Upper Mississippi River

Upper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River near Harpers Ferry, Iowa
Location
CountryUS, Canada
Physical characteristics
Source 
  locationLake Itasca, Minnesota
  coordinates47°15′11″N 95°12′43″W / 47.253°N 95.212°W / 47.253; -95.212
  elevation450 m (1,480 ft)
Mouth 
  location
St. Louis, Missouri (flows into the Middle Mississippi)
Length1,300 miles (2092.147 km)
Basin size490,000 km2 (190,000 sq mi)
Discharge 
  average5,796 m3/s (204,700 cu ft/s)

The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of St. Louis, Missouri, United States, a city at the confluence of its main tributary, the Missouri River. Historically, it may refer to the area above the Arkansas Post, above the confluence of Ohio River, or above Cape Girardeau.