The Vermilion River is a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...

of the

Wabash River The Wabash River (French: Ouabache) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana in the United States. It flows from ...

in the states of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

and

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

. There are two "Vermilion Rivers" in Illinois. The Wabash tributary flows south, while the other Vermilion River flows north to the Illinois River. There are also two Little Vermilion rivers,

one 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...

flowing into the Wabash River and

into the Illinois. The north-flowing Vermilion River and the south-flowing

Middle Fork Vermilion River The Middle Fork of the Vermilion River is a tributary of the Vermilion River (Wabash River) in Illinois. The Middle Fork rises in Ford County and flows southeast to join the Vermilion near Danville. In its natural state, the Middle Fork dra ...

lie along a straight line connecting Oglesby and Danville. The two rivers drain what was once an upland

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found ...

near Roberts. The two rivers have been extended by drainage

ditch A ditch is a small to moderate divot created to channel water. A ditch can be used for drainage, to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant irrigation. Ditches ar ...

es so that they nearly connect at their headwaters. The rivers may share a common name because early settlers regarded them as a single river that flowed two directions. The rivers may have served as a canoe route between the Illinois River and Wabash River, with a

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

through the marshes near Roberts.

Tributaries

The main tributaries of the Vermilion River join near Danville: *

Salt Fork Vermilion River The Salt Fork is a tributary of the Vermilion River located in the Central Corn Belt Plains of Illinois. The Salt Fork owes its name to saline springs that provided natural salt licks for animals, and which were used for production of salt by ...

*North Fork Vermilion River The Vermilion starts with the confluence of the Salt Fork and Middle Fork, to be joined by the North Fork approximately downstream. The Salt Fork is the western tributary. It arises north of

Urbana __NOTOC__ Urbana can refer to: Places Italy *Urbana, Italy United States *Urbana, Illinois **Urbana (conference), a Christian conference formerly held in Urbana, Illinois *Urbana, Indiana * Urbana, Iowa *Urbana, Kansas * Urbana, Maryland *Urbana, ...

, flowing east toward Danville. It was named for the saline springs in its lower reaches. When settlers first arrived in the area, the saline springs were the basis of the dominant industry. The Middle Fork arises near Roberts, and flows southeast toward Danville. The Middle Fork is notable as the only river in Illinois designated as a

National Wild and Scenic River The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...

by United States

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

. This scenic stream flows through Kickapoo State Park near Danville and is a favorite of Illinois canoeists. The North Fork arises in

to the northeast of Hoopeston, Illinois. It flows south and southwest toward Danville. From Danville, the Vermilion River flows to its

confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

with the

to the east of the Illinois/

border.

Cities and counties

The following cities, towns and villages are among those in the Vermilion River watershed: *

Champaign, Illinois Champaign ( ) is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 88,302 at the 2020 census. It is the tenth-most populous municipality in Illinois and the fourth most populous city in Illinois outside the Chicago metrop ...

Danville, Illinois Danville is a city in and the county seat of Vermilion County, Illinois. As of the 2010 census, its population was 33,027. As of 2019, the population was an estimated 30,479. History The area that is now Danville was once home to the Miami, K ...

* Homer, Illinois * Hoopeston, Illinois *

Paxton, Illinois Paxton is a city in Ford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,473 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ford County. History The town was initially named Prairie City in the late 1840s, then Prospect City by an Il ...

* Rantoul, Illinois * St. Joseph, Illinois *

Sidney, Illinois Sidney is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,208 at the 2020 census. History The Potawatomi Trail of Death passed through here in 1838. Geography Sidney is located at . According to the 2021 census g ...

Urbana, Illinois Urbana ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, Urbana had a population of 38,336. As of the 2010 United States Census, Urbana is the List of municipalities in Illinois, 38th-most pop ...

*potomac, illinois Portions of the following counties are drained by the Vermilion River: *

Benton County, Indiana Benton County is located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Indiana, along the border with Illinois. As of 2010, the county's population was 8,854. It contains six incorporated towns as well as several small unincorporated settlements; ...

Champaign County, Illinois Champaign County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 205,865, making it the 10th-most populous county in Illinois. Its county seat is Urbana. Champaign County is part of the Champaign–Urb ...

* Ford County, Illinois *

Iroquois County, Illinois Iroquois County is a county located in the northeast part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States Census, it has a population of 27,077. It is the only county in the United States to be named Iroquois, after the Americ ...

Vermilion County, Illinois Vermilion County is a county in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois, between the Indiana border and Champaign County. It was established in 1826 and was the 45th of Illinois' 102 counties. According to the 2010 United States Census, ...

Vermillion County, Indiana Vermillion County lies in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,212. The county seat is Newport. It was officially established in 1824 a ...

Warren County, Indiana Warren County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana. It lies in the western part of the state between the Illinois state line and the Wabash River. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 8,440. Its county seat is Williamsport. ...

References

*Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer, DeLorme, 1996

External links

Prairie Rivers NetworkUSGS Stream Gage, Vermilion River
{{authority control Rivers of Illinois Rivers of Indiana Tributaries of the Wabash River Rivers of Champaign County, Illinois Rivers of Ford County, Illinois Rivers of Iroquois County, Illinois Rivers of Vermilion County, Illinois Rivers of Vermillion County, Indiana Rivers of Warren County, Indiana

Tributaries

Cities and counties

See also

References

External links