city, seat (1861) of Door county, northeastern Wisconsin, U.S. Situated about 45 miles (70 km) northeast of Green Bay, it is a lake port at the head of Sturgeon Bay, an inlet of Green Bay on the northwestern side of the Door Peninsula. The federal government maintains a ship canal, constructed across the peninsula in 1880, connecting Green Bay with the rest of Lake Michigan (Michigan, Lake). The area was originally inhabited by Ho-Chunk Nation (Winnebago (Ho-Chunk)) and Potawatomi Indians. Settled in 1835, Sturgeon Bay grew as a lumbering community in the 1850s and was named for the once-abundant sturgeon in the lake.

Shipbuilding, the manufacture of food-service equipment, dairying, and cherry growing and processing are important to the economy, but tourism, based on the scenic beauty of the area, is the primary factor. The waters around Sturgeon Bay provide numerous recreational opportunities, including fishing and snorkeling for shipwrecks. Historical and maritime museums preserve the city's history, and the city also features an art museum. Sturgeon Bay contains a campus of the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. The Michigan Street Lift Bridge (built 1930) is one of two bridges that connect the city and Door Peninsula to the mainland. Potawatomi State Park is on the bay, just northwest of the city, and Whitefish Dunes State Park is to the northeast on Lake Michigan. A portion of Ice Age National Scenic Trail passes just south of the city. Inc. 1883. Pop. (1990) 9,176; (2000) 9,437.