Canada River Map

Explore Canada map showing all the rivers located in Canada with their exact geographical location. Canada is home to an extensive network of rivers that are crucial to its geography and economy. The Mackenzie River is the longest, stretching 1,080 miles (1,738 kilometers) from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. The St. Lawrence River, at 744 miles (1,197 kilometers), is vital for commerce, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. Other major rivers include the Yukon River, spanning 1,980 miles (3,190 kilometers) through Canada and Alaska, and the Fraser River, which flows 854 miles (1,375 kilometers) through British Columbia. These rivers support diverse ecosystems, provide hydroelectric power, and facilitate transportation and trade.

About Canada River Map

Explore the Canada rivers map to locate all the major rivers flowing all across Canada.

List of Longest Rivers of Canada

Rank	Name	Mouth	Length in km	Length in mi	Source	Watershed Area in km2	Watershed Area in mi2	Discharge in m3/s	Discharge in ft3/s	Provinces, States
1	Mackenzie River	Beaufort Sea	4,241	2,635	Thutade Lake	1,805,200	697,000	9,700	340,000	Northwest Territories
2	Yukon River	Bering Sea	3,185	1,979	Teslin Lake	839,200	324,000	6,340	224,000	British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska
3	Saint Lawrence River	Gulf of Saint Lawrence	3,058	1,900	Seven Beaver Lake	1,344,200	519,000	9,850	348,000	Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, New York, Quebec
4	Nelson River	Hudson Bay	2,575	1,600	Bow Glacier	892,300	344,500	2,370	84,000	Manitoba
5	Slave River	Great Slave Lake	2,338	1,453	Thutade Lake	616,400	238,000	3,437	121,400	Alberta, Northwest Territories
6	Columbia River	Pacific Ocean	2,000	1,243	Columbia Lake	671,300	259,200	7,730	273,000	British Columbia, Washington, Oregon
7	Saskatchewan River	Lake Winnipeg	1,939	1,205	Bow Glacier	335,900	129,700	700	25,000	Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba
8	Peace River	Slave River	1,923	1,195	Thutade Lake	302,500	116,800	2,118	74,800	British Columbia, Alberta
9	Churchill River (Hudson Bay)	Hudson Bay	1,609	1,000	Churchill Lake	281,300	108,600	1,200	42,000	Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba
10	South Saskatchewan River	Saskatchewan River	1,392	865	Bow Glacier	146,100	56,400	280	9,900	Alberta, Saskatchewan
11	Fraser River	Strait of Georgia	1,375	854	Fraser Pass	233,100	90,000	3,540	125,000	British Columbia
12	North Saskatchewan River	Saskatchewan River	1,287	800	Saskatchewan Glacier	122,800	47,400	245	8,700	Alberta, Saskatchewan
13	Ottawa River	Saint Lawrence River	1,271	790	Laurentian Mountains	146,300	56,500	1,950	69,000	Quebec, Ontario
14	Athabasca River	Lake Athabasca	1,231	765	Columbia Icefield	95,300	36,800	783	27,700	Alberta
15	Liard River	MacKenzie River	1,115	693	Saint Cyr Range	277,100	107,000	2,446	86,400	Yukon, British Columbia, Northwest Territories
16	Assiniboine River	Red River	1,070	660	near Hazel Dell	182,000	70,000	45	1,600	Saskatchewan, Manitoba
17	Milk River	Missouri River	1,005	625	Blackfeet Indian Reservation	61,200	23,600	19	670	Alberta, Montana
18	Albany River	James Bay	982	610	Cat Lake	135,200	52,200	251	8,900	Ontario
19	Severn River	Hudson Bay	982	610	Deer Lake	102,800	39,700	645	22,800	Ontario
20	Back River	Chantrey Inlet	974	605	near Aylmer Lake	106,500	41,120	612	21,600	Northwest Territories, Nunavut
21	Thelon River	Baker Lake	904	562	Lynx Lake	142,400	55,000	840	30,000	Northwest Territories, Nunavut
22	La Grande River	James Bay	893	555	Lac Nichicun	97,600	37,700	1,690	60,000	Quebec
23	Red River	Lake Winnipeg	890	545	Wahpeton and Breckinridge	287,500	111,000	236	8,300	North Dakota, Minnesota, Manitoba
24	Koksoak River	Ungava Bay	874	543	Lake Sevestre	133,400	51,500	2,800	99,000	Quebec
25	Churchill River (Atlantic)	Lake Melville	856	532	Ashuanipi Lake	79,800	30,800	1,580	56,000	Newfoundland and Labrador
26	Coppermine River	Coronation Gulf	845	525	Lac de Gras	50,800	19,600	262	9,300	Northwest Territories, Nunavut
27	Dubawnt River	Thelon River	842	523	Abitau Lake	57,500	22,200	366	12,900	Northwest Territories, Nunavut
28	Winnipeg River	Lake Winnipeg	813	505	Trap Lake	135,800	52,400	850	30,000	Ontario, Manitoba
29	Kootenay River	Columbia River	780	485	Beaverfoot Range	50,300	19,400	850	30,000	British Columbia, Montana, Idaho
30	Nottaway River	James Bay	776	482	Lake Gilles	65,800	25,400	1,190	42,000	Quebec
31	Rupert River	James Bay	763	474	north of Lake Mistassini	43,400	16,800	900	32,000	Quebec
32	Eastmain River	James Bay	756	470	Lac Bréhat	46,400	17,900	930	33,000	Quebec
33	Attawapiskat River	James Bay	748	465	Attawapiskat Lake	50,500	19,500	263	9,300	Ontario
34	Kazan River	Thelon River	732	455	Ennadai Lake	71,500	27,600	540	19,000	Nunavut
35	Red Deer River	South Saskatchewan River	724	450	Sawback Range	45,100	17,400	70	2,500	Alberta
36	Great Whale River	Hudson Bay	724	450	Lake Saint-Lusson	42,700	16,500	680	24,000	Quebec
37	Porcupine River	Yukon River	721	448	Ogilvie Mountains	117,900	45,500	414	14,600	Yukon, Alaska
38	Pend d'Oreille River	Columbia River	703	437	near Butte	66,900	25,800	820	29,000	Idaho, Washington, British Columbia
39	Hay River	Great Slave Lake	702	436	near Zama Lake	48,200	18,600	113	4,000	Alberta, Northwest Territories
40	Saguenay River	Saint Lawrence River	698	434	near Otish Mountains	88,000	34,000	1,750	62,000	Quebec
41	Anderson River	Beaufort Sea	692	430	northwest of Great Bear Lake	-	-	142	5,000	Northwest Territories
42	Peel River	Mackenzie River	684	425	Gill Lake	73,600	28,400	103	3,600	Yukon, Northwest Territories
43	Saint John River	Bay of Fundy	673	418	Somerset County	55,200	21,300	1,130	40,000	Maine, New Brunswick
44	Stewart River	Yukon River	644	400	Selwyn Mountains	51,000	20,000	675	23,800	Yukon
45	Horton River	Franklin Bay	618	384	Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut	26,680	10,300	-	-	Nunavut, Northwest Territories
46	English River	Winnipeg River	615	382	near Marmion Lake	52,300	20,200	-	-	Ontario
47	Pelly River	Yukon River	608	378	Mackenzie Mountains	51,000	20,000	410	14,000	Yukon

