Detroit River

The Detroit River is about 51 km (32 miles) long and 1 to 4 km (0.5 to 2.5 miles) wide in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from French Rivière du Détroit, i.e. "River of the Strait". The name is a reference to the fact that the river connects Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie. However, it is not a true strait. The boundary between Canada and the United States of America passes through the river lengthwise. Its elevation is 175 meters (579 feet) above sea level.

Related Topics:
Great Lakes - French - Strait - Lake St. Clair - Lake Erie - Canada - United States of America - Elevation - Sea level

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Islands in the Detroit River include Peche Island, Belle Isle, Zug Island, Fighting Island, Grosse Ile, and Bois Blanc (a.k.a. Boblo) Island. The islands of the lower Detroit River are part of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.

Related Topics:
Belle Isle - Zug Island - Fighting Island - Grosse Ile - Bois Blanc - Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Detroit River supplies the drinking water for over 5 million people and was designated an American Heritage River in 1998. A shipping channel for the Great Lakes Waterway system is maintained in the river. The river flows past the American towns of Detroit, River Rouge, Ecorse, Wyandotte, Grosse Ile, Riverview, Trenton, and Gibraltar and the Canadian towns of Windsor, LaSalle and Amherstburg.

Related Topics:
American Heritage River - 1998 - Great Lakes Waterway - River Rouge - Ecorse - Wyandotte - Grosse Ile - Riverview - Trenton - Gibraltar - Windsor - LaSalle - Amherstburg

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Detroit River is spanned by three crossings between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. The southernmost is the Ambassador Bridge, connecting I-75 to Highway 3. The Michigan Central Railway Tunnel carries rail traffic between the two nations, and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel connects I-375 and M-10 to Highway 3B. Two bridges connect Grosse Ile to the mainland U.S. and one bridge connects Belle Isle to Detroit.

Related Topics:
Detroit, Michigan - Windsor, Ontario - Ambassador Bridge - I-75 - Highway 3 - Michigan Central Railway Tunnel - Detroit-Windsor Tunnel - I-375 - M-10 - Highway 3B

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~