Is the Mississippi River in the Appalachian Mountains?

No. The **Mississippi River** flows through the **central United States**, forming borders of 10 states from Minnesota to Louisiana. The **Appalachian Mountains** are a separate mountain system running ~2,400 km along **eastern North America** (Alabama to Newfoundland), roughly parallel to the Atlantic coast. The Mississippi's headwaters (Lake Itasca, MN) are in the **Laurentian Shield** region, west of the Appalachians. The river's eastern tributaries (Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland) drain the Appalachians' western slopes, but the main stem lies in the **Interior Lowlands / Great Plains** physiographic province.