Milwaukee is the largest city within the state of Wisconsin and 22nd largest (by population) in the United States. The city is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, Milwaukee had a population of 578,887.[1] The city is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha Metropolitan Area with a population of 1,753,355.[2]