How Many States Does the Mississippi River Touch?

The Mississippi River flows through or borders 10 states:

1. Minnesota (source at Lake Itasca)
2. Wisconsin
3. Iowa
4. Illinois
5. Missouri
6. Kentucky
7. Tennessee
8. Arkansas
9. Mississippi
10. Louisiana (mouth at Gulf of Mexico)

It forms the border for all or part of the Wisconsin–Iowa, Iowa–Illinois, Illinois–Missouri, Missouri–Kentucky, Tennessee–Arkansas, and Mississippi–Louisiana boundaries. The watershed (drainage basin) covers 31 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces—40% of the continental U.S.

Wildlife of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River Basin, North Carolina

Sallis and Durant, Mississippi: Opposite Sides of the River