Pere Marquette River

Pere Marquette River
Tourists canoeing on the Pere Marquette River in the Manistee National Forest
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountiesLake, Mason, Newaygo, Oceana
CitiesLudington, Scottville
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationLake County, Michigan, United States
 • coordinates43°51′22″N 85°50′30″W / 43.85611°N 85.84167°W / 43.85611; -85.84167
MouthLake Michigan
 • location
Ludington, Michigan, United States
 • coordinates
43°57′06″N 86°27′37″W / 43.95167°N 86.46028°W / 43.95167; -86.46028
Length64 mi (103 km)
Basin size740 sq mi (1,900 km2)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftLittle South Branch, Big South Branch
 • rightMiddle Branch, Baldwin River
TypeScenic
DesignatedNovember 10, 1978

The Pere Marquette River is a river in Michigan in the United States. The main stream of this river is 63.9 miles (102.8 km) long,[1] running from Lake County south of Baldwin into the Pere Marquette Lake, and from there into Lake Michigan.[2]

This river is named after the French Roman Catholic missionary Jacques Marquette, who explored the Great Lakes and Mississippi River areas during the mid-17th century. He died in the vicinity of the river in spring 1675 on his way from Chicago to the French fort at Mackinaw.

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed November 21, 2011
  2. ^ "Pere Marquette River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.