Why visit Kewaunee
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 13 parks and trails, 7 places to eat, 2 places to stay and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse, Kewaunee Pierhead Light, Tug Ludington and Kewaunee County Sheriff's Residence and Jail.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 76°F; January lows average 12°F, and about 48 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Kewaunee
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kewaunee
Kewaunee is a city in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,837 at the 2020 census. Located on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, the city is the county seat of Kewaunee County. Its Menominee name is Kewāneh, an archaic name for a species of duck.
From the Wikipedia article Kewaunee, Wisconsin (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Kewaunee Pierhead Lighthouse
Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Lighthouse in Wisconsin, United States
Museums and landmarks8
Tug Ludington
Museum · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Built in 1943, the Major Wilbur F. Browder (LT-4), was involved in the logistics support of the 1944 Allied invasion of France. Renamed...
Th-Su 10:00-18:00
Kewaunee County Sheriff's Residence and Jail
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
House in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, United States
Kewaunee Post Office
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Post office in Wisconsin
Marquette Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic district in Kewaunee, Wisconsin
Kewaunee Jail & Museum
Museum · 1.0 mi
613 Dodge Street, Kewaunee
World's Tallest Grandfather Clock
Monument and historic site · 0.9 mi
36 foot tall Colonial-style redwood grandfather clock built in 1976. Previously located in front of Swoboda's Gift Shop (now closed)
Parks, trails and playgrounds13
Selner Park Beach
Park · 1.2 mi
Has some playground equipment, no bathroom, sand beach access, benches
616 Lake Street, Kewaunee
24/7
Harbor Park
Park · 1.0 mi
Has a pavilion and public restrooms (not the same as Harbor Point Park 100 Hathaway Drive)
223 Harrison Street, Kewaunee
24/7
Selner Park Public Swimming Beach
Beach · 1.3 mi
PUBLIC ACCESS. Selner Beach in Kewaunee. Sand beach on Lake Michigan. Water is cold.
1 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes7
Kewaunee Custard & Grill
Restaurant · Ice Cream, Burger · 1.2 mi
707 Main Street, Kewaunee
Mo-Fr 08:00-21:00
Waterfront Bar & Grill
Restaurant · American, Burger, Pizza, Chicken, Sandwich · 1.0 mi
215 North Main Street, Kewaunee
Su-Th 11:00-02:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-02:30
The Breakwall Hideout
Restaurant · 1.0 mi
200 Harrison Street, Kewaunee
Wildflower Supper Club
Restaurant · 1.0 mi
306 Ellis Street, Kewaunee
History
Kewaunee was the site of a Potawatomi village at the time of European contact in the seventeenth century. French Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette celebrated All Saints Day at the Potawatomi village in 1674. Later, French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle visited the village in 1679, and Canadian Jesuit Jean-François Buisson de Saint-Cosme stopped in September 1698. The Potawatomis moved south and east along Lake Michigan in the eighteenth century, and the area was reclaimed by Menominee people. Trader Jacques Vieau established a short lived trading post for the North West Company in the area of Kewaunee in 1795. The United States acquired the land from the Menominee nation in the 1831 Treaty of Washington.
The current settlement at Kewaunee began in 1836, when false rumors of gold deposits in the Kewaunee River triggered a minor gold rush of Yankee settlers. Land speculator Joshua Hathaway surveyed and platted the settlement. When no gold was found, the settlers who remained established a sawmill and developed the local harbor for the lumber industry. Kewaunee became the county seat of Kewaunee County at the time of the county's formation in 1852. In the late nineteenth century, the community attracted many Czech and German immigrants.
From the History section of Kewaunee, Wisconsin on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay2
Churches and places of worship2
Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Evangelical Lutheran · 0.9 mi
1012 Wisconsin Avenue, Kewaunee
Shopping3
Schools, colleges and libraries6
Healthcare1
Map of Kewaunee
45 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26°F | 12°F | 1.5 in | 13.5 in |
| Feb | 29°F | 14°F | 1.1 in | 12.6 in |
| Mar | 38°F | 23°F | 1.7 in | 6.2 in |
| Apr | 48°F | 34°F | 3.0 in | 2.4 in |
| May | 60°F | 44°F | 3.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 70°F | 54°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 76°F | 60°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 75°F | 60°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 68°F | 52°F | 3.1 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 55°F | 41°F | 2.9 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 43°F | 30°F | 2.2 in | 2.2 in |
| Dec | 32°F | 19°F | 1.6 in | 11.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kewaunee (1 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Kewaunee County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2026-06-30: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2020-04-04: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-13: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2001-01-24: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Manitowoc County Airport (MTW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 miles away.
- Algoma 10 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Denmark 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Mishicot 17 mi south, about 28 min by car
- Bellevue 21 mi west, about 34 min by car
- Two Rivers 21 mi south, about 34 min by car
- Green Bay 23 mi west, about 37 min by car
- Allouez 25 mi west, about 40 min by car
- Manitowoc 26 mi south, about 43 min by car
- De Pere 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
- Howard 28 mi west, about 45 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kewaunee skyline, Chris Rand, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tug Ludington, Christopher Rand, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kewaunee County Sheriff's Residence and Jail, Christopher Rand, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Kewaunee Post Office, Christopher Rand, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WIS29EastTerminus, The original uploader was Royalbroil at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.5
- Bruemmer Park Zoo, Chris Rand, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.