Illinois Waterway

waterway, United States

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Last updated

June 29, 2026

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The Illinois Waterway is a navigable system of waterways in northern and central Illinois, United States. It connects the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, facilitating shipping between the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. The waterway was established with the opening of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers in 1933, replacing the older Illinois and Michigan Canal. The Illinois River, a key component of the waterway, flows southwest to join the Mississippi River. The waterway is crucial for transporting bulk commodities like grain and coal.

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Illinois River
…to be used when the Illinois Waterway (linking the Chicago River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers) opened in 1933. (The canal and its banks, designated by the U.S. Congress in 1984 the country’s first national heritage corridor, are now used for recreational…
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…to be used when the Illinois Waterway (linking the Chicago River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers) opened in 1933. (The canal and its banks, designated by the U.S. Congress in 1984 the country’s first national heritage corridor, are now used for recreational…
Read More