The Itapecuru originates in the southern part of the state, in the Serra do Itapecuru, which rises to 660 metres (2,170 ft), and flows northward to empty into the Baía de São José. It is an important source of water for twenty cities in Maranhão including São Luís. Some of the headwaters of the river are protected by the 437,000 hectares (1,080,000 acres) Mirador State Park, created in 1980.[1]