The Detroit River has two automobile traffic crossings connecting the United States and Canada: the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel.

The only other location where this occurs is Fort Erie, Ontario, which lies south of several cities in Niagara County, New York.

The famed sailing ship Le Griffon reached the mouth of the Detroit River in mid-August 1679 on its maiden voyage through the Great Lakes.

[9] Later, when the French began settling in the area, they navigated the river using canoes made of birch or elm bark.

The newly formed United States claimed this territory during the American Revolution, but the British did not transfer it until 1796.

[11] After the completion of the Erie Canal in 1817, which opened up easier travel to Lake Erie from the East Coast of the United States, connecting the Great Lakes to the Hudson River and the port of New York City, the Detroit River became a route for many migrating settlers traveling to northern Michigan.

Following the Patriot War, in which British regulars and Michigan militia nearly came to armed conflict on the ice-covered Detroit River, the United States built Fort Wayne at Detroit to counter Britain's riverside Fort Malden at Amherstburg across the river.

The Detroit River served as a final stop on the Underground Railroad and was the most active entry point along the United States–Canada border for fugitive slaves.

The strong Underground Railroad networks in the Canadian border region also assisted Blacks hoping to flee from the U.S. once the Fugitive Slave Act was strengthened in 1850.

Individuals and organizations assisted escaping slaves hoping to cross the Detroit River from the United States into Canada.

[14] Famous abolitionists and Underground Railroad conductors including George DeBaptiste and William Lambert worked individually and with these organizations to assist fleeing slaves and condemn slavery.

[16] With their freedom in Canada secured, crossing the Detroit River out of the United States became an imperative for escaping slaves.

For that reason, Union forces regularly patrolled the Detroit River and the fortification at Fort Wayne improved, although it was far removed from any major combat.

Detroit, as the largest city bordering Canada, where alcohol remained legal during Prohibition, became the center of a new industry known as rum-running, smuggling liquor into the US.

American mobsters such as the Purple Gang of Detroit used violence to control the route known as the "Detroit-Windsor Funnel," and continue to gain lucrative returns from the trade.

[22] The artifacts recovered are well preserved due to the river's fresh water but low visibility makes them difficult to find.

[18] A 1940s-era bronze statue depicting a classical nude woman was originally installed to overlook a reflecting pool in the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.

It was nicknamed "The Nude," and, in 2001, was believed to have been successfully stolen for display in some art collector's private cache.

It is believed that the British dragged the cannons onto the frozen river so they would sink with the spring thaw, and be kept from use by the American enemy.

There has been excessive water pollution of the river from the long-term, unregulated dumping of chemicals, industrial waste, garbage, and sewage.

Thousands of migrating birds died each year because of the oil slicks and contaminated water around the mouth of the Detroit River at Lake Erie.

In this early period, opponents believed that such efforts would adversely affect Detroit's industry and economy.

[26] For years, the multi-million dollar cost of removing pollutants from the river and the political influence of nearby industries, hindered conservation efforts.

The millions of dollars spent since that time to dredge pollutants out of the Detroit River has led to a remarkable restoration, although problems remain.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the automotive industry boomed, and the many manufacturers imported abundant supplies of iron ore, sand, limestone and wood.

It is estimated walleye fishing alone brings in $1 million to the economy of communities along the lower Detroit River each spring.

Tour boats and dinner cruises travel through the sights of Detroit and the undeveloped islands downriver.

[30] Cruise ships support tourism on the Great Lakes and dock at the Port Detroit passenger terminal downtown.

According to a 2004 study, 150,000 jobs and $13 billion in annual production depend on the river crossings connecting Detroit to Windsor.

There are two automobile traffic routes that completely cross the river: the Detroit–Windsor tunnel and the privately owned Ambassador Bridge, both of which connect Detroit, Michigan, to Windsor, Ontario.