Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The little town of Cairo in Illinois is named for the city in Egypt, but it is pronounced “KAY-
ro,” like the syrup. Cairo is located at the southernmost tip of Illinois where the Ohio River
meets the Mississippi River. This means, as this picture postcard shows, that the Ohio bor-
ders one side of town and the Mississippi the other side. Its strategic location made Cairo a
busy river port but also meant it was subjected to frequent floods.
