Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal is an artificial waterway in Cook, DuPage and Will counties, Illinois. It links the Chicago River to the Des Plaines River over a distance of approximately 28 miles, forming a wide passage through the southern city area and surrounding plains.

Construction began in 1892 and finished in 1900, with the project standing as North America's largest earth-moving operation and training engineers who later worked on the Panama Canal. The waterway reversed the flow direction of the Chicago River to protect the drinking water supply from Lake Michigan.

The canal transformed Chicago's public health by reversing the Chicago River flow, preventing sewage from contaminating Lake Michigan's drinking water supply.

Electric barriers along the waterway prevent invasive fish migration between the Mississippi watershed and the Great Lakes. Walks are possible along some stretches of the banks, while locks and technical installations remain visible from a distance.

The waterway forms the only navigable link between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi watershed through the Chicago region. Today freight ships and recreational boats mostly use this route, while modern treatment plants have taken over the original sanitary function.

Location: Cook County

Location: DuPage County

Location: Will County

Inception: 1900

GPS coordinates: 41.70503,-87.93395

Latest update: December 17, 2025 08:42