Why Is Milwaukee Called Cream City? The Real Story Behind the Nickname
One building material turned into Milwaukee’s most famous nickname and a lasting identity.
Published March 3 2026, 11:46 a.m. ET
If you’ve ever heard someone call Milwaukee “Cream City” and immediately thought it had something to do with dairy items, you are not alone. However, the nickname actually comes from the city’s signature cream-colored brick, a building material that helped shape Milwaukee’s look in the 1800s and still pops up all over town today.
Where did Milwaukee’s “Cream City” nickname come from?
Milwaukee’s cream-colored vibes began with locally made “Cream City brick” — yellowish, creamy bricks produced in the 19th century from clay found in and around southeastern Wisconsin.
“What we have here in southeastern Wisconsin is the glacial lake deposits that deposit these silts and clays, and we can see them along the lakeshore of Lake Michigan and a little further inland,” Architect Vince Micha told WUWM. “And that became a ready source of raw materials for making brick.”
Milwaukee began producing the cream-colored bricks as early as 1835, and builders loved the color — especially before railroads made shipping heavy materials like brick cheap and easy. Milwaukee also embraced the look because it was the most practical choice. “Before the railroads were here, it just would have been really unfeasible to ship bricks… so that was our local product and we embraced it,” historic preservation planner Andrew Stern told WUWM.
Cream City brick didn’t last forever. As railroads expanded and trucking became more efficient, builders could easily import different types of brick from other regions. That shift increased competition and reduced reliance on Milwaukee’s local clay. According to Vince, Cream City brick proved to be softer and more porous than some alternatives. It absorbed soot and pollution during the city’s heavy industrial era, which caused many buildings to darken over time.
Other cities with names that make people do a double-take.
Milwaukee is not the only place in America with a name that makes people pause and do a quick Google search. Several other cities across the country proudly carry titles that raise eyebrows.
Take Truth or Consequences, N.M. The town, once called Hot Springs, changed its name in 1950 as part of a publicity stunt, according to Time. Then there’s Intercourse, Pa. Originally founded as Cross Keys and renamed in 1814, per Discover Lancaster.
In the Pacific Northwest, Boring, Ore., earned its name from early settler William H. Boring. The town later embraced the humor and even partnered with Dull, Scotland, for a lighthearted tourism campaign.