Rainy River (Minnesota–Ontario)
The Rainy River (French: Rivière à la Pluie; Ojibwe: Gojiji-ziibi) is a river, approximately 137 kilometres (85 mi) long, which forms part of the U.S.-Canada border separating northern Minnesota and Northwestern Ontario.
It issues from the west side of Rainy Lake (French: lac à la Pluie; Ojibwe: Gojiji-zaaga'igan) and flows generally west-northwest, between International Falls, Minnesota, and Fort Frances, Ontario, and between Baudette, Minnesota, and Rainy River, Ontario. It enters the southern end of Lake of the Woods approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) northwest of Baudette/Rainy River. It is used for hydroelectricity at International Falls. The town of Rainy River was named after it; the Couchiching First Nation and Koochiching County, Minnesota are named after the Ojibwa's name for the river and the lake. The drainage basin of the river stretches east to the height of land about 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Lake Superior, where it was the southeast corner of the huge tract of land granted to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1670. It ultimately drains through the Winnipeg River, Lake Winnipeg and the Nelson River into Hudson Bay.
The Baudette-Rainy River International Bridge and the Fort Frances-International Falls International Bridge both cross the Rainy River.
The Ontario and Rainy River Railway, opened in 1901 and now part of Canadian National, follows the river on the Canadian side.
The river was the site of the short story On the Rainy River in Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried.
See also
- Pigeon River
- Winnipeg River, for exploration and fur trade
- List of Minnesota rivers
- List of international border rivers
- List of Ontario rivers
- Rainy Lake
- Lake sturgeon
External links
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Coordinates: 48°50′25″N 94°41′04″W / 48.8403°N 94.6845°W