5)	35 (2)	25 (−4)	7 (−14)	−9 (−23)	−28 (−33)	−29 (−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	1.45 (37)	1.42 (36)	1.78 (45)	3.39 (86)	3.49 (89)	4.36 (111)	3.85 (98)	4.58 (116)	3.39 (86)	2.61 (66)	2.48 (63)	1.81 (46)	34.61 (879)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	12.3 (31)	8.6 (22)	5.6 (14)	1.8 (4.6)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.1 (0.25)	1.6 (4.1)	10.1 (26)	40.0 (102)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	9.2	7.5	7.9	10.7	11.8	10.7	9.4	9.1	8.8	9.4	8.8	9.5	112.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	6.8	5.1	3.5	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	1.1	6.2	23.8
Source: NOAA

People of Brookfield

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1960	19,812	—
1970	31,761	60.3%
1980	34,035	7.2%
1990	35,184	3.4%
2000	38,649	9.8%
2010	37,920	−1.9%
2020	41,464	9.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

**Brookfield city, Wisconsin – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	36,051	33,522	32,821	93.28%	88.40%	79.16%
Black or African American alone (NH)	316	456	756	0.82%	1.20%	1.82%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	34	51	58	0.09%	0.13%	0.14%
Asian alone (NH)	1,477	2,531	4,749	3.82%	6.67%	11.45%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	7	16	9	0.02%	0.04%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	31	41	158	0.08%	0.11%	0.38%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	280	450	1,460	0.72%	1.19%	3.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	453	853	1,453	1.17%	2.25%	3.50%
Total	38,649	37,920	41,464	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Population in 2010

In 2010, Brookfield had 37,920 people. There were 14,576 households. About 10,999 of these were families. The city had about 1,399.8 people per square mile. There were 15,317 housing units.

Most people in Brookfield were White (90.0%). About 6.7% were Asian. About 1.2% were African American. People of Hispanic or Latino background made up 2.2% of the population.

About 31.5% of households had children under 18. Most households (67.4%) were married couples. The average household had 2.57 people. The average family had 3.01 people.

The average age in Brookfield was 46.7 years. About 23.5% of residents were under 18. About 19.9% were 65 or older. The city had slightly more females (51.5%) than males (48.5%).

Economy and Business

Brookfield Square, a popular shopping mall in Brookfield.

Fiserv is a big company based in Brookfield. It creates technology for banks and other financial businesses. In 2016, the company made about $5.5 billion.

Fedex's SmartPost business unit is also located in Brookfield.

Arts and Fun Activities

The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts is Brookfield's concert hall. It's located in Mitchell Park. Fox Brook Park has Brookfield's main beach.

Brookfield Square is the city's main shopping mall. It's a big shopping area on Bluemound Road. This area serves people in the western suburbs of Milwaukee and Waukesha County. Brookfield also has many off-road bike paths for cycling.

"Brookfield Days" is a fun event held every June. It takes place at Wirth Park. The Elmbrook Historical Society celebrates the lives of early Brookfield settlers. This includes Caroline Ingalls, who was born in the area.

Education in Brookfield

Most students in Brookfield attend schools in the Elmbrook School District. A small part of southwest Brookfield is in the Waukesha School District.

There are also several private schools. These include St. Dominic Catholic School, St. John Vianney Catholic Church, St. Luke Catholic School, St. Joseph's Catholic School, Heritage Christian School, Brookfield Christian School, and Brookfield Academy. Private high schools in Brookfield are Brookfield Academy and Heritage Christian School, and West Suburban Christian Academy.

The Elmbrook School District is known as the top public school district in Wisconsin.

Transportation

Capitol Airport is Brookfield's public airport. It serves the city and nearby communities.

Brookfield used to have a train station. This station was on the main line between Milwaukee and Watertown. It served both long-distance and local trains.