121-545: The Great River Road is a collection of state and local roads that follow the course of the Mississippi River through ten states of the United States . They are Minnesota , Wisconsin , Iowa , Illinois , Missouri , Kentucky , Tennessee , Arkansas , Mississippi and Louisiana . It formerly extended north into Canada , serving the provinces of Ontario and Manitoba . The road is designated as both
242-639: A Mississippi River Parkway as an extension of an idea for a recreational river road that had been first put forward by the Missouri Planning Board in 1936. The commission was instrumental not only in the early planning and development of the parkway but also in its construction, promotion, marketing, and development. Now known as the Mississippi River Parkway Commission and headquartered in Minneapolis ,
363-462: A National Scenic Byway and an All-American Road in several states along the route. The term "Great River Road" refers both to a series of roadways and to a larger region inside the US and in each state, used for tourism and historic purposes. Some states have designated or identified regions of state interest along the road and use the roads to encompass those regions. It is divided into two main sections:
484-544: A convoluted alignment, turning southeast on Main Street (still US 136), northeast on 4th Street, northwest on Orleans Avenue, northeast on 7th Street, northwest on Grand Avenue, and northeast on Rand Park Terrace, curving northwest onto the river-hugging Mississippi River Road ( CR X28 and CR X21 ) through Montrose to US 61 . US 61 and US 61 Business lead through Fort Madison to the Fort Madison Bridge and
605-596: A county road that becomes 10th Street in Keithsburg . Main Street leads west to 4th Street and another county road, ending up on IL 17 west of Joy . Finally, after 2.5 miles (4 km) of travel west on IL 17 to a point north of New Boston , a third north–south county road (designated as CR A in Rock Island County ) takes Great River Road traffic to IL 92 opposite Muscatine, Iowa . The National Route reenters from Muscatine, following IL 92 east through
726-644: A feasibility study. The study, "Parkway for the Mississippi River", was completed by the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) (predecessor agency to the Federal Highway Administration ) in 1951. The study concluded that a parkway for the Mississippi River would benefit the nation as a whole. However, the report made an important distinction. Because it would be too expensive to build an entirely new parkway, BPR recommended instead that
847-542: A large mound of sand spanning the width of the river 55 feet below the surface, allowing fresh water and large cargo ships to pass over. Fresh river water flowing from the Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico does not mix into the salt water immediately. The images from NASA 's MODIS show a large plume of fresh water, which appears as a dark ribbon against the lighter-blue surrounding waters. These images demonstrate that
968-666: A length of 3,710 miles (5,971 km), making it the fourth longest river in the world after the Nile , Amazon , and Yangtze . When measured by the largest stream source (by water volume), the Ohio River , by extension the Allegheny River , would be the source, and the Mississippi would begin in Pennsylvania . At its source at Lake Itasca , the Mississippi River is about 3 feet (0.91 m) deep. The average depth of
1089-615: A long one—full of fits and starts. A late bloomer, the Great River Road was more than 30 years old before it really began to mature. The U.S. House of Representatives ' Committee on Public Lands held hearings in 1939 and 1940 to discuss a bill that would have authorized a feasibility study of the Mississippi River Parkway concept. While popular, the parkway idea was soon overshadowed by World War II . It wasn't until 1949 that Congress approved funding for
1210-478: A natural process known as avulsion or delta switching, the lower Mississippi River has shifted its final course to the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico every thousand years or so. This occurs because the deposits of silt and sediment begin to clog its channel, raising the river's level and causing it to eventually find a steeper, more direct route to the Gulf of Mexico. The abandoned distributaries diminish in volume and form what are known as bayous . This process has, over
1331-544: A pilotwheel with the name of the state or province. The over-all logo reads "Canada to Gulf" where the local name would be, and most MRPC publications denote the route as beginning at Lake Itasca in Minnesota and ending in Louisiana. The Great River Road is not a single road but a designated route along connected segments of named and numbered highways and streets maintained by state, county, or local jurisdictions. Until
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#17327809046541452-661: A sequence of local roads past Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park : Locke Cuba Road, Bluff Road, Riverbluff Road, Herring Hill Road (which is partly unpaved), Pryor Road, and Richardson Landing Road. At Richardsons the route turns east with SR 59 to Covington , then runs north on US 51 . After crossing the Hatchie River on its westernmost bridge, the Great River Road again leaves US 51 at Henning , looping west on SR 87 , north on partly unpaved Crutcher Lake Road (past Fort Pillow State Park ) and Four Mile Lane, and east on SR 19 to rejoin US 51 at Ripley . It leaves US 51 for
1573-730: A short piece of US 67 to reach IL 100 , which runs directly along the river for a significant distance before turning inland at Grafton . Rather than cross the Illinois River on the Brussels Ferry , the Great River Road remains with IL 100 alongside the Illinois River, first on the east side to the Hardin Bridge and then on the west side to Kampsville . There it turns west to rejoin the Mississippi River, following IL 96 to north of Hull and former IL 57 to
1694-682: Is 1,151,000 sq mi (2,980,000 km ), of which only about one percent is in Canada. The Mississippi ranks as the world's tenth-largest river by discharge flow, and the largest in North America. Native Americans have lived along the Mississippi River and its tributaries for thousands of years. Many were hunter-gatherers , but some, such as the Mound Builders , formed prolific agricultural and urban civilizations, and some practiced aquaculture . The arrival of Europeans in
1815-794: Is 208,200 cu ft/s (5,900 m /s). Thus, by volume, the main branch of the Mississippi River system at Cairo can be considered to be the Ohio River (and the Allegheny River further upstream), rather than the Middle Mississippi. In addition to the Ohio River , the major tributaries of the Lower Mississippi River are the White River , flowing in at the White River National Wildlife Refuge in east-central Arkansas;
