Little St. Francis River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little St. Francis River |
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|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Missouri |
| Region | Madison County and St. Francois County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | St. Francois County 37°41′31″N 90°15′29″W / 37.69194°N 90.25806°W |
| River mouth | Madison County 577 ft (176 m) 37°32′16″N 90°26′27″W / 37.53778°N 90.44083°W |
The Little St. Francis River is a small river in the southeastern part of Missouri, a state in the United States. It flows through parts of St. Francois and Madison counties. This river is a tributary, which means it's a smaller stream that flows into a larger one. The Little St. Francis River eventually joins the bigger St. Francis River.
The River's Journey
Every river starts somewhere! The Little St. Francis River begins in eastern St. Francois County. This starting point is called its headwaters. It's found on the northern side of a place called Lewis Hill. This spot is about one mile southwest of the line that separates St. Francois County from Ste. Genevieve County.
Flowing Through Towns
From its start, the river flows west. It passes by a small community named Libertyville. As it continues, the river goes under Missouri Route OO, which is a road. Then, it makes a turn towards the south. This turn happens about three miles east of another place called Knob Lick.
Into Madison County
The Little St. Francis River keeps winding its way south. It crosses into Madison County. Here, it flows west of a historic mining area known as Mine La Motte.
Fredericktown and Beyond
As the river gets closer to Fredericktown, it forms a lake called City Lake. This lake is on the northeast side of Fredericktown. The river then flows just west of the town itself. After passing Fredericktown, the river turns west again. It goes under U.S. Route 67, which is a major highway.
The river continues its winding path to the west. It flows past a place called Tin Mine Mountain. Finally, the Little St. Francis River reaches its confluence with the St. Francis River. A confluence is where two rivers meet and join together. This meeting point is located within the beautiful Mark Twain National Forest.
