Oak Creek, Wisconsin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oak Creek, Wisconsin
City
Logo
Motto(s):  "Where City Meets the Country"
Location of Oak Creek in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
County	Milwaukee
Area
• Total	28.45 sq mi (73.68 km2)
• Land	28.45 sq mi (73.68 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	702 ft (214 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	36,497
• Density	1,276.94/sq mi (493.02/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	53154
Area code(s)	414
FIPS code	55-58800
GNIS feature ID	1570601

Oak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. It is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, just south of the city of Milwaukee. In 2020, about 36,497 people lived there. Oak Creek is one of the fastest-growing cities in Milwaukee County and all of Wisconsin. Recently, the area has seen a lot of new businesses, including big companies like Amazon and IKEA.

History of Oak Creek

On January 2, 1838, the government of the Wisconsin Territory divided Milwaukee County into two main areas, called "towns." One was the Town of Milwaukee, and the other was the Town of Lake.

Later, on August 13, 1840, the southern part of the Town of Lake was separated to create the Town of Oak Creek. In 1840, the population of the Town of Lake (which included Oak Creek at the time) was 418 people.

In 1955, the Town of Oak Creek became a city. At that time, it was still mostly rural, with about 4,807 people. This change was helped by a special law called "The Oak Creek Law." This law was created to stop the larger city of Milwaukee from taking over parts of Oak Creek.

In recent years, a big new area called the Drexel Town Square was built. It covers 85 acres where a large factory used to be. This town square is now a busy place with many shops, restaurants, a hotel, and homes. It also has a medical center. The city hall and public library are part of the Civic Center in the town square. You can also find a farmers market, a splash pad (a fun water play area), an ice rink, and an outdoor stage called an amphitheater there.

On August 5, 2012, a tragic shooting happened at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek. Several people were killed and injured before the police stopped the attacker. The community came together to support each other after this sad event.

Geography of Oak Creek

Oak Creek is located at 42°53′4″N 87°53′57″W / 42.88444°N 87.89917°W / 42.88444; -87.89917. It is part of the larger Milwaukee metropolitan area.

The city shares its borders with several other places. To the north, it borders the cities of Milwaukee and Greenfield. To the north and east, it borders South Milwaukee. Lake Michigan is to its east. To the south, it borders the village of Caledonia. To the west, it borders the city of Franklin and the village of Greendale.

The city covers about 28.45 square miles (73.68 square kilometers), and all of it is land.

A small part of the Root River flows through the southern edge of Oak Creek. Also, the Oak Creek stream starts in the city of Franklin and flows through Oak Creek to Grant Park in South Milwaukee, eventually reaching Lake Michigan. This stream helps drain water from about 26 square miles of land.

Population and People

Facts from the 2010 Census

In 2010, there were 34,451 people living in Oak Creek. There were 14,064 households, which are groups of people living together in one home. About 9,077 of these were families.

The city had about 1,210 people per square mile (467 people per square kilometer). Most people (87.7%) were White. There were also people of African American (2.8%), Native American (0.7%), and Asian (4.5%) backgrounds. About 7.5% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

About 32.1% of households had children under 18 living with them. Many households (52.3%) were married couples. The average household had 2.44 people, and the average family had 3.06 people.

The average age of people in Oak Creek was 37.4 years old. About 23.6% of residents were under 18, and 11% were 65 or older.

Economy and Jobs

The building that used to be the headquarters for Midwest Airlines.

The city of Oak Creek has been home to several important businesses. For example, Midwest Airlines used to have its main office here. Later, a company that makes mining equipment, Bucyrus International, moved its headquarters to the former Midwest Airlines building.

After Caterpillar Inc. bought Bucyrus International, they decided to make this location the world headquarters for Caterpillar Mining.

The Oak Creek Power Plant is also located in the city. Oak Creek is also home to many smaller companies that work in different areas, from engineering to farming.

In May 2018, the first IKEA store in Wisconsin opened in Oak Creek. It is a very large store, about 290,000 square feet, and is located right off the I-94 highway.

Arts and Culture

The Oak Creek Historical Society is a group started in 1964 to protect and share the history of Oak Creek. They have a museum complex with five old buildings and a gift shop. These buildings are located on the grounds of Forest Hill Memorial Park.

• Blacksmith Shop: This shop was built in 1886 by Edgar Wohlust. It was moved to the museum grounds in 1970.
• Farm Shed: Moved in 1984, this building holds farm tools from the 1830s to the 1950s.
• Hughes Cabin: Built in the 1840s, with an addition in the 1920s, this is one of the oldest buildings still standing in Milwaukee County.
• Summer Kitchen: This kitchen was built in 1890 and moved from the Franke Farm in 1974. People used summer kitchens to cook in hot weather to keep the main house cool.
• Town Hall: The Oak Creek Town Hall was built in 1874 and was used until 1963.

Education in Oak Creek

Oak Creek is part of the Oak Creek Franklin School District.

Elementary Schools

• Carollton Elementary (built 1962)
• Cedar Hills Elementary (built 1962)
• Deerfield Elementary (built 2005)
• Edgewood Elementary (built 1962)
• Forest Ridge Elementary (built 2016)
• Meadowview Elementary (built 1959)
• Shepard Hills Elementary (built 1971)
• Early Learning Academy

Middle Schools

• East Middle School (built 1965, rebuilt 2008)
• West Middle School (built 1991)
• Empower Academy

High Schools

• 9th Grade Center (built 2017)
• Oak Creek High School (built 1962, renovated 2002)

Private Schools

• Grace Lutheran Church and School
• Saint Matthew Catholic School

City Services and Transport

Getting Around Oak Creek

Oak Creek is a city where most people need a car to get around easily. It has some paths for biking, but not a lot.

The city has public transportation provided by the Milwaukee County Transit System. You can use routes 40, 80, 219, and the PurpleLine.

Oak Creek is also close to General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee. For train travel, Amtrak's Hiawatha service connects the airport to Chicago.

Healthcare in Oak Creek

There are health centers in Oak Creek that offer urgent care, like the Froedtert Drexel Town Square Health Center and the Aurora Health Center. A larger hospital, Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital, is located in the neighboring city of Franklin.

Famous People from Oak Creek

• Brian Calhoun: A football player who played for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He was a high school sports star in Oak Creek.
• Adin P. Hobart: A Wisconsin State Representative and the Postmaster of Oak Creek.
• Mark Honadel: A welder, businessman, and state representative who grew up in Oak Creek and graduated from Oak Creek High School.
• John Matuszak: A professional football player and actor who was born and grew up in Oak Creek.
• John Ruan: A farmer from Ireland who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly and on the Oak Creek town board.
• Luke Scanlan: A Wisconsin State Representative and chairman of the Oak Creek Town Board who lived in Oak Creek.
• Cathy Stepp: A businesswoman and politician who graduated from Oak Creek High School. She was also the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
• William M. Williams Jr.: A Wisconsin State Representative and the Postmaster of Oak Creek.

See also

In Spanish: Oak Creek (Wisconsin) para niños