Which American canal connects the Hudson River to Lake Erie?

The Erie Canal connects New York’s Hudson River with Lake Erie. Its east–west route across upstate New York created a navigable link from the Atlantic coast to the Great Lakes, helping make New York City one of the leading commercial ports in the United States.

Construction began in 1817 under Governor DeWitt Clinton’s support, despite critics mocking the project as “Clinton’s Folly” or “Clinton’s Big Ditch.” The canal officially opened on October 26, 1825. Its success sharply reduced the cost and time of moving people and goods westward across the Appalachian region.

The original canal ran about 363 miles from Albany to Buffalo. The modern waterway is about 351 miles long and includes 35 locks to manage changes in elevation. Much of the original route was rebuilt or replaced during the early twentieth-century New York State Barge Canal modernization.

The Welland Canal is a frequent source of confusion: it links Lake Ontario and Lake Erie by bypassing Niagara Falls. The Erie Canal instead links Lake Erie to the Hudson River.