For other rivers with the same name, including another one in Michigan, see Montreal River

Montreal River

- Rivers :In Canada* Montreal River , a tributary of Lake Superior* Montreal River , a tributary of the Ottawa River* Montreal River In the United States...

The Montreal River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 flowing to Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...

 in northern Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 and the Upper Peninsula

Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...

 of Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is approximately 40 miles (64 km) long and drains approximately 270 square miles (700 km²) in a forested region. For most of its length, the river's course is used to define a portion of the Wisconsin–Michigan border. The Ojibwe

Ojibwe language

Ojibwe , also called Anishinaabemowin, is an indigenous language of the Algonquian language family. Ojibwe is characterized by a series of dialects that have local names and frequently local writing systems...

 name for the river is Gaa-waasijiwaang, meaning "where there is whitewater

Whitewater

Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's gradient increases enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white...

".

The Montreal River issues from Pine Lake in the town of Oma

Oma, Wisconsin

Oma is a town in Iron County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 355 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Pine Lake and Van Buskirk are located in the town.-Geography:...

 in eastern Iron County

Iron County, Wisconsin

Iron County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of 2000, the population was 6,861. Its county seat is Hurley.-Geography:According to the U.S...

 in northern Wisconsin. It flows initially northwardly to the boundary between Iron County and Gogebic County, Michigan

Gogebic County, Michigan

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,370 people, 7,425 households, and 4,581 families residing in the county. The population density was 16 people per square mile . There were 10,839 housing units at an average density of 10 per square mile...

, then northwestwardly along the state line, past the 'twin cities' of Hurley, Wisconsin

Hurley, Wisconsin

Hurley is a city in and the county seat of Iron County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,818 at the 2000 census. It is directly across the Montreal River from Ironwood, Michigan.-History:...

 and Ironwood, Michigan

Ironwood, Michigan

Ironwood is a city in Gogebic County in the U.S. state of Michigan, about south of Lake Superior. The population was 6,293 at the 2000 census. The city is on US 2 and is situated opposite the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin. It is the westernmost city in Michigan, situated on the same line...

. Downstream of Ironwood the river passes over Saxon Falls and Superior Falls and enters Oronto Bay

Oronto Bay

Oronto Bay is an arm of Lake Superior between Marble Point in Iron County, Wisconsin and Little Girls Point in Gogebic County, Michigan and includes part of the Bad River Reservation. The Montreal River, which forms the border between the two states, empties into the bay after roaring over Superior...

 on the southwestern shore of Lake Superior, approximately 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Ironwood, at Michigan's westernmost point.

There are four named waterfalls on the Montreal River. Starting below U.S. Route 2

U.S. Route 2

U.S. Route 2 is an east–west U.S. Highway spanning across the northern continental United States. US 2 consists of two segments connected by various roadways in southern Canada...

 and going downstream, they are Peterson Falls, Interstate Falls, Saxon Falls, and Superior Falls

Superior Falls

Superior Falls is a waterfall situated on the Montreal River, which forms the border between Iron County, Wisconsin and Gogebic County, Michigan. The falls drop 90 feet before the Montreal River empties into Lake Superior at Oronto Bay....

.

The West Fork Montreal River issues from Island Lake in central Iron County and flows generally northwardly, roughly in parallel to the Montreal River, past the city of Montreal

Montreal, Wisconsin

Montreal is a city in Iron County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 838 at the 2000 census. The neighborhood of Gile is part of the city; however, it still has its own post office and ZIP code: 54525.-History:...

. It flows into the Montreal River downstream of Hurley. There are four named waterfalls on the West Fork Montreal River: Kimball Falls, Rock Cut Falls, Gile Falls, and Spring Camp Falls.

See also

• List of Michigan rivers
• List of Wisconsin rivers
• River borders of U.S. states
  River borders of U.S. states
  Because of its unique history, many of the boundaries of political divisions of the United States were artificially constructed . Therefore, many U.S. states have straight lines as boundaries, especially in the West...