Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes located on the North American continent between the United States and Canada. Of the five, it is the second smallest by surface area and smallest by volume. It borders the states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York and the Canadian province Ontario. The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, connects the Hudson River to Lake Erie, making the Great Lakes accessible via the Atlantic Ocean and subsequently reducing transportation costs. Lake Erie has a long connection to shipping of goods throughout the area.