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Question 88 of 100 · 2008 civics test

Name one of the two longest rivers in the United States.

From the 100-question list, the version for applications filed before October 20, 2025.

Accepted answers

  • Missouri (River)
  • Mississippi (River)

Any one of these is accepted, unless the question asks for more than one.

Why this is the answer

Either the Missouri or the Mississippi answers this. They are the two longest, and the one most people name second is actually the longer of the two: the Missouri runs longer than the Mississippi, starting in Montana and flowing into it. The Mississippi passes through ten states and was used by American Indians for trade, food and water long before Europeans arrived; it is nicknamed the Father of Waters and is still a major shipping route and a source of drinking water for millions. The Missouri was reached by the French explorers Jolliet and Marquette in 1673 and is nicknamed Big Muddy for the silt it carries. Memory hook: two rivers, one system, and the Missouri is the longer one.