Portions of the Chicago River are now on Google Street View View Full Caption Google Street View

CHICAGO — Boaters, kayakers, canoeists and water taxi riders travel the Chicago River, and now Web travelers can, too.

The Chicago River has joined some of the world's most prestigious rivers on Google Street View — which features 360-degree images on Google Maps. Other rivers on Google Street View include the Hudson, Seine and Thames.

The Chicago River Street View can be accessed by clicking here or by dragging the Google Maps people icon and placing it on the river.

“The river has never been more accessible to people,” Margaret Frisbie, executive director for Friends of the Chicago River, said in a news release. “Google Street View makes it even more so. It is astonishing to see the river this way and people are going to love it.”

Sections of the Chicago River included on Google Street View include Downtown north around Goose Island and south into Bubbly Creek.

The idea was hatched by Friends of the Chicago River board member Kevin Hartman, who's also Google's head of analytics. The images were captured by Street View technology during a ride on the river and transferred for Internet use.

“Google’s Street view river will allow people of all ages to discover the river, see what it really looks like, and figure out how they can use the river themselves,” Hartman said. “This easy to use navigational tool is like a boat ride down the Chicago River people can enjoy at any time, from anywhere they can use a computer or mobile device.”

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