Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Mississippi River is one of North America's most iconic waterways, flowing entirely within the United States. It ranks as the second-longest river on the continent (after the Missouri River) and the fourth-longest in the world.
The river begins its 2,340-mile (3,766 km) journey at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. From there, it flows southward, forming borders for or passing through ten states: Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. It finally empties into the Gulf of Mexico through a vast, bird-foot delta southeast of New Orleans.
The Mississippi and its tributaries drain all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces, covering about 40% of the continental United States. This massive watershed makes it a critical corridor for transportation (barge traffic moves hundreds of millions of tons of cargo annually), agriculture, industry, and ecology. Its floodplain supports rich wetlands and diverse wildlife, while its cultural legacy—from Mark Twain to the blues—is woven into the American identity.