The Mississippi River starts at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, inside Itasca State Park.

Quick Scoop

  • The river’s source (traditional headwaters) is a small stream flowing out of Lake Itasca in Clearwater County, Minnesota.
  • At the start, it’s only about a few meters wide and shallow enough that many visitors simply walk across it.
  • From there, it flows south for about 2,340 miles (around 3,760 km) to the Gulf of Mexico.

If you ever visit, the headwaters are marked with signs and a short path, and you can literally step over the “beginning” of one of North America’s great rivers.

TL;DR: The Mississippi River begins as a small stream flowing out of Lake Itasca in Itasca State Park, northern Minnesota.