How far is Milwaukee from the ocean?

Milwaukee is a long way from the sea: the nearest coastline is 494 miles (796 km) away in a straight line. The nearest stretch of coast is in Ontario, Canada.

To the coast

494 miles

796 km · straight line

Nearest land border

250 miles

with Canada

Setting

Far inland

11th farthest from the ocean of 182 cities

MilwaukeeNearest point on the coast

How far are you from the ocean?

Measure from where you are standing. On a phone this uses GPS, so the answer is for your exact spot, not the city centre.

Milwaukee at a glance

Coordinates
43.0389° N, 87.9065° W
Region
Wisconsin, United States
Distance to the coast
494 miles (796 km), in a straight line
Nearest point on the coast
44.1868° N, 78.1739° W (Ontario, Canada)
Nearest land border
250 miles (402 km), with Canada
Among United States's cities
5th farthest from the ocean of the 40 cities measured

Nearby cities and the coast

CityCountryTo the coast
ChicagoUnited States506 miles (814 km)
IndianapolisUnited States483 miles (777 km)
DetroitUnited States277 miles (446 km)
ColumbusUnited States322 miles (517 km)
LouisvilleUnited States458 miles (737 km)
MississaugaCanada85 miles (137 km)

Questions

How far is Milwaukee from the ocean?

Milwaukee is a long way from the sea: the nearest coastline is 494 miles (796 km) away in a straight line. The nearest stretch of coast is in Ontario, Canada.

Is that the driving distance?

No. 494 miles (796 km) is the straight-line distance from the city centre to the nearest point on the shore. The drive to a beach is longer, often much longer, and depends on the roads.

How far is Milwaukee from the nearest border?

Milwaukee is 250 miles (402 km) from the nearest land border, with Canada, in a straight line.

Where in Milwaukee is this measured from?

From the city's centre point (43.0389° N, 87.9065° W). A large city spreads out, so some neighbourhoods are closer to the ocean than this and some farther. For an exact figure from where you are, use your own location.

Measured by MapGO on October 8, 2026 with the same coastline data as the distance to coastline calculator. All distances are straight lines over the Earth's surface.