Why is it that Google Maps won’t read Menomonee Falls Addresses but Bing will?
Our unique address format provides the blocks and centiblocks from I-94 and the lakefront aren’t used that widely, but appear to be used in Germantown, Jackson, Sussex, Okauchee, Merton, parts of Hartland and Pewaukee.
For outsiders, who wonder what I’m talking about here’s a sample address from across the country:
101 Elm Street, Somewhere, NC (101 – means first house on Elm street)
12345 W. Capitol Dr., Brookfield, WI (12345 – 123.45 blocks west of the lakefront on Capitol Drive)
N69 W12703 Appleton Ave, Menomonee Falls (how locals write out the address, which is technically incorrect)
N69W12703 Appleton Ave, Menomonee Falls (how the Post Office says the address is supposed to be: 69 blocks North of I-94, and 127.03 blocks west of the lakefront)
However, since I-94 is not a straight line, neither is the lake front, they all eminate from an arbitrary point. However, each centiblock is a consistent 3.3 feet, because 16 blocks = 1 mile in the greater Milwaukee area.
If anyone has further knowledge on the origin of the MF Address system or if Google will ever properly give directions to addresses in the Falls and solve the problem, please share 
Otherwise, it’s Bing for us .
Our address system makes perfect sense and makes it easier to find places if you’re familiar with how it works. Thanks for showing how to correctly write the addresses. I always write the coordinates together, but never knew if that was right or not. Sorry, can’t help you with the Google thing.
Comment by Katie — March 6, 2010 @ 5:34 pm
Since the comments are off on the Tea Party thread, I’ll write something here. You are right that some people who participate in the tea parties just do it to feel good and they think they “did something.” However, just showing up to protest and then going home to do nothing again will not improve the state of our government. If all of the tea party people got involved in campaigning for conservative candidates and kept our representives accountable through contacting them and voting, we could make huge progress in protecting our liberties. Hopefully, people will see how bad things can get when they don’t pay attention to politics. I am so sick of people saying that they just aren’t interested and they are glad there are people out there to be interested in politics and current events for them. When will they start caring? It seems to take things like what is going on now to get people involved. Unfortunately, that can often be too late. I hope it’s not too late this time.
Comment by Katie — March 6, 2010 @ 5:47 pm
You’re right – it does make perfect sense, but where did it come from?
Comment by randallmelchert — March 6, 2010 @ 6:00 pm
I can’t find any info. on the origin either. It’s a mystery…
Comment by Katie — March 6, 2010 @ 6:48 pm
Thanks for telling me comments were off on other – I didn’t realize that… got em back on…
Comment by randallmelchert — March 6, 2010 @ 7:05 pm
The Milwaukee grid and numbering system was adopted from the Chicago system. The numbering system actually starts with the Menomonee River for North South Streets and with Water St or 1st St for East West streets. You will also note that there is a major arterial street in the East West streets every mile, also adapted form Chicago.
Comment by John — March 6, 2010 @ 10:46 pm
Thanks John! I always wondered about it, but now I can know for sure! I’m glad to learn from the transit experts!
Comment by randallmelchert — March 7, 2010 @ 12:15 am
Just found this in the Menomonee Falls Ordinances:
Sec. 90-123. Base lines.
(a) Base lines shall be used for determining the numbering in the village. The east-west base line shall be used for numbering along all streets running north and south. This base line shall be a continuation of the east-west line used in Milwaukee County and shall be the north or top lines of Sections 31 to 36, both inclusive, in the Towns of Brookfield, Pewaukee, Delafield and Summit, Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Its numerical designation shall be “1.” A north-south base line shall be used for numbering along all streets running in a westerly direction. This base line shall be the eastern boundary of Waukesha County, and its numerical designation shall be “124.”
(b) Each property north of the east-west base line and facing a street running in a northerly direction shall carry an address indicating its position west of the north-south base line and its position north of the east-west base line.
(c) Each property west of the north-south base line and facing a street running in a westerly direction shall carry an address indicating its position north of the east-west base line and its position west of the north-south base line.
(d) Properties on diagonal or curvilinear streets, which streets run predominantly in a northerly and southerly direction, shall be numbered the same as or similar to properties on northerly or southerly streets. Properties on diagonal or curvilinear streets, which streets run predominantly in an easterly and westerly direction, shall be numbered the same as or similar to properties on easterly or westerly streets. Properties on streets terminating in a cul-de-sac shall be numbered in accordance with the predominating direction of such street without regard to changes of direction.
(e) Where the general direction of a diagonal or curvilinear street has a deviation of exactly 45 degrees, the direction of the street shall be considered as being northerly or southerly.
(Code 1963, § 7.10(3))
Comment by randallmelchert — April 8, 2010 @ 11:28 pm
[...] Filed under: Menomonee Falls — randallmelchert @ 11:43 am As a followup to the questions we posed earlier, there’s now a [...]
Pingback by GermantownNOW posts story on MF address system « RandyMelchert.com — August 4, 2010 @ 11:43 am
The (0,0) coordinates of Milwaukee are where the Milwaukee & Menomonee rivers meet. The addresses. The 16 blocks per mile is only for the east-west direction, a north-south mile is 8 blocks in most places, but does increase to a larger block/mile towards the baseline. The 16 block E/W mile holds true to 220th st (aka Springdale Rd in Pewaukee & Brookfield/ Town Line Rd for MenoFalls/Lisbon). Menomonee Falls is a perfect township, measuring 6 x 6 miles, which calculates to the 16×8 blocks per mile (W124 to W220 = 96 blocks, or 16 blocks/mile and N48 to N96 = 48 blocks, or 8 blocks/mile). West of W220 it becomes 10 blocks per mile E/W all the way out to Jefferson County
Comment by Mike Mueller — November 8, 2010 @ 11:59 pm
Thanks a ton Mike! That is really helpful!
Comment by randallmelchert — November 9, 2010 @ 10:46 am