Guide Note

The Mississippi River is 2,340 miles long and is the second longest river in the United States. The river's source is Lake Itasca, Minnesota, and its mouth is in the Gulf of Mexico. The longest tributary of the Mississippi river is the Missouri River, with the Arkansas River being the second longest.¹

Fast Facts

Mississippi River runs through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana
Mississippi River is one of the great commercial waterways of the world
There are 29 locks and dams on the upper Mississippi²
William Faulkner used the Mississippi River and Delta throughout his novels

Geography

Draining 41 percent of the 48 contiguous states, "the Mississippi River has the third largest drainage basin in the world."³ Water from as far east as New York and as far west as Montana contributes to the flow in the lower parts of the river. The depth of the Mississippi River ranges from three feet to 200 feet at Algiers Point in New Orleans.

History

Hernando De Soto, a Spanish explorer, is credited with discovering the Mississippi River in 1541.⁴ In 1803, the United States acquired the Mississippi river through the Louisiana Purchase.⁵ The river became a trade outlet for middle America in the 19th century. The first steamboat sailed down the Mississippi River in 1811.⁶

Categories

Geography | Travel | Geographic Features | Outdoor Travel | Rivers | North American Destinations

View Note History

Mississippi River

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Mississippi River
Official Travel Site: Experience the Mississippi River
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Mississippi River Navigation Pamphlet
Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area: Mississippi River: Executive Summary
Mississippi River Basin & Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia: Culture & History - Mississippi River Basin
U.S. Geological Survey: About the Upper Mississippi River System
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: The Mississippi River and Tributaries Project

Mississippi River News

Google News: Mississippi River
National Geographic News: Florida's "Red Tide" Mystery Tied to Mississippi River (2007)
Wisconsin State Journal: Curiosities: Plate Tectonics Dictate Flow of the Mississippi (2007)
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal: "Editorial: Cultural heritage" (2007)
Big River: "Flying Low, Flying Fast Over the Ice: Ice Boating on the Upper Mississippi" (2007)

Mississippi River History and Background

TIME: Mississippi River: The Pulse of America
US Army Corps of Engineers: The Mississippi River and Tributaries Project
Official Travel Site: Mississippi River History

Early History

National Park Service: History Missippi River
4 2 eXplore: Mississippi River
Center for Global Environmental Education: The History of Transportation on the Mississippi River
The Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum: Old Man River: Life Along the Mississippi

Modern History

Mississipp River Basin & Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia: Channelization
Wikipedia: Mississippi River Delta
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: The Mississippi River System
The Lower Mississippi River Conservation Committee: Ecosystem Information
Upper Mississippi River Basin Association: River & Basin Facts

Mississippi River Educational Resources

Nile of the New World: Lower Mississippi River Delta Region
Our Land Publications: The Mississippi & Missouri Rivers Student Lessons
American Land Conservancy: Mississippi River
Wikipedia: Tributaries of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River Travel

National Geographic Traveler: Mississippi River TravelWise
New York Times Travel: Mississippi River Visitor Center

Mississippi River Steamboat and Riverboat Cruises

Greatriverroad.com: River Ferries of the Middle Mississippi River Valley
Spirit of Peoria: Steamboat / Riverboat Cruises
Great River: Cruise the Mississippi River
Majestic America Line: A Mississippi Journey Cruise
Mississippi River Tours: Mississippi River Cruise Tours
Mississippi River Cruises

Outdoor Activities

Live the River: Schedule of Events
Mississippi River Trail
US Fish & Wildlife Service: Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife & Fish Refuge
I Fish Illinois: Mississippi River Fishing
National Park Service: Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

Mississippi River Photos and Videos

Google Image Search: Mississippi River
Yahoo! Image Search: Mississippi River
PhotoVault: Pictures of the Mississippi River
YouTube & Google Video Search: Mississippi River
Yahoo! Video Search: Mississippi River

Mississippi River Blogs and Forums

Google Blog Search: Mississippi River
GalaxyGoo Blogs: Historic Mississippi River Channels
AimClearBlog: Mississippi River Bridge Disaster

Mississippi River Organizations and Societies

Mississippi River Fun Stuff

PBS: The Mississippi River of Song: Music Along the River
National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
Visit Bemidji: Bemidji Minnesota Family Vacation
Education World: Mississippi River Scavenger Hunt | Wildlife Along the Mississippi River

Mississippi River Books and Merchandise

Amazon.com: Mississippi River
eBay: Mississippi River
Google Product Search: Mississippi River
Barnes & Noble: Mississippi River Books

Related Searches

Minnesota | Wisconsin | Iowa | Illinois | Missouri | Kentucky | Tennessee | Arkansas | Mississippi | Louisiana | Missouri River

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