Rivers of Canada

Canada, renowned for its vast landscapes and abundant natural resources, is home to some of the world's most significant rivers. These rivers play a critical role in the country's ecology, economy, and cultural heritage. This content provides a detailed look at several major Canadian rivers, highlighting key data, facts, and figures.

Mackenzie River

The Mackenzie River is Canada's longest river, stretching approximately 1,080 miles (1,738 kilometers) from Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean. It flows through the Northwest Territories, draining a vast basin of around 690,000 square miles (1.8 million square kilometers), which is roughly 20% of Canada's total land area. The Mackenzie River system supports diverse wildlife habitats and is crucial for transportation and resource extraction in the northern regions.

St. Lawrence River

The St. Lawrence River, one of North America's most important waterways, runs approximately 744 miles (1,197 kilometers) from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean. It serves as a vital commercial route, connecting the Great Lakes to international markets. The river's basin covers about 519,000 square miles (1.34 million square kilometers), including parts of Ontario, Quebec, and several U.S. states. The St. Lawrence Seaway, completed in 1959, allows ocean-going vessels to travel inland to the Great Lakes, significantly boosting trade and economic development.

Yukon River

The Yukon River, which flows for about 1,980 miles (3,190 kilometers) through Canada and Alaska, is another major river. In Canada, it traverses the Yukon Territory and British Columbia. The river is integral to the region's history, particularly during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 19th century. The Yukon's watershed covers approximately 330,000 square miles (855,000 square kilometers), supporting a range of ecosystems and communities.

Fraser River

The Fraser River, stretching about 854 miles (1,375 kilometers) through British Columbia, is the longest river within the province. Originating from the Rocky Mountains, it flows southwest to the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver. The Fraser River basin spans around 92,000 square miles (238,000 square kilometers) and is vital for salmon spawning, making it one of the most productive salmon fisheries in the world. The river also supports agriculture, forestry, and urban water supply in the region.

Columbia River

The Columbia River, with a total length of 1,243 miles (2,000 kilometers), originates in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia and flows south into the United States. Approximately 460 miles (740 kilometers) of the river lie within Canada. The Columbia River basin covers about 258,000 square miles (668,000 square kilometers). It is notable for its extensive hydroelectric power generation, with several major dams located along its course, including the Mica and Revelstoke dams in British Columbia.

Nelson River

The Nelson River flows 400 miles (644 kilometers) from Lake Winnipeg to Hudson Bay in northern Manitoba. Its basin covers approximately 444,000 square miles (1.15 million square kilometers), including significant parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and northwestern Ontario. The Nelson River is a crucial component of Manitoba's hydroelectric power industry, with several large dams generating electricity for the province.

Ottawa River

The Ottawa River, approximately 790 miles (1,271 kilometers) long, is a significant tributary of the St. Lawrence River. It forms part of the border between Ontario and Quebec. The river's basin covers about 57,000 square miles (148,000 square kilometers). The Ottawa River is historically important as a major transportation route for Indigenous peoples and European explorers. Today, it supports hydroelectric power generation, recreation, and water supply for communities along its banks.

Churchill River

The Churchill River, flowing about 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) through Saskatchewan and Manitoba, is another notable Canadian river. Its basin covers around 112,000 square miles (290,000 square kilometers). The river is named after John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. The Churchill River's watershed is essential for hydroelectric power generation, particularly at the Churchill Falls Generating Station in Labrador, which is one of the largest underground power stations in the world.

Red River

The Red River flows northward for approximately 545 miles (877 kilometers) from the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota into Manitoba, where it empties into Lake Winnipeg. The river's basin spans around 93,000 square miles (241,000 square kilometers). The Red River Valley is one of the most fertile agricultural regions in Canada, known for producing wheat, barley, and other crops. The river is also significant for its historical role in the development of the Red River Colony and the Metis community.