In which state does the Mississippi River begin?

The Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, where it is a small stream you can cross on stepping stones. From there it flows about 2,340 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.

Explorer Henry Schoolcraft identified the source in 1832 and coined the name Itasca from the Latin words veritas caput, “true head.”

The National Park Service estimates a raindrop falling in Lake Itasca takes about ninety days to reach the Gulf. The river drains all or part of thirty-one states.