[5] Kankakee is a principal city of the Kankakee-Bourbonnais-Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area.

The city's name is probably derived from a corrupted version of the Miami-Illinois word teeyaahkiki, meaning "open country/exposed land/land in open/land exposed to view",[6][7][8][9][10][11][12] in reference to the area's prior status as a marsh.

It is approximately 133 miles long and serves as a major attraction and defining landmark of Kankakee.

Its winding path, including inlets and eddies, creates desirable fishing conditions for outdoor enthusiasts.

Facilities include an indoor ice skating rink, a recreation center, dog park, campground and a 72 boat slip marina on the Kankakee River.

Fishing is plentiful as the district has 13 riverfront parks as well as a 5-acre (2.0 ha) stocked quarry.

They host annual state and international tournaments drawing nearly 50,000 spectators throughout the year.

[31] Amtrak operates the City of New Orleans, the Illini, and the Saluki, which each run once daily in both directions.

United States Highways US 45 and US 52 run concurrently forming, along with Illinois Route IL 50, the major north–south thoroughfares through Kankakee.

Service runs seven days a week to locations in Kankakee as well as the nearby cities of Aroma Park, Bradley, Bourbonnais, and Manteno.