Illinois is bordered by 880 miles of rivers (Mississippi, Ohio, and Wabash Rivers) and has 86,076 miles of rivers and streams within its borders. The Mississippi River, which forms the state’s 581-mile western border, is the longest river in the state. The Illinois River flows entirely within the state and is the second longest river at 332 miles. The Kaskaskia at 292 miles, Little Wabash at 237 miles, and Wabash at 230 miles round out the top five longest rivers within or along Illinois.

Illinois has approximately 86,076 miles of river, of which 17.1 miles of one river are designated as wild & scenic—approximately 2/100ths of 1% of the state's river miles. The Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is the only national wild and scenic river in Illinois.

(Text Credit: Illinois Department of Natural Resources)