1936-575: Is a meandering river in a broad, flat area, only rarely flowing alongside a bluff (as at Vicksburg, Mississippi ). The Mississippi River is known as the Middle Mississippi from the Upper Mississippi River's confluence with the Missouri River at St. Louis, Missouri , for 190 miles (310 km) to its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois . The Middle Mississippi is relatively free-flowing. From St. Louis to
2057-498: Is called the Lower Mississippi River from its confluence with the Ohio River to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico, a distance of about 1,000 miles (1,600 km). At the confluence of the Ohio and the Middle Mississippi, the long-term mean discharge of the Ohio at Cairo, Illinois is 281,500 cubic feet per second (7,970 cubic meters per second), while the long-term mean discharge of the Mississippi at Thebes, Illinois (just upriver from Cairo)
2178-912: Is controlled and managed as a series of pools created by 26 locks and dams. The Upper Mississippi River is joined by the Minnesota River at Fort Snelling in the Twin Cities ; the St. Croix River near Prescott, Wisconsin ; the Cannon River near Red Wing, Minnesota ; the Zumbro River at Wabasha, Minnesota ; the Black , La Crosse , and Root rivers in La Crosse, Wisconsin ; the Wisconsin River at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin ;
2299-480: Is followed into Guttenberg . As of 2012, the route through that city leaves US 52 east on Koerner Street, turning north on River Park Drive, west on Broadway Street, north on 2nd Street, west on Kosciusko Street, north on 3rd Street and through the municipal marina to CR X56 . The Great River Road follows the entire length of CR X56 (including former Iowa 340 ) to McGregor , and then continues north on Iowa 76 and CR X52 (partly former Iowa 364 ) to Lansing , where
2420-520: Is largely a multi-thread stream with many bars and islands. From its confluence with the St. Croix River downstream to Dubuque, Iowa , the river is entrenched, with high bedrock bluffs lying on either side. The height of these bluffs decreases to the south of Dubuque, though they are still significant through Savanna, Illinois . This topography contrasts strongly with the Lower Mississippi, which
2541-593: Is marked entirely along state-maintained highways in Missouri , with more than half along US 61 . Although plates for the National Route are not used in the state, it can be identified based on signage in Illinois. A state alternate route enters the state from Arkansas and follows US 61, including two overlaps with I-55 , all the way to Perryville . The National Route crosses the Mississippi from Illinois on
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#17327809046542662-644: Is part of the National Route, entering from Kentucky at Cairo and leaving at Chester . It follows US 51 off the Cairo Ohio River Bridge through Cairo, and then IL 3 paralleling the river to near Chester. Before entering Chester city limits, the route turns west onto a signed truck bypass that runs closer to the river. It ends by turning southwest onto the Chester Bridge ( IL 150 ) to Missouri. The first section of unbannered route stretches from Chester to near Fall Creek . It begins at
2783-527: Is signed on the Illinois side of the Mississippi north of East Dubuque, although Wisconsin Highway 35 has Great River Road markers all the way to the state line (at IL 35 ). WIS 35 , which hugs Wisconsin 's western border, carries most of the Great River Road in that state from its entrance near East Dubuque, Illinois . The longest separation from WIS 35 is between Tennyson and a point south of Bridgeport , where WIS 35 heads inland through Lancaster and
2904-539: Is the only true waterfall on the entire Mississippi River. The water elevation continues to drop steeply as it passes through the gorge carved by the waterfall. After the completion of the St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in 1963, the river's head of navigation moved upstream, to the Coon Rapids Dam . However, the Locks were closed in 2015 to control the spread of invasive Asian carp , making Minneapolis once again
3025-618: The American Civil War , the Mississippi's capture by Union forces marked a turning point towards victory , due to the river's strategic importance to the Confederate war effort. Because of the substantial growth of cities and the larger ships and barges that replaced steamboats, the first decades of the 20th century saw the construction of massive engineering works such as levees , locks and dams , often built in combination. A major focus of this work has been to prevent
3146-823: The Arkansas River , joining the Mississippi at Arkansas Post ; the Big Black River in Mississippi; and the Yazoo River , meeting the Mississippi at Vicksburg, Mississippi . Deliberate water diversion at the Old River Control Structure in Louisiana allows the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana to be a major distributary of the Mississippi River, with 30% of the combined flow of the Mississippi and Red Rivers flowing to
3267-527: The Bardwell area. There two routes are signed, one following KY 123 to Bardwell and the other bypassing the city to the west on KY 1203 . The last leg in Kentucky takes US 51 to the bridge across the Ohio River to Cairo, Illinois . Signs are present for an alternate route that runs inland through Fulton , Clinton , and Arlington along KY 125 , KY 166 , KY 1648 , US 51 , and KY 80 . It leaves
3388-809: The Chester Bridge , following Route 51 south to Perryville and then turning north along US 61. At exit 170 south of Festus , the Great River Road joins I-55, following that highway into St. Louis and using I-44 and I-70 to exit 220 on the St. Peters - O'Fallon border. From there the National Route follows the entire length of Route 79 to I-72 in Hannibal , where it crosses the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge back to Illinois. A second state alternate begins in Hannibal by running west on I-72 to its end at US 61, then turning north on US 61. It follows Route 168 to Palmyra , rejoining US 61 for
3509-640: The Gulf of Mexico , part of the Atlantic Ocean. The total catchment of the Mississippi River covers nearly 40% of the landmass of the continental United States. The highest point within the watershed is also the highest point of the Rocky Mountains , Mount Elbert at 14,440 feet (4,400 m). In the United States, the Mississippi River drains the majority of the area between the crest of
3630-498: The I-172 interchange near Fall Creek. The National Route reenters Illinois on the Mark Twain Memorial Bridge ( I-72 ) from Hannibal, Missouri and follows I-172 north to the IL 57 interchange, where the unbannered route from Chester ends. It follows extant IL 57 into Quincy and then US 24 and IL 96 to a point east of Warsaw , turning west onto that city's Main Street and leaving to
