New Berlin, Wisconsin

New Berlin is a city in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 39,584 at the 2010 census. New Berlin is the second largest community in Waukesha County after the city of Waukesha, surpassing the city of Brookfield in the 2010 census.

Located on the eastern border of Waukesha County, the City of New Berlin is situated between Madison and Milwaukee. Interstate 94 is located immediately north of the city, and Interstate 43 passes through it.

Money magazine ranked New Berlin #34 in its 2009 Top 100 List of Best Small American Towns in which to live.

Pronunciation
Area residents put the accent on the first syllable of Berlin, rather than on the second.

Government
Jack F. Chiovatero is currently serving his second term as Mayor of New Berlin. He assumed his first term on April 19, 2005, and was later re-elected for a second term commencing April 21, 2009. Prior to being Mayor, Chiovatero served as Alderman of District 6 for two consecutive three-year terms.

The 8 member Common Council is the elected body that represents the citizens of New Berlin. The Common Council consists of 7 aldermen, representing each of the City’s 7 Aldermanic districts, and the Mayor. The Mayor is elected to serve a term of four years; Aldermen are elected to serve a term of three years. The Common Council meets in the Council Chambers on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month to conduct the City’s legislative business. The Common Council adopts the City budget and passes laws, policies and regulations that govern the City.

History
The first settlers, Sidney Evans and P.G. Harrington, arrived in the northeastern part of what is now the City of New Berlin in 1836. The area first came under local government in 1838 as part of the Town of Muskego, which at the time, was composed of New Berlin and Muskego. The area that is now the City of New Berlin was separated from the Town of Muskego in 1839 and given the name, Town of Mentor.

On January 13, 1840, the Town of Mentor became the Town of New Berlin. It was named by Sidney Evans in honor of his hometown, New Berlin, New York. The town remained a rural and agricultural area until the 1940s when the westward migration to the suburbs from Milwaukee began. Between 1850 and 1950, New Berlin's population went from 1,293 to 5,334. Ten years later, in 1960, the population had nearly tripled to 15,788. The Town of New Berlin became the City of New Berlin with its incorporation in 1959.

Large scale growth to New Berlin occurred in the 1960s and 1970s mainly as a result of the construction of the New Berlin Industrial Park which began in 1964. This park is a vital economic resource to the city of New Berlin, and the Milwaukee Region. The park is composed of actually three separate business parks encompassing 1126 acre. The business parks include the Moorland Road Industrial Park, the New Berlin Industrial Park and the MSI/Lincoln Avenue Industrial Park.

Interstate 43 has been expanded at the Moorland Road exit in order to accommodate a growing number of commuters from the suburb. The new interchange has a two-lane roundabout that has been the center of a great deal of controversy because of the high number of accidents and traffic back-ups on Interstate 43.

Geography
New Berlin is located at 42.97917°N, -88.10917°W (42.979063, -88.109188). New Berlin is uniquely positioned within southeast Wisconsin as it straddles the "Sub-Continental Divide", which runs north-south through the eastern part of the city. Nearly 27 sqmi in the western part of the city, or about 73% of the city's total land area, is located in the Fox River watershed. This portion is west of the Sub-Continental Divide and part of the Mississippi River watershed. The remaining city land area is within the Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River drainage basin.

The Utility Service Area is supplied with water from Lake Michigan which is purchased from the Milwaukee Water Works. In this portion of the city wastewater is returned to Lake Michigan via the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District sewer system. The western portions of the city, outside of the Utility Service Area, use groundwater/private wells as their water supply source. Four municipal wells are being maintained to act in a reserve capacity. The groundwater that is acquired from these wells is found in two distinct shallow water bearing geologic formations or aquifers. The water from these aquifers is radium compliant.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.9 sqmi, of which 36.8 sqmi is land and 0.1 sqmi, or 0.22%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,220 people, 14,495 households, and 11,045 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,037.4 people per square mile (400.6/km²). There were 14,921 housing units at an average density of 405.0 per square mile (156.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.84% White, 0.44% African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.31% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.45% from other races, and 0.72% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.56% of the population.

There were 14,495 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.0% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.8% were non-families. 19.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $67,576, and the median income for a family was $75,565. Males had a median income of $50,405 versus $33,720 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,789. About 1.3% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Schools in the School District of New Berlin system are:
 * New Berlin Eisenhower Middle and High School
 * New Berlin West Middle and High School
 * Ronald Reagan Elementary (New school comprised with New Berlin Center and Prospect Hill)
 * Poplar Creek Elementary
 * Glen Park Elementary
 * Orchard Lane Elementary
 * Elmwood Elementary

There are two private elementary (K4-8) schools in New Berlin
 * Star of Bethlehem Lutheran School
 * Holy Apostles Elementary School

Recreation
New Berlin is responsible for maintenance of 26 park sites totaling approximately 855 acre of which 372 acre are developed parks, 107 acre are preserved as conservancy, 187 acre comprise the New Berlin Hills Golf Course, and 199 acre are in various states of development. Facilities include playing fields at Malone Park, near New Berlin's City Hall, and a disc golf course at Valley View Park, in the southeastern part of the city.