The name “Mississippi” comes from the French translation, “Messipi,” of the native American Anishinaabe (Ojibwe or Algonquin) name for the river, “Misi-ziibi,” or “Great River.”
From its source in northern Minnesota, the Mississippi River flows southward for 2,320 miles to the Mississippi River Delta in the Gulf of Mexico. Passing through or border the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, it ranks as the fourth-longest and fifteenth-largest river in the world by discharge.
The country’s most iconic river, it is also one of its most perennially popular, a bucket-list experience for generations of Americans lured by the history and beauty of the region. Given its length, the river is usually divided into three parts, each typically taking a week to explore: the Lower Mississippi, which runs from New Orleans to Memphis, Tennessee; the Middle Mississippi, stretching from Memphis to St. Louis; and the Upper Mississippi, considered the most scenic stretch, which runs from St. Louis to St. Paul, Minnesota.
Two companies are veterans of the Mississippi, American Cruise Lines and American Queen Steamboat Company. Itineraries vary depending on temperatures in each region of the country, with summer’s heat causing the bulk of the summer season to be split between Upper Mississippi and Ohio River sailings.
