Detroit River is one of the most important inland waterways in North America. A strait, it connects Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie. It also forms part of the boundary between the state of Michigan in the United States and the Canadian province of Ontario. The river carries much of the grain shipped from the Canadian Prairie Provinces and the U.S. northern Great Plains. Ships also use the river to carry iron ore from Minnesota and northern Michigan ports and coal, potash, and forest products from Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The Detroit River is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) long and from 1/2 mile to 3 miles (0.8 to 5 kilometers) wide. Warehouses, factories, office buildings, homes, and parks line its banks. Boating is popular. The river has several island parks, including Michigan’s Belle Isle and Ontario’s Peche Island and Bois Blanc Island (also called Bob-Lo Island). Grosse Ile, Michigan, the largest island, is a residential area. The Ambassador Bridge over the river and an automobile tunnel under the river link Detroit and Windsor, Ontario.