3751-551: The Memphis & Arkansas Bridge , meeting 3rd Street at Crump Boulevard. The route follows a number of city streets along the riverfront: G.E. Patterson Avenue, Main Street, Beale Street , Riverside Drive, Jefferson Avenue, Front Street (passing the Pyramid ), the A.W. Willis Bridge , Island Drive, Mud Island Drive, Second Street, and Whitney Avenue, joining US 51 in northern Memphis. It soon turns off on SR 388 , and then follows
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3872-653: The Mendota Bridge ( MN 55 ) and passes Fort Snelling . After MN 55 enters Minneapolis , the Great River Road turns east on 46th Street (County 46), south on Minnehaha Avenue, and east on Godfrey Parkway to reach the south end of the West River Parkway, a segment of the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway . This scenic drive parallels the west bank of the Mississippi through downtown Minneapolis, becoming West River Road at
3993-603: The Minnesota River , James River , and Milk River valleys. When the ice sheet completely retreated, many of these "temporary" rivers found paths to Hudson Bay or the Arctic Ocean, leaving the Mississippi Basin with many features "over-sized" for the existing rivers to have carved in the same time period. Ice sheets during the Illinoian Stage , about 300,000 to 132,000 years before present, blocked
4114-566: The Ohio and Missouri , formed pathways for the western expansion of the United States. The river also became the subject of American literature , particularly in the writings of Mark Twain . Formed from thick layers of the river's silt deposits, the Mississippi embayment is one of the most fertile regions of the United States; steamboats were widely used in the 19th and early 20th centuries to ship agricultural and industrial goods. During
4235-856: The Plymouth Avenue Bridge and ending at the Broadway Avenue Bridge (County 66). After crossing the Mississippi again, the Great River Road turns north on Marshall Street (County 23) and East River Road (County 1), then turns back west to cross the Mississippi one last time in the Twin Cities area on the I-694 Bridge . From there to Champlin (opposite Anoka ), it sticks to the old pre-freeway route of US 169 as much as possible, taking MN 252 north to Brookdale Drive and jogging east to West River Road, which leads to County 12 into Champlin. County 12 continues along
4356-619: The Quad Cities except for a detour onto County Road TT east of Illinois City . On the East Moline - Silvis border, the Great River Road turns back north along IL 84 , which stays near the river most of the way to a point southeast of Galena . US 20 carries the route through Galena to East Dubuque , where the National Route crosses the river one last time into Dubuque, Iowa on the Julien Dubuque Bridge . No route
4477-1085: The Rock River at the Quad Cities ; the Iowa River near Wapello, Iowa ; the Skunk River south of Burlington, Iowa ; and the Des Moines River at Keokuk, Iowa . Other major tributaries of the Upper Mississippi include the Crow River in Minnesota, the Chippewa River in Wisconsin, the Maquoketa River and the Wapsipinicon River in Iowa, and the Illinois River in Illinois. The Upper Mississippi
4598-403: The Rocky Mountains and the crest of the Appalachian Mountains , except for various regions drained to Hudson Bay by the Red River of the North ; to the Atlantic Ocean by the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence River ; and to the Gulf of Mexico by the Rio Grande , the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers, the Chattahoochee and Appalachicola rivers, and various smaller coastal waterways along
4719-419: The Sartell Bridge (County 29 / County 133), from which it uses the short County 78 to reach County 1. This road and its continuations in Morrison County - County 21, 25, and 52 - follow the west bank of the Mississippi to Little Falls , where it jogs east on MN 27 to County 213, which ends at MN 115 at the Camp Ripley entrance. The Camp Ripley Bridge takes MN 115 east to its terminus at MN 371 , which
4840-429: The headwaters region and serve multiple purposes, including power generation and recreation. The remaining 29 dams, beginning in downtown Minneapolis, all contain locks and were constructed to improve commercial navigation of the upper river. Taken as a whole, these 43 dams significantly shape the geography and influence the ecology of the upper river. Beginning just below Saint Paul, Minnesota , and continuing throughout
4961-422: The most recent Ice Age . The southernmost extent of this enormous glaciation extended well into the present-day United States and Mississippi basin. When the ice sheet began to recede, hundreds of feet of rich sediment were deposited, creating the flat and fertile landscape of the Mississippi Valley. During the melt, giant glacial rivers found drainage paths into the Mississippi watershed, creating such features as
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5082-422: The 10 state routes were designated All-American Roads by the Federal Highway Administration, highlighting their national significance and one-of-a-kind features. Developed in 1938, the road has a separate commission in each state. These in turn cooperate through the Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MRPC). The 2,340 miles (3,765 km) are designated with a green-and-white sign showing a river steamboat inside
5203-465: The 16th century changed the native way of life as first explorers, then settlers, ventured into the basin in increasing numbers. The river served sometimes as a barrier, forming borders for New Spain , New France , and the early United States, and throughout as a vital transportation artery and communications link. In the 19th century, during the height of the ideology of manifest destiny , the Mississippi and several tributaries, most notably its largest,
5324-446: The 1960s. The 1961 Iowa highway map was the first map in that state to highlight the route. Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States . From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota , it flows generally south for 2,340 miles (3,766 km) to the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico . With its many tributaries ,
5445-402: The Earth's mantle (specifically, the Bermuda hotspot ) that was undergoing a period of intense activity. The upwelling of magma from the hotspot forced the further uplift to a height of perhaps 2–3 km of part of the Appalachian-Ouachita range, forming an arch that blocked southbound water flows. The uplifted land quickly eroded and, as North America moved away from the hot spot and as
