Overview

Introduction to Racine, Wisconsin

Racine is situated near Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River in Racine County. The headquarters of the prominent Johnson Wax company is located in the city. Their building was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The town has one of the largest populations of Danes in North America and is well known for its Danish pastry.

History

Around 1700, French explorers were the first group of non-natives to arrive in the region. They established a trading post which grew into a settlement along Lake Michigan. Racine translates from the French as "root." In 1832 settlers from upstate New York arrived and the population significantly increased. Before the Civil War began, Racine was recognized as being against slavery. A large number of slaves utilizing the Underground Railroad passed through the city. A vast amount of immigrants arrived after the Civil War was over and the large influx of newcomers continued all the way up to the First World War. The immigration included a substantial number of African-Americans. Beginning with the founding of Racine, factories were prominent for the economy. During the late 1800s the harbor was important to the shipping industry. Car manufacturing was located in the city during the early stages of the industry.

Attractions

  • The Wind Point Lighthouse is included in the National Register of Historic Places
  • Historic Horlick Field
  • S.C. Johnson and Son Administration Building and Research Tower is part of the National Register of Historic Places
  • Racine Zoological Gardens
  • Reefpoint Marina and Festival Hall offers excellent views of the shoreline and numerous festivals
  • Racine Art Museum
  • Wustum Art Museum
  • Lakefront Trolleys offers rides in the historic downtown area
  • Mound Cemetery features historic native burial mounds
  • Racine Heritage Museum
  • Harborfest is a popular music festival

Activities

Lake Michigan provides opportunities for a variety of activities and offers beautiful vistas. Numerous parks and trails are situated along the Root River. The Lighthouse Run, the dragon boat races and a professional volleyball tournament provide entertainment. Excellent fishing opportunities are located at Horlick Dam, Island Park and Lincoln Park. The Root River is popular for fishing, hiking and kayaking. Quarry Lake Park is a popular place for swimming. Formerly a limestone quarry, it had been converted into one of the best outdoor swimming locations in the Midwest. The River Bend Nature Center, situated along the Root River offers an extensive amount of trails. The Big Fish Bash is a notable fishing tournament and festival.

Higher Education

The University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Gateway Technical College are located in the area.

Demographics

People

Total Population77,576
Male Share of the Population49.2%
Female Share of the Population50.8%
Senior Citizens12%
Employed Population 16+34,032
Age of the Population34

Families

% of people married38.6%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher15.4%
Median Earnings25+$31,633
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$23,038
Median Earnings With High School Degree$28,032

Wealth

Median Family Income$51,450
% Above Poverty Level79.6%
% Below Poverty Level20.4%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time21 minutes
% Working from Home2.7%
% Walking and Biking to Work2.5%
% Using Public Transportation3.1%

Housing

People Living Alone31.3%
Median Gross Rent$824
Median House Value$105,300

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)42.8%
German21.2%
Irish6.8%
African4.8%
Polish4.7%
Italian4.2%
Danishn4%
English4%
Norwegian3%
French Except Basque2.7%
Swedish1.7%
Dutch1.1%
Scottish1.1%
Czech0.9%
Russian0.5%
Welsh0.5%
Canadian0.5%
US/American0.4%
Serbian0.4%
Lithuanian0.4%
Hungarian0.4%
Finnish0.3%
Arab0.3%
Swiss0.2%
Greek0.2%
Belgian0.2%
Austrian0.2%
West Indian0.1%
Jamaican0.1%
Egyptian0.1%
Ukrainian0.1%
Slovak0.1%
Croatian0.1%
+ Show More

Racine Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyRacine County
Standard Zip Codes53402, 53403, 53404, 53405, 53406
P.O. Box Zip Codes53408, 53401
Company Zip Codes53407
Phone Area Codes262
Time ZoneAmerica/Chicago
Approximate Latitude42.72
Approximate Longitude-87.8

Racine Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationRACINE
Distance1.8 miles
Jan Temp13 to 28 F
Apr Temp37 to 51 F
Jul Temp64 to 79 F
Oct Temp44 to 59 F
Annual Precip35.3 inches
StationWEST ALLIS
Distance22.9 miles
Jan Temp13 to 27 F
Apr Temp38 to 54 F
Jul Temp66 to 82 F
Oct Temp44 to 61 F
Annual Precip33.8 inches
StationANTIOCH
Distance23.3 miles
Jan Temp11 to 28 F
Apr Temp37 to 56 F
Jul Temp62 to 82 F
Oct Temp42 to 61 F
Annual Precip36.5 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Kenosha99,810$65,975
Oak Creek35,843$89,530
Pleasant Prairie20,722$100,644
South Milwaukee21,089$62,029
Sturtevant6,611$80,147
Union Grove4,925$77,539

Racine Public Libraries

Racine Public Library
75 SEVENTH ST.
Racine, Wisconsin
(262) 636-9170

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Racine Hospitals

Wheat Fran Hlthcare-all Saints Inc
(Non-profit)
1320 Wisconsin Ave
(262) 687-2011
Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare- All Saints
(Non-profit)
3801 Spring St
(262) 687-4011

