<P> An earlier Miami - Illinois language name was also applied to the Ohio River, Mosopeleacipi ("river of the Mosopelea" tribe). Shortened in the Shawnee language to pelewa thiipi, spelewathiipi or peleewa thiipiiki, the name evolved through variant forms such as "Polesipi", "Peleson", "Pele Sipi" and "Pere Sipi", and eventually stabilized to the variant spellings "Pelisipi", "Pelisippi" and "Pellissippi". Originally applied just to the Ohio River, the "Pelisipi" name later was variously applied back and forth between the Ohio River and the Clinch River in Virginia and Tennessee . In his original draft of the Land Ordinance of 1784, Thomas Jefferson proposed a new state called "Pelisipia", to the south of the Ohio River, which would have included parts of present - day Eastern Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia . </P> <P> The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . From there, it flows northwest through Allegheny and Beaver counties, before making an abrupt turn to the south - southwest at the West Virginia--Ohio--Pennsylvania triple - state line (near East Liverpool, Ohio; Chester, West Virginia; and Ohioville, Pennsylvania). From there, it forms the border between West Virginia and Ohio, upstream of Wheeling, West Virginia . </P> <P> The river then follows a roughly southwest and then west - northwest course until Cincinnati, before bending to a west - southwest course for most of its length . The course forms the northern borders of West Virginia and Kentucky; and the southern borders of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, until it joins the Mississippi River at the city of Cairo, Illinois . </P> <P> Major tributaries of the river, indicated by the location of the mouths, include: </P>

Where does the mississippi river and ohio river meet