5566-400: The French rendering of the Anishinaabe ( Ojibwe or Algonquin ) name for the river, Misi-ziibi (Great River). In the 18th century, the river was set by the Treaty of Paris as, for the most part, the western border of the new United States. With the Louisiana Purchase and the country's westward expansion, it became a convenient boundary line between the western and eastern halves of
5687-409: The Great River Road and the National Scenic Byway Route. The eponymous segment runs on both sides of the river from Louisiana through the state borders of Kentucky/Illinois and Missouri/Iowa, excepting the full length of the road in Arkansas. A five-state section of the road has been designated a National Scenic Byway , running through Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. In 2021, eight of
5808-432: The Great River Road follows WIS 133 to Cassville , County VV and County A to Bagley , and County X and County C to return to WIS 35. The historic National Route entered Wisconsin on the Black Hawk Bridge ( WIS 82 ), turning north on WIS 35 near De Soto . US 61 and US 53 take the route through downtown La Crosse , which WIS 35 bypasses to the east, and it follows WIS 35 Business in Holmen . Finally, at Prescott ,
5929-427: The Great River Road follows a large number of county roads that approximate the winding course of the Mississippi. These are, in order, 91, 54, 91, 10, 39 (bridge across the Mississippi near the Cass Lake outlet), 12, 33 (bridge between Allens Bay and Andrusia Lake ), 8 (bridge between Andrusia Lake and Wolf Lake ), 27, and 12 (yet another bridge). The route turns west onto 1st Street to reach MN 197 , which crosses
6050-424: The Great River Road follows north to Baxter , crossing the Mississippi at the south city limits. As of 2010, the route through Baxter left MN 371 at College Drive, heading east back over the Mississippi on the College Drive Bridge into Brainerd . There it turned north on East River Road, east on Laurel Street, north on 6th Street ( MN 371 Business ), east on MN 210 , and north on 8th Avenue (County 3). However,
6171-431: The Great River Road jogs northwest on Hickory Street to LA 48 . LA 48 hugs the river to Norco , where US 61 crosses the Bonnet Carre Spillway to LA 628 , connecting in LaPlace to LA 636-3 and LA 44 . Another river-hugging highway, LA 44 leads to Burnside , where LA 942 continues to Darrow ; the route then follows LA 75 , LA 991 , and LA 327 around the curves of the river to Baton Rouge . Through that city,
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#17327809046546292-437: The Great River Road leaves US 79 and turns east on Highway 38 , then north on Highway 147 around the north shore of Horseshoe Lake and on to US 70 at Lehi . US 70 leads east into West Memphis , where the National Route historically crossed the Memphis & Arkansas Bridge . The final leg of Arkansas's Great River Road turns north at West Memphis and uses Highway 77 and US 61 north into Missouri. The Great River Road
6413-438: The Great River Road through a nationally coordinated program. BPR recommended "that the selected route shall be improved in a superior manner and that it should be dedicated to recreational purposes as well as to moving traffic". The needed construction and improvements "can be done with regular apportionments under the federal highway act or by the states on their own..." With the Federal Highway Act of 1954, Congress responded to
6534-427: The Great River Road turns west on US 10 across the St. Croix River on the Prescott Drawbridge into Minnesota. On entering Minnesota , the east-side alignment of the Great River Road (here signed as the National Route) follows US 10 west and US 61 south across the Mississippi on the Hastings Bridge into Hastings , where it joins with the west-side alignment. The two sides of the Great River Road combine at
6655-408: The Great River Road uses LA 30 , Government Street, River Road (partly US 61 Business ), State Capitol Drive, Third Street, Spanish Town Road, Fifth Street, and Capitol Access Road ( LA 3045 ) to I-110 . At the Airline Highway interchange on I-110, the National Route comes over the Huey P. Long Bridge ( US 190 ) and turns north to follow I-110 and US 61 into Mississippi. In January 1811, there
6776-588: The Gulf of Mexico by this route, rather than continuing down the Mississippi's current channel past Baton Rouge and New Orleans on a longer route to the Gulf. Although the Red River was once an additional tributary, its water now flows separately into the Gulf of Mexico through the Atchafalaya River. The Mississippi River has the world's fourth-largest drainage basin ("watershed" or "catchment"). The basin covers more than 1,245,000 square miles (3,220,000 km ), including all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. The drainage basin empties into
6897-409: The Gulf. The Mississippi River empties into the Gulf of Mexico about 100 miles (160 km) downstream from New Orleans. Measurements of the length of the Mississippi from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico vary somewhat, but the United States Geological Survey 's number is 2,340 miles (3,766 km). The retention time from Lake Itasca to the Gulf is typically about 90 days; while speed varies along
7018-404: The Illinoian Stage. Timeline of outflow course changes In March 1876, the Mississippi suddenly changed course near the settlement of Reverie, Tennessee , leaving a small part of Tipton County, Tennessee , attached to Arkansas and separated from the rest of Tennessee by the new river channel. Since this event was an avulsion , rather than the effect of incremental erosion and deposition,
7139-408: The Midwestern and eastern U.S. These earthquakes created Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee from the altered landscape near the river. When measured from its traditional source at Lake Itasca , the Mississippi has a length of 2,340 miles (3,766 km). When measured from its longest stream source (most distant source from the sea), Brower's Spring in Montana , the source of the Missouri River , it has
7260-416: The Mississippi River between Saint Paul and Saint Louis is between 9 and 12 feet (2.7–3.7 m) deep, the deepest part being Lake Pepin , which averages 20–32 feet (6–10 m) deep and has a maximum depth of 60 feet (18 m). Between where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi at Saint Louis, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois, the depth averages 30 feet (9 m). Below Cairo, where the Ohio River joins,
7381-411: The Mississippi River has experienced numerous large and small changes to its main course, as well as additions, deletions, and other changes among its numerous tributaries, and the lower Mississippi River has used different pathways as its main channel to the Gulf of Mexico across the delta region. As Pangaea began to break up about 95 million years ago, North America passed over a volcanic " hotspot " in
