# Your geographical misconceptions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 30, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294 "2020-12-30T20:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 44
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/863 "2024-08-20T01:44:45Z")
OK I am embarrassed about this one. I knew that there was a Kansas City in Missouri and one in Kansas all my life but I somehow thought they were two separate entities possibly separated by hundreds of miles. About five years ago I actually went there and was quite surprised to find it was one big city divided in two by the state lines. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/864 "2024-08-20T01:44:52Z")
We were driving through the Oklahoma panhandle, saw an abandoned farm, and decided, oh, that must be the Joad’s place (_Grapes of Wrath_). Turns out, the Joad’s farm was way the hell east, almost in Arkansas. Kind of not the “no man’s land” part of the state. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/865 "2024-08-20T19:05:40Z")
I was looking at the Colorado River because of the Baja California post. In doing that, I also looked at the Rio Grande and saw that it starts way the hell up in Colorado! It must run at least a third of its way before it hits the Mexican border. I’ve only ever associated it with the border. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/866 "2024-08-20T19:08:58Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > Rio Grande and saw that it starts way the hell up in Colorado And I just looked it up and was surprised to discover that the Rio Grande is the 4th-longest river in the US, behind the Missouri, the Mississippi, and the Yukon. The 5th-longest is the Colorado. [List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem) - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_longest_rivers_of_the_United_States_(by_main_stem)) ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/867 "2024-08-20T19:57:26Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Burbank is definitely in the SFV, but is Glendale? Some parts of Glendale do look and feel like it, but other areas don’t. Glendale is “technically” Valley, but so much of it is the literal Verdugo Hills, which do not feel valley-like at all either in geography or in spirit. And as far as “technically,” it probably depends who you believe. Here’s a Cal State Northridge [map](https://www.thevalley.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/san-fernando-ca-map.png); some communities like Reseda, Van Nuys, and for that matter Northridge itself despite its name are so firmly Valley that no one would argue, but other areas seem like a stretch. (Tujunga? C’mon, that’s basically mountainous.) Valley is really more of a state of mind, I think. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/868 "2024-08-20T22:54:34Z")
> [@Hypno-Toad](#): > > I also looked at the Rio Grande and saw that it starts way the hell up in Colorado! A good chunk of its water before it hits the border comes from Colorado snowpack, even though that’s only a tiny portion of its watershed. ---
**Author:** ![Honolulu\_Lulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@Honolulu\_Lulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honolulu_Lulu)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/869 "2024-08-21T01:28:22Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Upon being told that we were still in Ontario, but would hit the Manitoba border by noon, the husband turned to his wife and said, “Still in Ontario after 24 hours! Jeez, and we thought _California_ was big!” Eight U.S. states border the great lakes. Only on Canadian province does. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/870 "2024-08-21T01:53:03Z")
And Ontario continues to extend pretty well west of Lake Superior. But it still only touches 4 Great Lakes. Just like Michigan. Speaking of Canada, it is widely known as the 2nd largest country in terms of area. However, it falls to 4th when considering actual land area without water. Obviously due to the Hudson Bay taking up so much space. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/871 "2024-08-21T03:19:45Z")
How about some confusion?: Texas has a Colorado River that starts and stops entirely in the state. This is not the Colorado River that flows through the Grand Canyon. Why two CRs? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/872 "2024-08-21T03:24:27Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Texas has a Colorado River that starts and stops entirely in the state. Leading to: What state capital is on the Colorado River? Austin, TX. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/873 "2024-08-21T03:42:21Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > How about some confusion?: Texas has a Colorado River that starts and stops entirely in the state. This is not the Colorado River that flows through the Grand Canyon. Why two CRs? Heck, there’s a Mississippi River in eastern Ontario. No relation to the one in the US: > **[Mississippi River (Ontario)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River_(Ontario))** > > The Mississippi River is a tributary of the Ottawa River in Eastern Ontario, Canada which has no relation with the Mississippi River in the United States. It is 200 kilometres (120 mi) in length from its source at Mackavoy Lake, has a drainage area of 4,450 square kilometres (1,720 sq mi), and has a mean discharge of 40 cubic metres per second (1,400 cu ft/s). There are more than 250 lakes in the watershed. > Communities along the river include the village of Lanark, the towns of Carleton Place, M... ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/874 "2024-08-21T03:46:08Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Why two CRs? Both must be reddish, in parts at least. (“Colorado” literally means “colored” in Spanish, but in certain contexts it came to mean “reddish”). ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/875 "2024-08-21T05:18:10Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Heck, there’s a Mississippi River in eastern Ontario. I’ve driven over it. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/876 "2024-08-21T06:11:33Z")
Speaking of the Midwest, the northern portion of it used to be called the Northwest, a cultural relic that lasted into the early 20th Century and the establishment of what was once called Northwest Orient Airlines. Today the Northwest means a different region entirely. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/877 "2024-08-21T07:13:20Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Heck, there’s a Mississippi River in eastern Ontario. No relation to the one in the US: I suspect a Bugs Bunny-style land swindle: Canadian: Yes, sir, it’s _the_ Mississippi River. Sucker: I’ll take it! (Shells out numerous large bills) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/878 "2024-08-21T07:20:27Z")
Ha! If I ever get back to that part of Ontario, I might try it. Thinking about the Mississippi (the one in the US), did you know that one of its tributaries passes through Canada? The Milk River rises in the Rockies of Montana, and heads northeast into Alberta. Then it heads southeast, back over the border, and eventually meets the Missouri River, which eventually meets the Mississippi. I’ve seen the Milk River a number of times, on my travels through southern Alberta. No sign of Huck Finn or Jim on the Milk River, though. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/879 "2024-08-21T12:34:32Z")
That there are two Mississippi Rivers shouldn’t be too surprising. Each is within the large area of Algonkian languages, particularly Ojibwe and its close relatives – Ojibwe being one of the biggest indigenous languages in North America (especially historically, but today it’s still pretty big)…and the name “Mississippi” is derived from words that mean “Great River.” About as surprising as the fact that so many cities have a “Main Street” (okay, maybe not quite, but you get my point.) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/880 "2024-08-21T12:57:59Z")
A surprising number of states have a [Mad River](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_River). ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/881 "2024-08-21T15:56:00Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Speaking of the Midwest, the northern portion of it used to be called the Northwest, a cultural relic that lasted into the early 20th Century and the establishment of what was once called Northwest Orient Airlines. > > Today the Northwest means a different region entirely. Not to mention Northwestern University. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2024, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294/882 "2024-08-21T16:05:44Z")
Interesting. I assume for most of the Mad Rivers, it refers to their dangerous rapids (perhaps seasonally)…. But not this one in California: “The river was named in December, 1849 in memory of an incident when [Dr. Josiah Gregg](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Gregg) lost his temper when his exploration party did not wait for him at the river mouth.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294.md?page=43) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-geographical-misconceptions/929294.md?page=45)