Wapsipinicon River

The Wapsipinicon River (locally known as the Wapsi) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 225 mi (362 km) long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. It drains a rural farming region of rolling hills and bluffs north of Waterloo and Cedar Rapids.

Related Topics:
Mississippi River - Iowa - United States - Waterloo - Cedar Rapids

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It rises in northern Mitchell County near the Minnesota border. It flows generally southeast across rural Chickasaw, Bremer, and Buchanan counties, past Independence and Anamosa. Along its lower 25 mi (40 km) it turns east, forming the boundary between Clinton and Scott counties. It joins the Mississippi from the west approximately 10 mi (16 km) southwest of Clinton.

Related Topics:
Mitchell County - Minnesota - Chickasaw - Bremer - Buchanan - Independence - Anamosa - Clinton - Scott - Clinton

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The name of the river derived from a Native American phrase meaning "white potato", so named on account of the large quantity of wild artichokes once found near its banks. Severe flooding on the river in 1993, as part of the larger floods in region, caused widespread damage to the surrounding cropland.

Related Topics:
Native American - Artichoke - 1993

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Wapsipinicon State Park is located along its southern bank at Anamosa.

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Its name is the inspiration behind the webcomic Wapsi Square; in one strip, a character is seen attending a "Wapsipinicon DMV" office.

Related Topics:
Webcomic - Wapsi Square

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The novel The Cobweb by Stephen Bury (a pseudonym for author Neal Stephenson writing with his uncle George Jewsbury) is set in the fictional Iowa twin towns of Wapsipinicon-Nishnabotna.

Related Topics:
The Cobweb - Stephen Bury - Neal Stephenson - George Jewsbury

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