What Are The Three Tributaries Of The Mississippi River?

The Mississippi river is so large that even its tributaries are huge rivers.

There are actually more than three main tributaries, and these are:

1. The Arkansas River- This river flows south and south-east of America before it joins the Mississippi. It starts in Colorado and then flows through Kansas and Oklahoma. Altogether the river is 1469 miles long (although it is a tributary it is still the 6th largest river in the US).
2. The Illinois River- This river lies in the state of Illinois, and is 273 miles long. The river is full of freshwater fish and makes it one of the best rivers in the states to fish in. It is part of the modern water way that connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi, so is heavily used by transport.

   

3. The Missouri River- This is actually the longest river in North America, flowing for 2431 miles! It travels through 10 states overall and also part of Canada. The source of the river is in western Montana and many people depend on the river for transport and sustenance.
4. The Ohio River- In terms of volume, this is the largest of all of Mississippi's tributaries, at some points it is even bigger than the Mississippi itself. It is 981 miles long and travels through 6 states.
5. The Red River- It is actually one of many rivers with the same name, as the Mexicans and Indians used to name any river that looked a bit red a 'red river'.