Racine Public Schools

Janes Elementary
1425 N Wisconsin St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 664-6550
Primary
Total Enrollment 329
Jerstad-agerholm Elementary
3535 La Salle St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 664-6050
Primary
Total Enrollment 313
Jerstad-agerholm Middle
3601 La Salle St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 664-6075
Middle
Total Enrollment 660
North Park Elementary
4748 Elizabeth St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 664-6450
Primary
Total Enrollment 364
O Brown Elementary
5915 Erie St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 664-6650
Primary
Total Enrollment 459
P-coc
914 Saint Patrick St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 631-7122
Primary
Total Enrollment 93
Red Apple Elementary
914 Saint Patrick St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 619-4500
Primary
Total Enrollment 433
Roosevelt Elementary
915 Romayne Ave
ZIP: 53402
(262) 664-8300
Primary
Total Enrollment 373
The Real School
5915 Erie St
ZIP: 53402
(262) 631-7067
Other
Total Enrollment 300
Fine Arts Elementary
815 De Koven Ave
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-6800
Primary
Total Enrollment 320
Jones Elementary
3300 Chicory Rd
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-8050
Primary
Total Enrollment 459
Mitchell Elementary
2713 Drexel Ave
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-6350
Primary
Total Enrollment 410
Mitchell Middle
2701 Drexel Ave
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-6400
Middle
Total Enrollment 651
Park High
1901 12th St
ZIP: 53403
(262) 619-4400
High
Total Enrollment 1579
Racine Civil Leaders Academy
1325 Park Ave
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-8500
Primary
Total Enrollment 201
Racine Early Education Center
2015 Franklin St
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-8200
Primary
Total Enrollment 122
Walden Iii High
1012 Center St
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-6250
High
Total Enrollment 302
Walden Iii Middle
1012 Center St
ZIP: 53403
(262) 664-6250
Middle
Total Enrollment 233
21st Century Preparatory School
1220 Mound Ave
ZIP: 53404
(262) 598-0026
Primary
Total Enrollment 446
All District 4 Year Old Kindergarten
930 Martin Luther King Dr
ZIP: 53404
(262) 664-8400
Primary
Total Enrollment 325
Gilmore Middle
2330 Northwestern Ave
ZIP: 53404
(262) 619-4260
Middle
Total Enrollment 671
Horlick High
2119 Rapids Dr
ZIP: 53404
(262) 619-4300
High
Total Enrollment 1977
Jefferson Lighthouse Elementary
1722 W 6th St
ZIP: 53404
(262) 664-6900
Primary
Total Enrollment 587
Julian Thomas Elementary
930 Martin Luther King Dr
ZIP: 53404
(262) 664-8400
Primary
Total Enrollment 580
Racine Youthful Offender Warren Young High School
1501 Albert St
ZIP: 53404
(262) 638-1999
High
Total Enrollment 264
Wadewitz Elementary
2700 Yout St
ZIP: 53404
(262) 664-6000
Primary
Total Enrollment 594
Fratt Elementary
3501 Kinzie Ave
ZIP: 53405
(262) 664-8150
Primary
Total Enrollment 513
Johnson Elementary
2420 Kentucky St
ZIP: 53405
(262) 664-6950
Primary
Total Enrollment 532
Knapp Elementary
2701 17th St
ZIP: 53405
(262) 664-8000
Primary
Total Enrollment 320
Mckinley Middle
2326 Mohr Ave
ZIP: 53405
(262) 664-6150
Middle
Total Enrollment 728
Starbuck Middle
1516 Ohio St
ZIP: 53405
(262) 664-6500
Middle
Total Enrollment 763
Case High
7345 Washington Ave
ZIP: 53406
(262) 619-4200
High
Total Enrollment 2005
Giese Elementary
5120 Byrd Ave
ZIP: 53406
(262) 664-8250
Primary
Total Enrollment 346
Gifford Elementary
8332 Northwestern Ave
ZIP: 53406
(262) 619-4550
Primary
Total Enrollment 901
Goodland Elementary
4800 Graceland Blvd
ZIP: 53406
(262) 664-6850
Primary
Total Enrollment 368
West Ridge Elementary
1347 S Emmertsen Rd
ZIP: 53406
(262) 664-6200
Primary
Total Enrollment 554

Racine Private Schools

Small World Montessori
1008 High St
ZIP: 53402
Elementary
Total Enrollment 10
St Johns Lutheran School
510 Kewaunee St
ZIP: 53402
Elementary
Total Enrollment 133
St Joseph School
1525 Erie St
ZIP: 53402
Elementary
Total Enrollment 160
St Rita Elementary School
4433 Douglas Ave
ZIP: 53402
Elementary
Total Enrollment 251
The Prairie School
4050 Lighthouse Dr
ZIP: 53402
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 658
Trinity Lutheran School
2035 Geneva St 65
ZIP: 53402
Elementary
Total Enrollment 196
Racine Montessori School
2317 Howe St
ZIP: 53403
Elementary
Total Enrollment 133
St Catherines High School
1200 Park Ave
ZIP: 53403
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 442
St Lucy School
3035 Drexel Ave
ZIP: 53403
Elementary
Total Enrollment 245
Wisconsin Lutheran School
734 Villa St
ZIP: 53403
Elementary
Total Enrollment 127
John Paul Ii Academy
2023 Northwestern Ave
ZIP: 53404
Elementary
Total Enrollment 201
Lutheran High School
251 Luedtke Ave
ZIP: 53405
Secondary
Total Enrollment 201
Racine Christian School
912 Virginia St
ZIP: 53405
Elementary
Total Enrollment 164
Sources :
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Historic Racine

photo

Root River rapids between 1880 and 1899

Select a photo to view (Source):

Root River rapids between 1880 and 1899

Racine (Root River rapids, old cement mills) between 1880 and 1899

Main St. c1899.

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