ST. LOUIS – The “Mighty” Mississippi River is a true giant of American waterways, but if you’re wondering exactly how long it is, don’t expect one single, definitive answer.

On Wednesday, FOX 2 analyzed Google search trends for Missouri and noticed a breakout search queries for the Mississippi River, specifically with masses asking, “How long is it?” or searching about the river with the keyword “length.”

According to the National Park Service, the Mississippi River flows 2,350 miles from its source at Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico.

However, a 2018 report from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Water Science School lists the Mississippi River’s length as 2,340 miles.

Meanwhile, according to The Mississippi Headwaters Board, which is dedicated to preserving the river’s history at the Lake Itasca origin, the Mississippi River flows 2,348 miles from its source to its endpoint at the gulf.

The discrepancies in the reported length of the river could be attributed to several factors. For one, the river’s path is not a straight line, so its course can change over time due to natural processes like erosion and flooding. Also, organizations may use different methods in measuring the river’s length, including what constitutes a source or endpoint.

Adding to the debate, there also appears to be some question as to whether the Mississippi or the Missouri River stretches longer across the United States. The National Park Service reports that the Missouri River flows 2,341 miles from the confluence at the Gallatin, Madison and Jefferson rivers in Montana to its confluence with the Mississippi River near St. Louis.

However, the NPS also considers the Missouri to be the longer river by nearly 100 miles because it’s officially classified as a tributary of the Mississippi River.