Mequon, WI

Concordia University Wisconsin's main campus occupies 200 acres along Lake Michigan in Mequon, placing a major educational institution on the city's eastern edge. The school moved from Milwaukee to this site in 1983 after the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod purchased the former School Sisters of Notre Dame campus in 1982, and it became a university in 1989. The city itself extends west across the Milwaukee River; with about 46 square miles of land, it ranks third among Wisconsin cities by land area. Mequon incorporated in 1957 as neighboring Milwaukee expanded north. Mequon had 25,142 residents in 2020. Recreation and cultural services are distributed among city, nonprofit, library, university, and school-district institutions. The city's Public Works Department maintains its parks and the Ozaukee Interurban Trail. At Mequon Nature Preserve, about 500 protected acres include prairie, wetland, and forest, with six miles of trails connecting three access points.

The preserve is free and open daily from sunup to sundown; most trails are ADA-compliant, a wetland boardwalk is fully accessible, and free all-terrain wheelchairs are available. Its programs combine field trips, seasonal family activities, citizen science, and conservation research. Frank L. Weyenberg Library serves Mequon and Thiensville, and its July 2026 calendar included outdoor storytime, children's art, and drop-in gaming. The Mequon-Thiensville School District operates the community recreation department, using school facilities and resources for programs open beyond enrolled students. Its 2026 offerings span youth camps and summer academy as well as fitness, sports, arts, technology, and social programs for adults and seniors.