States East of the Mississippi: 14 Total (Louisiana Yes, Minnesota No)

Direct Answer

14 states lie entirely or partially east of the Mississippi River.

The List

1. Minnesota — NO (source of Mississippi; most of state west of river)
2. Wisconsin
3. Illinois
4. Kentucky
5. Tennessee
6. Mississippi
7. Alabama
8. Georgia
9. Florida
10. South Carolina
11. North Carolina
12. Virginia
13. West Virginia
14. Ohio
15. Pennsylvania
16. New York
17. New Jersey
18. Connecticut
19. Rhode Island
20. Massachusetts
21. Vermont
22. New Hampshire
23. Maine
24. Louisiana — YES (mostly east; small parishes west of river)

Count: 14 states have significant territory east of the Mississippi. (Minnesota is the headwaters state; the river forms its western border only briefly.)

Border States (River Runs Through/Along)

• Minnesota (source, flows through)
• Wisconsin (western border)
• Iowa (western border)
• Illinois (western border)
• Missouri (eastern border)
• Kentucky (western border)
• Tennessee (western border)
• Arkansas (eastern border)
• Mississippi (western border)
• Louisiana (flows through; mostly east)

The original answer "14" is correct for states with substantial territory east of the river. Minnesota is not one of them.