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#17327809046547502-415: The Mississippi River near New Madrid, Missouri , between Memphis and St. Louis, is related to an aulacogen (failed rift) that formed at the same time as the Gulf of Mexico. This area is still quite active seismically. Four great earthquakes in 1811 and 1812 , estimated at 8 on the Richter magnitude scale , had tremendous local effects in the then sparsely settled area, and were felt in many other places in
7623-404: The Mississippi near Rock Island, Illinois, diverting it to its present channel farther to the west, the current western border of Illinois. The Hennepin Canal roughly follows the ancient channel of the Mississippi downstream from Rock Island to Hennepin, Illinois . South of Hennepin, to Alton, Illinois , the current Illinois River follows the ancient channel used by the Mississippi River before
7744-404: The Mississippi on the Wakota Bridge and again turns north on US 10 / US 61 , soon entering St. Paul . Shepard Road/Warner Road (mostly County 36 and 37) takes the route west along the St. Paul riverfront to I-35E , where it turns back south and recrosses the Mississippi on the Lexington Bridge . MN 13 takes it to Mendota , at which point it crosses the Minnesota River near its mouth on
7865-414: The Mississippi's watershed drains all or parts of 32 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. The river either borders or passes through the states of Minnesota , Wisconsin , Iowa , Illinois , Missouri , Kentucky , Tennessee , Arkansas , Mississippi , and Louisiana . The main stem is entirely within the United States; the total drainage basin
7986-500: The Mississippi, becoming County 42 in Wright County . The route jogs north on MN 101 and then turns west on County 39 along the river to Monticello . There it picks up former MN 152 (which has been supplanted by I-94 ), now known as County 75 to St. Cloud . Through that city, the Great River Road follows Clearwater Road and 9th Avenue, crossing the Mississippi into Sauk Rapids on the Sauk Rapids Regional Bridge . County 33 (Benton Drive) leads to Sartell and another river crossing,
8107-529: The Missouri River; the Middle Mississippi, which is downriver from the Missouri to the Ohio River; and the Lower Mississippi , which flows from the Ohio to the Gulf of Mexico. The Upper Mississippi runs from its headwaters to its confluence with the Missouri River at St. Louis, Missouri. It is divided into two sections: The source of the Upper Mississippi branch is traditionally accepted as Lake Itasca , 1,475 feet (450 m) above sea level in Itasca State Park in Clearwater County, Minnesota . The name Itasca
8228-405: The National Route crosses the Black Hawk Bridge ( Iowa 9 ) to Wisconsin. Finally, Iowa 26 carries a state alternate from Lansing north to the Minnesota state line at New Albin . The Great River Road enters Minnesota on MN 26 , connecting to US 61 in La Crescent via a short piece of MN 16 . Except for a detour onto MN 316 , US 61 carries this state alternate route to its junction with
8349-423: The National Route in Hastings . A state alternate route begins in Gretna and crosses the Crescent City Connection ( US 90 Business ) into New Orleans . Tchoupitoulas Street leads along the river to Audubon Park , with Magazine Street , Leake Avenue , and Oak Street continuing from the other side of the park to the city line. In Jefferson Parish , the road becomes River Road (partly LA 611-1 ), from which
8470-443: The Ohio River confluence, the Middle Mississippi falls 220 feet (67 m) over 180 miles (290 km) for an average rate of 1.2 feet per mile (23 cm/km). At its confluence with the Ohio River, the Middle Mississippi is 315 feet (96 m) above sea level. Apart from the Missouri and Meramec rivers of Missouri and the Kaskaskia River of Illinois, no major tributaries enter the Middle Mississippi River. The Mississippi River
8591-407: The Trans-Canada Highway (Highways 1 and 17) to join the Ontario branch at Kenora. The Mississippi River Parkway Planning Commission was formed in 1938 to develop plans for what was to become the Great River Road. Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes urged the governors of the 10 states along the Mississippi River to form the commission. State planning officials had been developing the concept of
8712-546: The Upper Mississippi River is the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam in Minneapolis. Above the dam, the river's elevation is 799 feet (244 m). Below the dam, the river's elevation is 750 feet (230 m). This 49-foot (15 m) drop is the largest of all the Mississippi River locks and dams. The origin of the dramatic drop is a waterfall preserved adjacent to the lock under an apron of concrete. Saint Anthony Falls
8833-612: The Upper Mississippi is a simple steel culvert, through which the river (locally named "Nicolet Creek") flows north from Lake Nicolet under "Wilderness Road" to the West Arm of Lake Itasca, within Itasca State Park . The earliest bridge across the Mississippi River was built in 1855. It spanned the river in Minneapolis where the current Hennepin Avenue Bridge is located. No highway or railroad tunnels cross under
8954-580: The approach to the Chester Bridge, following IL 150 and the remainder of the truck bypass back to IL 3, which carries the Great River Road all the way to East St. Louis . But instead of continuing along IL 3 through the riverside industrial areas, the route turns east on I-55 / I-70 , north on IL 111 , and back west on I-270 to rejoin IL 3 in Granite City . It soon leaves IL 3 for the last time to follow IL 143 into downtown Alton and then
9075-555: The areas drained by them. Denser salt water from the Gulf of Mexico forms a salt wedge along the river bottom near the mouth of the river, while fresh water flows near the surface. In drought years, with less fresh water to push it out, salt water can travel many miles upstream—64 miles (103 km) in 2022—contaminating drinking water supplies and requiring the use of desalination . The United States Army Corps of Engineers constructed "saltwater sills" or "underwater levees" to contain this in 1988, 1999, 2012, and 2022. This consists of
9196-505: The commission continues to promote, preserve, and enhance the resources of the Mississippi River Valley and the Great River Road. Representatives of the 10 states and two Canadian provinces serve on the commission's board of directors, and they serve as chairpersons of their state Mississippi River Parkway commissions. But the road from the commission's beginning in 1938 to the success of the Great River Road today has been
