Ohio River
Including the Allegheny, Monongahela, Kanawha Rivers

General Description & Characteristics: The Ohio River is the source of most of the water that flows in America's largest river system (which we know as the Mississippi River).  This river, which runs east to west from Pennsylvania, forms the boundaries between Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois on the north and West Virginia, Kentucky and (for a short distance) Tennessee on the south.  It is joined by the Mississippi River at Cairo on the tip of the state of Illinois, and gives up its name for the remainder of its journey to the Gulf of Mexico.  The Ohio River clearly and emphatically separates the Midwest from the South.

The Ohio River played an enormous role in the early settlement of the American West.   Many settlers from Pennsylvania, Virginia, the Carolinas, and other eastern states made their way to the Ohio River, then journeyed by boats to the Mississippi River valley.   Many of these or their descendants continued the westward migration throughout the western states.

Location and Navigable Mileage: The Ohio River takes on its name in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers.   From this point to the confluence with the Mississippi River the distance is 981 miles.  In addition to the main stem of the Ohio, five of its tributaries are managed for navigation: the Allegheny (62 miles) and Monongahela (122 miles) in Pennsylvania, the Kanawha (90 miles) in West Virginia, Green (103 miles) and Kentucky (87 miles) in Kentucky.  This adds up to about 1,400 miles of navigable waterways available for cruising.  Additionally, several of the larger tributaries, while not maintained for commercial navigation, are suitable for excursions for significant distances upstream.  These would include the Wabash River (Indiana), and the Muskingum and Scioto Rivers (Ohio).

Interesting Features: In addition to being a major  commercial waterway, the Ohio also happens to flow through some of the most scenic country in the eastern United States.  There are many cities and towns situated on the Ohio River and its tributaries, offering outstanding opportunities for access and visitation.

Unlike our ancestors, who had to deal with the turbulence and seasonal fluctuations, we can now cruise the Ohio through a series of pools controlled by US Army Corps of Engineers locks and dams.

Additional Information:

Navigation Information, Charts	COE of Engineers Navigation Charts this link has on-line charts and ordering information for printed charts.
Connecting Waterways	Upper Mississippi Lower Mississippi Tennessee Cumberland
Marinas	Consult COE navigation charts for services directory.
Towns, parks, attractions on/near the Waterway	Here's a web page with a collection of links to many of the cities along the Ohio
Books	Towboat on the Ohio (The Ohio River Valley) Afloat on the Ohio - An Historical Pilgrimage of a Thousand Miles in a Skiff, from Redstone to Cairo (Shawnee Classics) Shantyboat - A River Way of Life River-Horse: A Voyage Across America (William Least Heat Moon) - The author of Blue Highways sets out to cross America by motorboat.  A spellbinding, exciting, and informative tour of many of the waterways on this site, including the Ohio River. The Big Rivers : The Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Ohio -- Written for elementary school students, a work about the 1993 floods.
More Pictures	.
Environmental Issues/Organizations	American Rivers Ohio River Issues Page
Acknowledgments/Contributors	.
Miscellaneous	The Ohio River (mostly for fishing interests)