Maquoketa River
| Maquoketa River | |
|---|---|
The North Fork of the Maquoketa River at Dyersville, Iowa in 1996 | |
Maquoketa River highlighted | |
| Etymology | Maquaw-Autaw, "Bear River" in Meskwaki |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Iowa |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • coordinates | 42°43′08″N 91°42′39″W / 42.7189°N 91.7107°W |
| Mouth | Mississippi River |
• elevation | 591 ft (180 m) |
| Length | 150 mi (240 km) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Maquoketa, Iowa |
| • average | 1,141 cu/ft. per sec. |
| U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Maquoketa River | |
The Maquoketa River (/məˈkoʊkɪtə/) is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 150 miles (240 km) long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. Its watershed covers 1,694 square miles (4,387 km2) within a rural region of rolling hills and farmland southwest of Dubuque. The river and its tributaries mark the border of the Driftless Area of Iowa, with the areas east of it not having been covered by ice during the last ice age. Its name derives from Maquaw-Autaw, which means "Bear River" in Meskwaki.