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Above the rocks is the north end of Minnesota’s Lake Itasca, which begins the flow of the Mississippi River Photo By Tastocke –

Top 10 Unbelievable Facts About the Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America. It is estimated to be 2,340 miles (3,770 km) long and its parent source is Lake Itasca in Minnesota.

This river is the thirteenth-largest river in the world judged by the amount of water it drains into the Gulf of Mexico a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean. It is largely within the United States with only about one percent in Canada.

In the 16^th century, the river served as a barrier that helped the European settlers form borders for New Spain, New France, and the early United States. They also used it as a vital transportation artery and communications link.

It can be divided into three sections: The Upper Mississippi, the river from its headwaters to the confluence with 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.

Here are 10 facts about the Mississippi River.

1. It Flows Through Ten U.S. States

The Mississippi River either borders or passes through ten states. The states are Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Two of these 10 states have their capital cities located along this river that is Louisiana’s Baton Rouge City and Minnesota’s St. Paul.

It 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 the river, although the Mississippi defines part of the boundary of each of these states.

2. Bridges Across the Mississippi River

US34 Mississippi River Bridge Photo By formulanone –

There are at least 130 bridges that cross the Mississippi River. The exact number of bridges crossing this river cannot be specified because some may be under construction, unofficial, small, or in disrepair.

There are large, multi-lane highway bridges that cross the Mississippi River. Some of these bridges, such as the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, date back to the 1800s, while others, such as the Poplar Street Bridge, were built in the mid-to-late 1900s. New bridges across the Mississippi continue to be built in the 21st century.

The highest bridge over the Mississippi River is the Horace Wilkinson Bridge and the longest is the Greenville Bridge.

3. It Takes 3 Months for Water to Travel the Entire River

The Mississippi River releases over 4 million gallons of water into the Gulf of Mexico every second. It flows at various speeds along its length due to natural meanders and man-made changes.

It would take a drop of water about three months to flow from the Mississippi River’s headwaters at Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico.

 4. It Does Not Mix into The Salt Water Immediately

Fresh river water flowing from the Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico does not mix into the saltwater immediately. A large plume of freshwater appears as a dark ribbon against the lighter-blue surrounding waters.

It stays intact as it flows through the Gulf of Mexico, into the Straits of Florida, and enters the Gulf Stream. The Mississippi River water rounds up the tip of Florida and travels up the southeast coast to the latitude of Georgia before finally mixing in so thoroughly with the ocean that it can no longer be detected.

5. It’s Home to 25% of All North American Fish Species

Drone shot of the Mississippi River, Nicollet Island, St. Anthony Falls, and various East Bank neighborhoods. Photo By Johnny Q, –

The Mississippi River is home to a diversity of animals, including at least 260 species of fish. It contains around 25% of all North American fish species.

About half of these are found below St. Anthony Falls, the only major waterfall along the Mississippi River. This section of the river has currents, pools, and backwaters which create habitat to support the large diversity of fish species. Mississippi fish species include carps, catfish, sturgeon, pike, and gar.

6. The Great River Road

The Great River Road that runs alongside the Mississippi River was created in 1938. This highway is an assembly of state and local roads and follows the course of this river, trailing through 10 states of the U.S.

Much of the scenic route is a federally designated National Scenic Byway. It is over 3,000 miles long and takes about 36 hours to drive along this great river road.

7. The River is Wide at Lake Pepin

Lake Pepin, the widest naturally occurring part of the Mississippi, is part of the Minnesota–Wisconsin border. Photo By Molandfreak –

Though the Mississippi’s widest point is at Lake Winnibigoshish near Bena in Minnesota stretching over 11 miles, the widest navigable section of the river is at Lake Pepin where the shipping channel is approximately 2 miles wide.

Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake on the Mississippi River at the border between the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

8. The Mississippi River has the most connections in North America

Lower Mississippi River near New Orleans Photo By No machine-readable –

As impressive as the river’s size is, it also stands out for its connection to all the other rivers contributing to its journey toward the Gulf of Mexico.

With an extensive watershed sprawling from the Rocky Mountains in the west to the Appalachian Mountains in the east, its major tributaries are Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, and Red rivers.

Given their flow volumes, major Ohio River tributaries like the Allegheny, Tennessee, and Wabash rivers are considered important tributaries to the Mississippi.

9. The Mississippi River flowed backward in August 2012

During Hurricane Isaac, the Mississippi River flowed backward. This natural phenomenon lasted for 24 hours. Upriver, the flow reached about 5,200 cubic meters per second (182,000 cubic feet per second). The height was roughly 3 m (10 Ft.) above average. The river normally flows at an average of 3,540 cubic meters per second in the opposite direction.

10. Only Two People Have Swum the Entire Length of the River

The Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge Photo By Batch1928 44 –

The first person was Slovenian distance swimmer Martin Strel. He swam the length of the Mississippi River in 68 days. He went on to swim the length of the Amazon and Yangtze rivers, too.

Then, in 2015, American Navy combat veteran Chris Ring became the second person and the first American to swim the Mississippi River length. It took him 181 days.