The Missouri Territory, and later the state, took the name of the Missouri River. The river was named for the Missouri Indians who lived along the banks. The name, Missouri, means "canoe haver."

Welcome to Missouri, a land of fertile plains, rolling hills, well-watered prairies and historic rivers.

Two of this country's greatest waterways, the Mississippi River on the state's eastern border, and the Missouri River, which winds across the state, helped Missouri become a supply center for many of the westward-bound settlers of the nation's early years. Shipping along the navigable rivers boosted the state's status as an agricultural supplier. Barges and steamboats used the waterways to move goods and people. River towns boomed. Railroads continued to fuel the growth of Missouri as a large transportation center. Today more than a dozen major railroads carry goods through the state, and transcontinental airlines keep passengers and cargo on the move.