9317-604: The country. This is reflected in the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, which was designed to symbolize the opening of the West, and the focus on the " Trans-Mississippi " region in the Trans-Mississippi Exposition . Regional landmarks are often classified in relation to the river, such as "the highest peak east of the Mississippi " or "the oldest city west of the Mississippi". The FCC also uses it as
9438-427: The course of the river, this gives an overall average of around 26 mi (42 km) per day, or 1 mi (1.6 km) per hour. The stream gradient of the entire river is 0.01%, a drop of 450 m over 3,766 km. The Mississippi River discharges at an annual average rate of between 200 and 700 thousand cubic feet per second (6,000 and 20,000 m /s). The Mississippi is the fourteenth largest river in
9559-403: The delta of the Chippewa River of Wisconsin as it enters the Upper Mississippi, is more than 2 miles (3.2 km) wide. By the time the Upper Mississippi reaches Saint Paul , Minnesota, below Lock and Dam No. 1, it has dropped more than half its original elevation and is 687 feet (209 m) above sea level. From St. Paul to St. Louis, Missouri, the river elevation falls much more slowly and
9680-592: The depth averages 50–100 feet (15–30 m) deep. The deepest part of the river is in New Orleans, where it reaches 200 feet (61 m) deep. The Mississippi River runs through or along 10 states, from Minnesota to Louisiana , and is used to define portions of these states' borders, with Wisconsin , Illinois , Kentucky , Tennessee , and Mississippi along the east side of the river, and Iowa , Missouri , and Arkansas along its west side. Substantial parts of both Minnesota and Louisiana are on either side of
9801-472: The dividing line for broadcast call-signs , which begin with W to the east and K to the west, overlapping in media markets along the river. Due to its size and importance, it has been nicknamed The Mighty Mississippi River or simply The Mighty Mississippi . The Mississippi River can be divided into three sections: the Upper Mississippi , the river from its headwaters to the confluence with
9922-457: The early 1980s, a single Canada-to-Gulf alignment of the Great River Road, serving all ten states, was eligible for special federal funding . The states posted "National Route" plates above the markers on this route and marked their own alternate routes across the river, creating two alignments between New Orleans and Hastings - Point Douglas . Signs marking the National Route are now used only in Illinois and Minnesota. The National Route followed
10043-473: The entrance of the National Route into Iowa. The National Route returns to US 61 via US 61 Business, splitting to follow CR X62 and Madison Avenue into Burlington . It turns east onto Main Drive through Crapo Park and curves back north on Main Street, which leads to CR X99 (former Iowa 99 ) to north of Toolesboro and CR X61 into Muscatine . After turning onto US 61 Business , the National Route leaves
10164-459: The following segments: More recently, much of the Great River Road, including a portion in every state, has been designated a National Scenic Byway . Few if any signs are present in Louisiana , but the route has been defined by state law. It begins at Venice on the west bank, following LA 23 into Gretna , where the eastern route splits. The western route, historically part of the National Route here, turns west on LA 18 , which it follows all
10285-503: The hotspot's activity declined, the crust beneath the embayment region cooled, contracted and subsided to a depth of 2.6 km, and around 80 million years ago the Reelfoot Rift formed a trough that was flooded by the Gulf of Mexico . As sea levels dropped, the Mississippi and other rivers extended their courses into the embayment , which gradually became filled with sediment with the Mississippi River at its center. Through
10406-634: The last time at Halls , following SR 88 west to near Hales Point , turning north on SR 181 atop a levee to SR 79 near Cottonwood Grove . The route continues north, slightly east of the levee, along Hoecake Road, Robison Bayou Road, Bingham Road, Mooring Road, and SR 21 into Tiptonville . The Great River Road ends its Tennessee stretch by following SR 78 to the state line. The Great River Road's National Route enters Kentucky from Tennessee on KY 94 and runs northeast and east through Hickman . At Cayce it turns north to follow KY 239 , continuing on KY 123 from west of Clinton through Columbus to
10527-402: The last two decades, this number was only 160 million short tons (145 million metric tons) per year. The reduction in sediment transported down the Mississippi River is the result of engineering modification of the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers and their tributaries by dams, meander cutoffs , river-training structures, and bank revetments and soil erosion control programs in
10648-420: The left turn from College Drive onto East River Road is no longer permitted due to a reconstruction project. The Great River Road leaves Brainerd to the north on County 3 (former MN 25 ), crossing the Mississippi again at the city limits. North of Merrifield it turns east on County 19, which leads to County 11 and then MN 6 south across the Mississippi and into Crosby . MN 210 leads east to Aitkin , where
10769-558: The lower 10 miles (16 km) of the Kaskaskia River, forming a new Mississippi channel and cutting off the town from the rest of the state. Later flooding destroyed most of the remaining town, including the original State House. Today, the remaining 2,300 acres (930 ha) island and community of 14 residents is known as an enclave of Illinois and is accessible only from the Missouri side. The New Madrid Seismic Zone , along
10890-415: The lower Mississippi from shifting into the channel of the Atchafalaya River and bypassing New Orleans . Since the 20th century, the Mississippi River has also experienced major pollution and environmental problems — most notably elevated nutrient and chemical levels from agricultural runoff, the primary contributor to the Gulf of Mexico dead zone . The word Mississippi itself comes from Misi zipi ,
11011-495: The main route at Hickman and ends north of Columbus. Portions of the Great River Road in Illinois are signed as the National Route, while other portions lack this banner. National Route signs continue to Mississippi River bridges, with the unbannered alternate routes spurring from these before the crossings. A number of spurs are also signed to parks and other points of interest off the main route. The initial segment in Illinois
11132-416: The majority involved in the revolt. The heads of many of those executed were placed on spikes along the Great River Road. Some sources show the Great River Road continuing south from New Orleans along the east bank on LA 46 and LA 39 to Pointe à la Hache or even further down to Venice. In Mississippi , much of the Great River Road follows US 61 . Between Onward and west of Lula , it runs nearer to
