Sturgeon Bay was always a popular area to visit and settle by many Native American tribes, due primarily to the relatively short portage between Lake Michigan and Green Bay. The Menominee, Winnebago, Outagamie, Iroquois, Sauk, Ottawa, Illinois, Chippewa and Pottawatomi tribes were all known to have frequented this area.

As the first European settlers to Door County planted roots, they chose the Sturgeon Bay area as their center of commerce and government. All areas of the peninsula, from Washington Island in the north to Brussels in the south, converged in the city to conduct official business. This has given the city cultural influences that stem from all parts of the county.