Chouteau Island situated approximately 8 miles (13 km) due north of the St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

 Gateway Arch

Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...

 and approximately 1 miles (2 km) south of the confluence of the Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

 and Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

, is one of a cluster of three islands: Chouteau, Gabaret, and Mosenthein. The three, with a combined area of approximately 5500 acres (22.3 km²), are located in Madison County, Illinois

Madison County, Illinois

Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Madison County is part of the Metro-East region of the St. Louis Metro Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 269,282, which is an increase of 4.0% from 258,941 in 2000. The county seat is Edwardsville, home to...

. The Island is manmade, having been created during the US construction of the Chain of Rocks Canal between 1946 and 1953.

Chouteau Island is bounded by the Mississippi River to the west and the Chain of Rocks Canal to the east. The 10 miles (16.1 km) of Mississippi River that border the Island on the west is the only natural stretch of the Mississippi without barge traffic between St. Paul, Minnesota and New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...

.

Chouteau Island is accessed by car only from Illinois

Illinois

Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

 via the Canal Bridge, a 2-lane vehicular bridge that crosses the Chain of Rocks Canal. From Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

, visitors may reach the Island by foot/bicycle traffic via U.S. Route 66

U.S. Route 66

U.S. Route 66 was a highway within the U.S. Highway System. One of the original U.S. highways, Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 -- with road signs erected the following year...

's Old Chain of Rocks Bridge

Chain of Rocks Bridge

The Chain of Rocks Bridge spans the Mississippi River on the north edge of St. Louis, Missouri. The eastern end of the bridge is on Chouteau Island, , while the western end is on the Missouri shoreline....

, but it is no longer open to motor vehicle traffic.

Chouteau Island is a key part of the Confluence Greenway

Confluence Greenway

The Confluence Greenway is a system of parks, conservation and recreation areas located in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. Various parks, trails, and attractions are located along forty miles of both the Missouri and Illinois banks of the Mississippi River and Missouri River.Points of...

, a regional recreation corridor. Popular events on the Island, include Eagle Days (held each January for watching bald eagles) and various recreational bicycle rides. Several walking/biking trails have been developed on the Island.

Lewis and Clark camped on Gabaret Island on December 11, 1803, prior to establishing Camp Dubois

Camp Dubois

Camp Dubois, near present day Hartford, Illinois, served as the winter camp for the Lewis and Clark Expedition from December 12, 1803, to May 14, 1804.It was located on the east side of the Mississippi River so that it was still in United States territory...

 near Wood River, Illinois

Wood River, Illinois

Wood River is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,296 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Wood River is located at ....

.

Mississippi River Lock #27 (Chain of Rocks Lock

Chain of Rocks Lock

Chain of Rocks Lock, also known as Locks #27, is a lock situated on the southern end of Chouteau Island near St. Louis, Missouri on the Upper Mississippi River...

) is located at the south end of the Island.

Following the Great Flood of 1993

Great Flood of 1993

The Great Mississippi and Missouri Rivers Flood of 1993 occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and their tributaries, from April to October 1993. The flood was among the most costly and devastating to ever occur in the United States, with $15 billion in damages...

, governments acquired all residences within the Island complex. Over 70% of Chouteau Island is now in public ownership, under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is a cabinet-level department of the state government of Illinois. It is headquartered in the state capital of Springfield...

 and the city of Madison, Illinois

Madison, Illinois

Madison is a city in Madison County and partially in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,545 at the 2000 census. It is home to Gateway International Raceway and the first Bulgarian Orthodox church in the United States.-Geography:...

. They are collaborating to develop Chouteau Island as a recreational complex to feature floodplain and grasslands restoration, additional trails, interpretive overlooks, picnic areas, camping areas and a visitors center near the entrance to the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge.