Racine is a city in and the county seat

County seat

A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....

 of Racine County, Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. According to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the city had a population of 82,196. Racine is the fifth-largest city in Wisconsin, located on the shore of Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...

 at the mouth of the Root River

Root River (Wisconsin)

The Root River is a river that flows to Lake Michigan at the city of Racine in southeastern Wisconsin in the United States. Racine and Racine County are named for the river, as racine is the French word for root.-Course:...

, approximately 30 miles (50 km) south of Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

 and 60 miles (100 km) north of Chicago, Illinois.
On October 10, 1699, a fleet of eight canoes bearing a party of French explorers entered the mouth of Root River.