Appleton is a growing city in central-eastern Wisconsin, with a population of approximately 72,000 residents and a metro area of ~350,000. It is known as being safe, quiet, and visually pleasant. It is perhaps most famous as the boyhood town of Harry Houdini, the famed magician.
Ground transportation from the airport to downtown is limited to taxis and rideshare companies. For a single person expect to pay around $15 dollars for the 15-minute ride although prices vary with each cab service. Hotels like the Radisson Hotel, Candlewood Suites, and the Hampton Inn offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport.
The primary roads into the metro Appleton area are Interstate 41 and US 10. Interstate 41 runs north-south on the west side of the city, and turns east-west across the north side of the city. Interstate 41 connects to Green Bay to the northeast and Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, and Milwaukee to the south. WIS 441 loops from Interstate 41 across the south and east sides of the metro Appleton area. US 10 is an east-west highway that connects to Manitowoc to the east, and Stevens Point and Wausau to the west.
Both Amtrak and Lamers Bus Connect offers daily service to Appleton via their Milwaukee-Green Bay route.
Getting around town is accomplished efficiently and cheaply by using the public transportation system or by taxis. Public buses are reliable and the standard fare is $0.50. Same-day transfers are free. If you are staying downtown in the Raddison or Copperleaf you can easily walk to nearby restaurants bars and shops.
Bird Rides offers 100 electric scooters which users can use to get around most of the city. A ride costs $1 plus 39 cents for each minute of use.
Note that parking on any city street is illegal from 2 AM to 5 AM every day of the week. You can usually call the Appleton Police Department and ask to get approval to be parked overnight, but during the fall and winter months it is not uncommon to be denied due to leaf collection or snow removal, so don't depend on this option. If you will have your own vehicle in town when you visit, make sure you have private parking available to you.
In general, Appleton is well-respected for the quality of the education in its public schools, both at the primary and secondary levels.
The Appleton Area is widely considered to be the shopping capital of Wisconsin by locals and visitors. It has a good mix of big chain stores and small businesses.
Heading east from the Fox River Mall on Hwy 96 (Wisconsin Ave) to the other side of Interstate 41, you'll find more stores including Home Depot, Sam's Club, Woodman's grocery store, and the largest Fleet Farm in Wisconsin. There's an old saying "if you can't find it at Fleet Farm, you probably don't need it."
Or, head east from the mall on College Ave to find Wheel & Sprocket (dead link: January 2023), and more hotels and restaurants. Continue on College Ave to downtown Appleton which has an eclectic mix of shopping, coffeehouses, restaurants & bars.
Many of the westside "big box" stores also have store locations along Appleton's eastside Hwy 441 corridor, known locally at Darboy. Eastside stores include Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Home Depot, Lowe's, Menard's, Office Max, Best Buy, Target, Festival Foods, Pick 'n Save, Tractor Supply Co, Goodwill, plus the usual mix of Starbucks, Walgreen's, restaurants, movie theatres and hotels.
Downtown Appleton has numerous restaurants, many within a short walking distance from the PAC. Vince Lombardi's Steakhouse at the Paper Valley Hotel has great steaks at a reasonable price, and if you're lucky you might get an autograph from NFL visiting teams staying at Paper Valley the night before Packer home games.
Waterfront dining is available near downtown along the Fox River waterfront at Fratello's Riverfront and Pullman's, and at Waverly Beach along the north shore of Lake Winnebago.
The Appleton area has plenty of coffee shops and cafés as well, such as Tempest Coffee Collective, Lou's Brew, Seth's Coffee, Copper Rock, Brewed Awakenings, and Acoca.
Many of the big restaurant chains are near the Fox River Mall -- T.G.I. Friday’s, Chili’s, Qdoba, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Machine Shed, Bennigan's, Outback Steakhouse and so on. Inside the mall, Fox River Brewing Company (dead link: January 2023) is accessible from the food court. Outdoor seating is available.
Other places are Wooden Nickel, Spat's, Dick & Joans and Old Bavarian.
Downtown Appleton is packed with bars, each with different atmospheres. If you are in town and looking to go out for a few drinks, the entire stretch of College Avenue from Richmond on the west to Drew Street on the east is lined with bars and clubs. There are a few bars to be found within a block north and south of College Avenue too. Plan your night ahead though, as parking on the streets anywhere within the city is illegal from 2 AM to 5 AM.
The Stone Cellar Brewpub brews several standard beers and seasonal beers. They also have a wide variety menu selections and a great atmosphere in the cellar of Appleton's first brewery (built in 1858), or if the weather cooperates you can sit outside in the beer garden.
On St. Patrick's Day, or any day if you're Irish, be sure to visit McGuiness Irish Pub or The Durty Leprechaun.
If you're staying downtown at the Paper Valley Hotel and you don't feel like venturing far, The Clubhouse just off the lobby has plenty of beer, sandwiches, pizza, and 20 big screen TVs.
For visitors staying at AmericInn or Cambria Suites on the northeast side of town (near Thrivent Financial and USA Youth Soccer), Beefeaters (dead link: January 2023) has a great British pub atmosphere and good food.
Like most cities, Appleton features a wide range of hotels from very affordable budget options to 3-star hotels that charge a small fortune. This is a really small list of the hotels in Appleton.
Burglaries and thefts of unlocked cars and properties occur occasionally throughout the city, so be sure to hide your valuables.
Appleton is conveniently located alongside major interstate and intrastate highways, and also has a Greyhound office for people seeking long-distance travel.
Out of state visitors can use the public airport Appleton International Airport.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division