The Erie Canal connects Lake Erie with the Hudson River and the Atlantic Ocean.
The canal runs across New York State from the Niagara River near Buffalo to the Hudson River near Albany. Its modern route is about 363 miles, or 584 kilometres, long. The waterway opened in 1825 and created a navigable route from the Great Lakes to New York Harbor.
The canal dramatically reduced the cost and difficulty of moving people and goods between the interior of North America and the Atlantic coast. It helped New York City become a major commercial center and encouraged settlement and economic growth around the Great Lakes.
The Erie Canal is often confused with the Welland Canal. The Welland Canal crosses the Niagara Peninsula to bypass Niagara Falls between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Erie Canal instead links Lake Erie eastward with the Hudson River.