11253-542: The most scenic locations along the river had already been preempted by existing highways, railroads, and towns and cities. The concept of a scenic route rather than a national parkway was adopted. As a result, the Great River Road is not owned by the National Park Service , as is the case with true national parkways, such as the Blue Ridge and Natchez Trace Parkways. Instead, the states have developed
11374-449: The new river channel, contiguous with the adjacent state. Also, due to a meander in the river, a small part of western Kentucky is contiguous with Tennessee but isolated from the rest of its state. Many of the communities along the Mississippi River are listed below; most have either historic significance or cultural lore connecting them to the river. They are sequenced from the source of the river to its end. The road crossing highest on
11495-667: The northeast on 6th Street. A short jog east on US 136 in Hamilton returns the Great River Road to IL 96, which it follows, mostly right along the river, through Nauvoo to Niota . The National Route turns northwest there on IL 9 to the Fort Madison Bridge into Fort Madison, Iowa . IL 96 continues to carry the unbannered route beyond Niota to Lomax , where IL 96 turns inland and the Great River Road follows Carman Road to US 34 near Gulfport . After following US 34 east to near Gladstone , it again turns north onto IL 164 through Oquawka , turning north just east of that village onto
11616-647: The other from Lake Itasca into Manitoba . The former followed US 71 to the Fort Frances–International Falls International Bridge , then Highway 71 to Longbow Corners on the Trans-Canada Highway ( Highway 17 ) east of Kenora . Some sources indicate that it continued east on Highway 17 to Dryden or north on Highway 596 to Minaki . The other route followed MN 200 west from Lake Itasca to Zerkel , then ran north on MN 92 to Clearbrook , County 5 and BIA 3 to
11737-620: The past 5,000 years, caused the coastline of south Louisiana to advance toward the Gulf from 15 to 50 miles (24 to 80 km). The currently active delta lobe is called the Birdfoot Delta, after its shape, or the Balize Delta , after La Balize, Louisiana , the first French settlement at the mouth of the Mississippi. The current form of the Mississippi River basin was largely shaped by the Laurentide Ice Sheet of
11858-549: The plume did not mix with the surrounding sea water immediately. Instead, it stayed intact as it flowed through the Gulf of Mexico, into the Straits of Florida , and entered the Gulf Stream . The Mississippi River water rounded the tip of Florida and traveled up the southeast coast to the latitude of Georgia before finally mixing in so thoroughly with the ocean that it could no longer be detected by MODIS. Over geologic time,
11979-411: The project be designated a scenic route. The scenic route would consist of existing riverside roads, and new construction would be limited to connecting the existing roads so that a continuous route could be developed. The existing roads would be upgraded to parkway quality. The modified approach would save a great deal of land acquisition and new construction costs. Another consideration was that some of
12100-404: The recommendations of BPR by appropriating planning funds. BPR was authorized to work with each of the states to develop specific criteria for the parkway and to determine one specific route within each state for the Mississippi River Parkway. By the late 1950s, the familiar green-and-white pilot's wheel marker began to spring up on various sections of the designated route. Planning continued through
12221-525: The rest of its path to Iowa, except for the portion through La Grange and Canton , where the Great River Road uses the former alignment of US 61, now Route B. As with Missouri, the National Route in Iowa can mostly be inferred by Illinois signage. On the other hand, the Great River Road uses a number of county and local roads in Iowa. A state alternate route crosses the Des Moines River from Missouri into Keokuk , following US 136 into downtown. It follows
12342-657: The river again into downtown Bemidji, where it turns west on 5th Street. That road continues west and south as County 7 (with yet another bridge), County 3, and County 10, from which the Great River Road again turns west on County 9, which becomes County 40 in Clearwater County and crosses the river yet again. Turning south on County 2, the route crosses the Mississippi River one last time before it crosses MN 200 and enters Itasca State Park on County 122. The Great River Road formerly continued north into Canada . There were two routes, one from Bemidji into Ontario and
12463-586: The river on MS 1 . The routing in the vicinity of Lula is not marked; the only state-maintained road connecting to US 61 is US 49 . Historically, the National Route turned off MS 1 at Greenville and followed US 82 to the Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge (replaced by the Greenville Bridge in 2010). The Great River Road enters Tennessee on US 61 , following that highway along 3rd Street into Downtown Memphis . The National Route historically crossed
12584-476: The river on River Road. LA 987-4 (Court Street) leads back west to Jefferson Avenue, which the Great River Road follows north to LA 986 along the river and under the Huey P. Long Bridge ( US 190 ), which carries the National Route to the east bank (with access via LA 987-1 ). A state alternate route begins along LA 986, becoming LA 415 near Lobdell and continuing along the river to Hermitage . LA 416 takes
12705-479: The river, although the Mississippi defines part of the boundary of each of these states. In all of these cases, the middle of the riverbed at the time the borders were established was used as the line to define the borders between adjacent states. In various areas, the river has since shifted, but the state borders have not changed, still following the former bed of the Mississippi River as of their establishment, leaving several small isolated areas of one state across
12826-498: The route inland along the False River , an oxbow lake , to LA 1 near Knapp . LA 1 is followed through New Roads to Keller , where LA 15 splits to continue along the river to southwest of Vidalia . LA 131 leads northeast to Vidalia, from which US 425 and US 65 take the Great River Road to Arkansas. The Great River Road enters Arkansas from Louisiana on US 65 , which it follows to Dumas . The National Route enters
