[8] The Menominee ceded this land to the United States in the 1836 Treaty of the Cedars, following years of negotiations over how to accommodate the Oneida, Stockbridge-Munsee, and Brothertown peoples who had been removed from New York to Wisconsin.

Early immigrant groups included Germans, Norwegians, British, Irish, and Canadians.

[14] The first school in Manitowoc was held in the Jones warehouse, with S. M. Peake instructing the twelve children of the community.

[18] In addition, landing craft, tankers and submarines became the local contributions to U.S. efforts in World War II.

A bug in the guidance system had pointed the capsule in the wrong direction, so instead of dropping into the atmosphere the satellite moved into a higher orbit.

[21] A customer in a nearby art gallery jokingly suggested that the city should hold a festival to celebrate the crash.

[20] Manitowoc was historically a sundown town that prohibited African Americans from staying overnight.

In 1968, the policy forced a visiting Gwendolyn Brooks to stay at Holy Family College, just outside of Manitowoc, after a poetry reading.

with several new restaurants opening, and the recent announcement of new $100,000+ condominiums on the Manitowoc River, along with a completion of the riverwalk trail.

[citation needed] In December 2022, Manitowoc was designated Wisconsin's World War II Heritage City by the US National Park Service.

[24][page needed] Also in 2023, Mayor Justin Nickels stated he planned to continue adding amenities along the river.

[25] The bulk of the redevelopment in the city has been undertaken by the public/private partnership the Manitowoc County Economic Development Corporation.

Together with Two Rivers and the surrounding towns, the Manitowoc micropolitan area was, according to the 2000 census, home to 52,197 people.

[citation needed] Alverno is a formerly unincorporated community located in the western parts of the city.

Located slightly northwest of the I-43 Technology & Enterprise Business Park, the community contained some homes, a banquet place, and a railroad crossing on the northern side.

Lake Michigan has a moderating effect on its climate compared to regions more inland, making it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than most nearby cities.

No television stations originate from Manitowoc, and the only full-time presence of Green Bay stations in the city are remote-operated weather cameras and WFRV-TV featuring some Herald Times Reporter content in newscasts as part of a promotional agreement with Gannett's northeastern Wisconsin newspapers.

[40] Manitowoc is classed as part of Nielsen Audio's Sheboygan/Manitowoc radio market and combined with Two Rivers, and stations from both Sheboygan and Green Bay are easily heard in the area.

Since 2017, Seehafer Broadcasting has owned all six commercial radio stations broadcasting towards and licensed to Manitowoc and Two Rivers (several other stations are licensed to Manitowoc County communities, but they all instead target Green Bay and the Fox Cities).

Phil Coulson of the Marvel Cinematic Universe stated he was born here in the thirteenth episode of the second season of the television show Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

[41] Public transportation in the city been provided by Maritime Metro Transit since 1978, covering both Manitowoc and Two Rivers, Wisconsin.

Manitowoc County Airport (KMTW) serves the city and surrounding communities.