The Mackinaw River, also called Mackinac River, is a 130 miles (209.2 km) river in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of 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,...

. It flows through what was once the Grande Prairie region of central Illinois

Central Illinois

Central Illinois is a region of the U.S. state of Illinois that consists of the entire central section of the state, divided in thirds from north to south. It is an area of mostly flat prairie. The western section was originally part of the Military Tract of 1812 and forms the distinctive western...

. This region is now a zone of intensive crop

Crop (agriculture)

A crop is a non-animal species or variety that is grown to be harvested as food, livestock fodder, fuel or for any other economic purpose. Major world crops include maize , wheat, rice, soybeans, hay, potatoes and cotton. While the term "crop" most commonly refers to plants, it can also include...

 farm

Farm

A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...

ing, and high-productivity farming techniques have extensively altered the river from its natural state.

Description

The headwaters of the river are located near Sibley, Illinois

Sibley, Illinois

Sibley is a village in Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 272 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Sibley is located at ....

, in western Ford County. Flowing west through McLean County

McLean County, Illinois

McLean County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. McLean County is included in the Bloomington–Normal, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 169,572, which is an increase of 12.7% from 150,433 in 2000. Its county seat is...

, the Mackinaw River provides drainage to part of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area.

The Mackinaw River then flows west through Woodford County before turning southwest and draining much of Tazewell County

Tazewell County, Illinois

Tazewell County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 135,394, which is an increase of 5.4% from 128,485 in 2000. Its county seat and largest city is Pekin. The majority of the population live in the suburbs and bedroom communities...

. The river's course describes several bends and meanders typical of alluvial rivers before flowing northwards into the Illinois River

Illinois River

The Illinois River is a principal tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately long, in the State of Illinois. The river drains a large section of central Illinois, with a drainage basin of . This river was important among Native Americans and early French traders as the principal water route...

 just south of Pekin

Pekin, Illinois

Pekin is a the county seat of Tazewell County in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located on the Illinois River, Pekin is also the largest city of Tazewell County, and a key part of the Peoria metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, its population is 34,094. A small portion of the city limits extends...

.

A parcel of Mackinaw River hillside land, in far eastern Tazewell County just east of Mackinaw

Mackinaw, Illinois

Mackinaw is a village in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,452 at the 2000 census. Mackinaw is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Mackinaw is located at ....

, is preserved as the Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area

Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area

The Mackinaw River State Fish and Wildlife Area is a 1,448 acre state park in Tazewell County, Illinois. It is operated by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources ....

, a state game preserve.

Most central Illinois towns and cities were founded as a result of transportation on local railroads, not rivers. Even though this river drains much of three counties, only one town of any size, Mackinaw, is actually located on the Mackinaw River.

It is believed that the Mackinaw River was named in the early 19th century in honor of an unnamed fur trader from Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In the 2010 census, the city had a permanent population of 492, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former...

who traded goods at or near the river.