In presettlement times, the two rivers drained an upland marsh near Roberts.

It is possible that early settlers regarded these as a single river that flowed in two directions.

The north-flowing Vermilion flows in a northerly direction from its origin in Livingston and Ford counties in north central Illinois, eventually emptying into the Illinois River, near Oglesby.

Access to a stretch of river around a dam owned by Buzzi Unicem was temporarily barred in 2009 after two drowning deaths that occurred on June 23 and 26, respectively, as well as numerous other boating accidents.

The following counties are drained at least in part by the Vermilion River: Play Park, Pontiac https://www.pontiac.org/594/Play-Park Humiston Woods http://www.humistonwoods.org/ Township park, Dropped pin Near Pontiac Township, IL 61764 https://www.google.com/maps?q=40.8982776,-88.6754253&hl=en-US&gl=us