Milwaukee Intermodal Station

The Milwaukee Intermodal Station is the central hub for surface transportation in Milwaukee. It offers Amtrak train services and various connecting options. The station serves three Amtrak routes: two regional trains (the Hiawatha and Borealis), the long-distance Empire Builder, and Amtrak connecting services. Furthermore, the station links to several bus companies, including Greyhound. You can easily access Milwaukee County Transit System buses, the Hop streetcar, taxis, and rideshare services outside the station.

Learn about what this station can provide you!

A Brief History of the Milwaukee Intermodal Station

The Milwaukee Road Railroad constructed this station in the early 1960s. During that time, it served passengers on the Milwaukee Road and Chicago & Northwestern railroads and provided office space. 

From 1965 to 2007, it was called Milwaukee Union Station and then renamed the Milwaukee Intermodal Station. 

Subsequently, the Wisconsin DOT acquired the building, where they continued to host rail service and brought in bus lines to create a surface travel hub in Milwaukee.

The Milwaukee Intermodal Station Today

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation modernized the station in 2007, giving the building an updated look.

Later, in 2016, the train shed received much-needed updates to improve the passenger experience. With these updates, the Milwaukee Intermodal Station is ready for future rail expansion in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Midwest. Today, the station is a surface travel hub for Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin.

Operating hours

The waiting areas at the Intermodal Station are open seven days a week from 5:30 am to 8:00 pm, although hours may vary. The station will remain open for late trains.

Where to Find the Milwaukee Intermodal Station

Parking at the station

There are 279 parking spaces west of the station at 701 West St. Paul St., but other parking lots and facilities are also nearby. ​

The daily parking rate is $10, which is good until midnight that night.

If you need to park longer, here is a guide for prices:

• 4 days: $35​
• 5 days: $40
• 7 days: $60
• 10 days: $90
• 16 days: $120
• Saturday- Sunday: $12
• Fri-Sun pass is $24
• A monthly: $115
• Last checked February 2024

Check out the parking lot’s page to get the most up-to-date prices or pre-pay for parking.

Milwaukee Intermodal Station Information

• Amtrak Station Code: MKE
• Annual station ticket revenue FY 2032: $14,815,638
• Annual station ridership FY 2023: 509,107
• WDOT owns the platform, station, and parking lot (managed by an outside vendor)
• The Soo Line/Canadian Pacific Kansas City Southern Railroad owns and maintains the tracks.

Amtrak at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station

The Milwaukee Intermodal Station currently hosts Amtrak train routes and is set up to provide additional service in the future.

Amtrak booking note

There are three Amtrak stops in Milwaukee, and you must ensure you have the right one! If you want to leave from the Downtown Statin but have a layover, you may have entered the wrong station.

For service at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, use the station code MKE!

MKA and MKB are Amtrak stops at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport.

• MKA is the train stop for the Amtrak Hiawatha Service.
• MKB is the stop for Amtrak Thruway Buses that connect with other routes.

Empire Builder

Hiawatha

Borealis

The Borealis trains 1333 and 1340 run daily between Chicago and the Twin Cities and make all of the Empire Builder’s stops, including Sturtevant and the Milwaukee Airport.

The train is a partnership of the DOTS of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.

Amtrak Connecting & Thruway Services

Amtrak Thruway I-41 Bus Service

This bus line could become a train service in a few years.

Green Bay, WI (GBY)	Transportation Center, 901 University Avenue
De Pere, WI (DPE)	Park & Ride – 100 Lawrence Drive
Appleton, WI (APP)	Transit Center – 100 East Washington Street. Motor Coach loads on Oneida Street.
Oshkosh, WI – UW (OSU)	Gruenhagen Conference Center – 208 Osceola Street
Fond du Lac, WI (FDL)	Radisson Hotel and Conference Center – 625 West Rolling Meadows Drive
Milwaukee, WI – Amtrak (MKE)	Intermodal Station 433 West St. Paul. Bay #7
Milwaukee, WI – Airport (MKB)	Motor Coach loads outside Baggage Claim Door #1. Walk across lanes to the median/island. Look for signs.

Amtrak services at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station

This station has ticket agents who assist with reservations, check bags, and help with train boarding.

Baggage Services

Checked bag service is available for passengers traveling to destinations with baggage services. Otherwise, Amtrak has a generous carry-on policy. Additionally, you can typically store bags for around $10 (at the time of publishing).

Bikes, shipping boxes, and ski bags are available for purchase.

Traveling from the Milwaukee Intermodal Station to airports

This station can connect you to several airports!

Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport

There are several ways to connect to Mitchell from this station.

By train

Amtrak’s Hiawatha stops at the airport station (MKA) seven times daily. If you take the train, a shuttle will take you from the train station to the airport and back.

By bus

Amtrak connecting bus service also has stops at this station (MKB).

The 80 MCTS bus, which stops near the station, can also take you there.

There are also taxis and rideshare options.

Bus services at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station

Greyhound staffs the station’s bus side, on the lobby’s west side. The ticket office is open from 5:30 am to 9:30 pm. Call or check the Greyhound website to ensure service is available; times can change.

All buses load outside the West end doors. The city bus stop is close to the station with access to the Blue Line, 12, 31, 34, 57, and 80.

Coach USA – Wisconsin Coach Line	Greyhound
Jefferson Lines	Indian Trails
Lamers	Badger Bus
MCTS	Megabus

Station amenities

The station’s passenger waiting area has three regions: the far East side is Amtrak, the West side serves the buses, and the middle passenger comfort (retail spaces, bubblers (drinking fountain), and vending machines). The station does have Wi-Fi, but not from Amtrak.

Public bathrooms are on the station’s West side before you reach the Greyhound ticket desk.

Food and Coffee at the Station and Nearby

A grab-and-go cafe in the boarding hallway across from the ticket counter offers coffee, pastries, and more.

There are vending machines with food and drink, so you can grab something while you wait or take something to go. There is also a cafe.

Nearby

Food and coffee places are available within blocks of the station, and here are a few of my favorites that are within walking distance.

One of my favorite coffee shops is Stone Creek Coffee’s Factory Cafe, which is half a block from the station. It serves brewed coffee, espresso drinks, food, and accessories.

Various shops and food are .4 miles east, including the Milwaukee Public Market, which offers multiple food vendors, coffee, and more, with indoor and outdoor seating.

This place is great for solo travelers and fantastic for groups of travelers because there is something for almost everyone. That way, there are fewer arguments. There are other places near the Public Market as well.

Wrap-up

If your next Amtrak adventure starts or ends at the Milwaukee Intermodal Station, be prepared to leave the station for fresh food.

* Information from The Great American Station

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