Mississippi River Facts
There are lots of Mississippi River stories, songs, lore and Mississippi river facts here in the state where the mighty river was born.
The Mississippi River begins its journey from Lake Itasca in Itasca State Park.
At the headwaters, the Mississippi River is less than 3 feet deep. At the river's deepest section, between Governor Nicholls Wharf and Algiers Point in New Orleans, it is 200 feet deep!
A Minnesota tradition is to walk across the Mississippi river on the stone path at the headwaters. In one spot, in our neighboring state of Wisconsin, the Mississippi River is almost 4 miles wide. This is at Lake Onalaska, near LaCrosse, where Mississippi River water is held behind Lock and Dam #7 and the damming of the Black River forms this broad span of the Mississippi River.
The history of Minnesota is deeply intertwined with the legends and lore of the Mississippi River.
A few Mississippi river facts:
- The Mississippi River flows south from Lake Itasca, in Northern Minnesota, to the Gulf of Mexico, in Louisiana.
- The Mississippi River, at 740 miles in length, is the third longest river in North America.
- The Mississippi River is a watershed for over 1.2 million square miles.
- The Mighty Mississippi incorporates tributary rivers from 32 states and two Canadian provinces.
- The Mississippi and its tributaries drain almost all the plains between the Appalachian Mountains and the Rocky Mountains. Its drainage basin is the third largest in the world, exceeded in size only by the watersheds of the Amazon and Congo Rivers.
- The Mississippi River was discovered by De Soto in 1541.
Lots of Mississippi River facts are also Minnesota facts:
Here are a few more:
- Bemidji, the first city on the Mississippi River is located in the state of Minnesota, 100 miles south of the Canadian border.
- The Ojibwe people of Northern Minnesota called it ''Messipi'' or The Big River. It was also known as the Mee-zee-see-bee or Father of Waters.
- At Lake Itasca, the elevation of the Mississippi River is 1,475 feet above sea level. It drops to sea level at the Gulf of Mexico. More than half of that drop occurs within the state of Minnesota.
- Water skiing was invented in 1922 on the Mississippi River in a wide part of the river known as Lake Pepin, between Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Mississippi River Recreation
Opportunities to enjoy the wonderful resources of the Mississippi River abound in Minnesota. As well as visiting the Mississipi Headwaters in Itasca State Park you can visit the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.
In 1988, seventy-two miles of the Mississippi River, from the cities of Dayton and Ramsey (north of the Twin Cities) to near Hastings (south of the Twin Cities)were designated as a place to explore the river. The
Mississippi River Trail Guide
offers maps and tips about how to make the most of this recreational area.
The Mississippi River is just one of Minnesota's Water Trails that offer thousamds of miles of canoe and kayak routes through the state.
The Mississippi River Gallery at the Science Museum of Minnesota
encourages visitors to think about how their actions impact the river. Learn some Mississippi River facts about the influence the river has on our lives, and how the river ecosystem is complex and ever-changing. Learn more about the
Mississippi River Gallery
with this fact sheet.
While you are at the Science Museum, visit the Mississippi River Visitor Center located directly across the Science Museum lobby. The Center invites visitors to explore the Mississippi River resources in their own backyard.
Explore the Great River Road established in 1938 as the national parkway of the Mississippi River. Its route traverses nearly 3,000 miles through 10 states. Read more about the
Great River Road.
Take a Mississippi River cruise. Harriet Island in St. Paul is where you can board a Padelford Riverboat for a cruise on the river. To see the cruise options and to book a crusie visit the
Padelford Packet Boat Company.
Explore Mississippi Bluffs in Minnesota
Do You Have a Favorite
Mississippi River Story?
Where do you like to go in Minnesota to enjoy the Mississippi River? What facts about the Mississippi River would you like to share?
What Other Visitors Have Said
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Cruise the Mississippi River
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We love to explore the Mississippi River on modern-day replicas of the grand old river boats that plied the Mississippi River in the late 19th Century....
Minnesota Water Trails
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