What is Illinois River?
[[Image:IllinoisRiver watershed.png|right|thumb|300px|Map of the Illinois River watershed.]] The '''Illinois River''' is a [[river]] in the [[United States]]. It is in the state of [[Illinois]]. It is an important [[tributary]] of the [[Mississippi River]]. The length of the river is about 439 km. == Geography == The source of the river is in northeastern Illinois, near the city of [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]]. It flows west across Illinois, then southwest. It passes the city of [[Peoria, Illinois|Peoria]], the largest city on the river. It flows into southwestern Illinois. It joins the Mississippi River 40 km north of [[Saint Louis, Missouri]]. There is separate Illinois river that runs through the northernmost edge of Oklahoma. The river was used for transportation by the [[Native American]]s. It was also used by early [[France|French]] trappers. It was an important route between the Mississippi River and the [[Great Lakes]]. In the [[19th century]] a [[canal]] was built that connected the river to [[Lake Michigan]]. Large ships now use this canal to go from the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. The canal goes through the city of [[Chicago, Illinois|Chicago]]. It is one of the reasons that Chicago became a big city. {{US-geo-stub}} [[Category:Rivers of Illinois]]