The Mississippi River Flows Through Minnesota—But Isn't "Located In" It

The Mississippi River does flow through Minnesota—in fact, it begins there—but it is not "located in" Minnesota any more than a highway is "located in" the first state it enters.

Mississippi River: A 10-State Journey

From source to mouth, the Mississippi traverses 10 states:

1. Minnesota — Source at Lake Itasca (Itasca State Park).
2. Wisconsin — Forms part of WI-MN border.
3. Iowa — Forms IA-WI and IA-IL borders.
4. Illinois — Forms IL-IA, IL-MO, IL-KY borders.
5. Missouri — Forms MO-IL, MO-KY, MO-TN borders.
6. Kentucky — Forms KY-MO, KY-TN borders.
7. Tennessee — Forms TN-MO, TN-AR borders.
8. Arkansas — Forms AR-TN, AR-MS borders.
9. Mississippi — Forms MS-AR, MS-LA borders.
10. Louisiana — Flows through to Gulf of Mexico (Birdsfoot Delta).

Minnesota's Special Role

• Headwaters: Only state containing the source (Lake Itasca, 1,475 ft elevation).
• Uppermost navigable reach: Minneapolis/St. Paul (St. Anthony Falls).
• ~680 miles of its 2,340-mile length lie in Minnesota.

The river belongs to the entire watershed (31 US states + 2 Canadian provinces). Minnesota is its cradle, not its container.