Lower Mississippi River

Lower Mississippi River
35 barges passing under the Vicksburg Bridge by Vicksburg, Miss.
Location
Country	US
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Cairo, Illinois (confluence of Ohio River and Upper Mississippi River)
• elevation	315 ft (96 m)
Mouth
• location	Gulf of Mexico
Length	990 mi (1,600 km)

The Lower Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River downstream of Cairo, Illinois. From the confluence of the Ohio River and Upper Mississippi River at Cairo, the Lower flows just under 1000 miles (1600 km) to the Gulf of Mexico.^[1] It is the most heavily travelled component of the Mississippi River System.^[2]