12947-575: The route jogs south to County 28, where it turns west and soon enters Cass County as County 65. Several more turns—north on County 74, west on County 3, and north to remain on County 3—take it to another Mississippi crossing onto County 18, from which it turns west on US 2 into Ball Club . County 39 and a bit of MN 46 lead to County 9, which runs southwest across the river at the Lake Winnibigoshish outlet and back to US 2, where it turns west to and beyond Bena . From Bena to Bemidji ,
13068-513: The route reaches US 20 in Dubuque . The National Route reenters Iowa on the Julien Dubuque Bridge ( US 20 ), turning north onto Iowa 946 to reach US 52. In northern Sageville , the Great River Road turns north on CR C9Y , soon splitting onto Mud Lake Road, which, along with Circle Ridge Road, forms a loop back to CR C9Y in Sherrill . In Millville , the county road returns to US 52, which
13189-648: The route turns back to the north on County 1 and crosses the river yet again, then follows the unpaved County 21 and County 10 (separated by a bit of US 169 ) to Palisade . County 10 continues as a paved road from that city, north across MN 200 near Jacobson and northwest to Grand Rapids (becoming County 3 in Itasca County ). The Great River Road does not cross the river in the Grand Rapids area, turning south on 7th Avenue, west on 10th Street and County 23, north on County 76, and west on County 63. At MN 6
13310-461: The shore of Lower Red Lake , MN 89 to Roseau , and east on MN 11 to Warroad . Crossing into Manitoba on MN 313 , the Great River Road then followed Highway 12 north to near Ste. Anne , Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) to Winnipeg , and Highway 59 to near Victoria Beach , where it turned southeast on Highway 11 to near Seven Sisters Falls , Provincial Road 307 to near Rennie , Highway 44 to near West Hawk Lake , and finally east on
13431-400: The site of the head of navigation of the river. The Upper Mississippi has a number of natural and artificial lakes, with its widest point being Lake Winnibigoshish , near Grand Rapids, Minnesota , over 11 miles (18 km) across. Lake Onalaska , created by Lock and Dam No. 7 , near La Crosse, Wisconsin , is more than 4 miles (6.4 km) wide. Lake Pepin , a natural lake formed behind
13552-657: The south end of the Hastings Bridge ( US 61 ) in Hastings, Minnesota , with a single route (marked as the National Route) continuing to the headwaters at Lake Itasca . The route leaves Hastings to the west by following County 42, which begins along 2nd Street, west to the junction with MN 55 . MN 55 turns north as it merges with US 52 , and the Great River Road soon splits onto County 56 (former MN 56 ) into South St. Paul . There it follows I-494 east across
13673-517: The state highway system, following Columbia, McDonough, and Holly Streets through a residential area. Between Helena and Bear Creek Lake , the Great River Road runs along County Road 239, a partially unpaved roadway hugging the east side of Crowley's Ridge through the St. Francis National Forest . Highway 44 begins again at Bear Creek Lake and takes the route northwest across Crowley's Ridge into Marianna , where it turns north on Poplar Street, west on Chestnut Street, and north on US 79 . At Hughes ,
13794-532: The state line still follows the old channel. The town of Kaskaskia, Illinois once stood on a peninsula at the confluence of the Mississippi and Kaskaskia (Okaw) Rivers . Founded as a French colonial community, it later became the capital of the Illinois Territory and was the first state capital of Illinois until 1819. Beginning in 1844, successive flooding caused the Mississippi River to slowly encroach east. A major flood in 1881 caused it to overtake
13915-643: The state on the Greenville Bridge (originally the Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge from 1940 to its replacement in 2010 by the current bridge), following US 82 to join US 65 near Lake Village . There it turns northeast on US 165 , splitting onto Highway 1 in DeWitt until an intersection near Turner . The route follows a sequence of minor state highways: Highway 316 east, Highway 318 south, and Highway 20 east to Elaine , and Highway 44 northeast to Helena . It then uses short segments of Highway 20 and US 49 to reach US 49B into downtown Helena, where it leaves
14036-595: The state on the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge ( Iowa 92 ). A second state alternate route continues on US 61 Business, turning east to follow Iowa 22 along the river to Davenport . It follows another US 61 Business through that city and US 67 through Bettendorf , remaining on that highway until Sabula where it then follows US 52 north. After passing over the Great River Road Bridge in Bellevue
14157-573: The upper and lower river, the Mississippi is further controlled by thousands of wing dikes that moderate the river's flow in order to maintain an open navigation channel and prevent the river from eroding its banks. The head of navigation on the Mississippi is the St. Anthony Falls Lock. Before the Coon Rapids Dam in Coon Rapids, Minnesota , was built in 1913, steamboats could occasionally go upstream as far as Saint Cloud, Minnesota , depending on river conditions. The uppermost lock and dam on
14278-482: The way to Donaldsonville except for a detour on LA 541 from Harvey to Bridge City . A short piece of LA 1 connects the Great River Road to LA 405 , which hugs the river to another junction with LA 1 in Plaquemine . LA 988 loops off LA 1 from northern Plaquemine back to yet another junction south of Port Allen , where the route leaves LA 1 again on Oaks Avenue, which becomes LA 987-5 and turns north along
14399-479: The world by volume. On average, the Mississippi has 8% the flow of the Amazon River , which moves nearly 7 million cubic feet per second (200,000 m /s) during wet seasons. Before 1900, the Mississippi River transported an estimated 440 million short tons (400 million metric tons) of sediment per year from the interior of the United States to coastal Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico. During
14520-486: Was a rebellion of several hundred enslaved and free black people referred to as the 1811 German Coast uprising , beginning in St. John the Baptist Parish and continuing on a 26-mile (42 km) route through lower Louisiana toward New Orleans. A Louisiana militia countered the rebellion, the largest revolt of enslaved persons in United States history. Afterward, there were trials on the plantations and executions of
14641-500: Was chosen to designate the "true head" of the Mississippi River as a combination of the last four letters of the Latin word for truth ( ver itas ) and the first two letters of the Latin word for head ( ca put ). However, the lake is in turn fed by a number of smaller streams. From its origin at Lake Itasca to St. Louis, Missouri , the waterway's flow is moderated by 43 dams. Fourteen of these dams are located above Minneapolis in
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