The Mississippi River is a river in the United States. It is one of the longest rivers in the world. Its largest city is Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Mississippi" comes from a Native American name that means "big river." The source of the Mississippi is Lake Itasca in Minnesota, near the border with Canada. The Mississippi flows south through the middle of the United States. It flows through the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The mouth of the Mississippi is in the state of Louisiana, south of the city of New Orleans. The Mississippi flows into the Gulf of Mexico.