The city of Milwaukee is relativerly easy to navigate if you keep a few things in mind. First, Milwaukee sits on the shores of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three rivers: the Milwaukee (runs North-South and is the location of the RiverWalk), the Menomonee (runs generally East-West, parallel and south of I-94/I-794) and the Kinnickinnic (south of the downtown area and runs generally North-South). Together they help form the boundaries of several of Milwaukee's numerous neighborhoods.

Second, most of Milwaukee's city streets are laid-out in a relatively straight-forward grid-like pattern. North-south streets are generally numbered (e.g., 4th Street), while east-west streets are named (e.g., Wisconsin Avenue). However north-south streets east of 1st Street are named, like east-west streets. The north-south running 1st Street and the Milwaukee River provides the dividing line between East and West numbered addresses (generally speaking), while the east-west running Menomonee River is the dividing line between North and South numbered addresses.

One last navigation tip: When in Milwaukee, Lake Michigan is always to the east!