US Rivers Map

Explore the United States map showing rivers, The United States is home to some of the world's major rivers that play crucial roles in its geography and economy. The Mississippi River, spanning over 2,300 miles, is the second-longest river in the U.S. and forms a vital navigation route for commerce. The Missouri River, however, takes the lead as the longest river in the country, stretching about 2,341 miles. The Colorado River, famed for carving out the Grand Canyon, provides essential water resources to seven U.S. states and Mexico. Meanwhile, the Rio Grande serves as a significant natural border between the U.S. and Mexico.

About US Rivers Map

Explore United States map with all rivers and lakes, this map is free to download for educational purpse only.

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Major Rivers in the United States

The Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is one of the most iconic rivers in the United States. Stretching approximately 2,320 miles, it is the second-longest river in North America. Originating from Lake Itasca in Minnesota, it flows southward through the central United States, draining into the Gulf of Mexico. The river is a crucial waterway for commerce, with major ports like New Orleans and St. Louis situated along its banks. The river also supports a diverse ecosystem, providing habitats for over 300 species of fish and numerous waterfowl.

The Missouri River

The Missouri River, often referred to as the "Big Muddy," is the longest river in North America, extending for about 2,341 miles. It originates from the Rocky Mountains in Montana and traverses several states, including North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, before merging with the Mississippi River north of St. Louis. The river has played a vital role in the history of the United States, serving as a major route for westward expansion in the 19th century. It continues to be an important resource for irrigation, agriculture, and hydroelectric power.

The Colorado River

The Colorado River is renowned for its dramatic landscapes and significant role in shaping the southwestern United States. With a length of about 1,450 miles, it begins in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and flows southwest through Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Baja California, and Sonora. The river carved the Grand Canyon, one of the wonders of the natural world. It also serves as a primary water source for over 40 million people in the region, including major cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, through the extensive network of dams and reservoirs such as the Hoover Dam and Lake Mead.

The Rio Grande

The Rio Grande serves as a border between the United States and Mexico for much of its course. It stretches approximately 1,896 miles from its origin in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, flowing southeast through New Mexico and Texas. Significant cities along its course include Albuquerque and El Paso. The river is essential for irrigation and agriculture in the arid regions it traverses, particularly in the Rio Grande Valley. However, it faces challenges such as water scarcity and pollution, which impact both its ecosystem and the communities relying on it.

The Hudson River

Flowing primarily through the state of New York, the Hudson River has significant historical and economic importance. Spanning about 315 miles, it originates from the Adirondack Mountains and flows southward, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at New York Harbor. The river has played a critical role in the history of the United States, from early Native American settlements to its strategic importance during the Revolutionary War. Today, it remains a vital waterway for commerce and recreation, providing scenic vistas along its course.

The Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest, with a length of about 1,243 miles. It originates from the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, and flows south through Washington and Oregon before emptying into the Pacific Ocean. The river is noted for its hydroelectric potential, with the Bonneville Dam and Grand Coulee Dam being prominent structures that provide power to millions of residents. The Columbia River basin is also a rich ecological region, supporting diverse wildlife and fisheries, particularly salmon runs that are crucial to both natural ecosystems and indigenous cultures.

List of Longest Rivers of U.S. by Main Stem

#	Name	Mouth	Length (mi)	Length (km)	Watershed area (mi2)	Watershed area (km2)	Discharge (ft3/s)	Discharge (m3/s)	States, provinces
1	Missouri River	Mississippi River	2,341	3,768	529,353	1,371,017	69,100	1,956	Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri
2	Mississippi River	Gulf of Mexico	2,202	3,544	1,260,000	3,270,000	650,000	18,400	Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana
3	Yukon River	Bering Sea	1,979	3,185	324,000	839,200	224,000	6,340	British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Alaska
4	Rio Grande	Gulf of Mexico	1,759	2,830	340,000	870,000	1,300	37	Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas
5	Colorado River	Gulf of California	1,450	2,330	248,000	642,000	1,400	40	Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Sonora, Baja California
6	Arkansas River	Mississippi River	1,443	2,322	160,200	414,910	35,500	1,004	Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas
7	Columbia River	Pacific Ocean	1,243	2,000	279,548	724,024	273,000	7,730	British Columbia, Washington, Oregon
8	Red River	Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers	1,125	1,811	65,590	169,890	30,100	852	Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana
9	Snake River	Columbia River	1,040	1,674	108,000	281,000	55,300	1,565	Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
10	Ohio River	Mississippi River	979	1,575	204,000	529,000	308,400	8,733	Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky
11	Colorado River of Texas	Gulf of Mexico	970	1,560	39,900	103,341	2,600	75	Texas
12	Tennessee River	Ohio River	935	1,504	40,880	105,870	71,000	2,000	Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky
13	Canadian River	Arkansas River	906	1,458	47,130	122,070	6,100	174	Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma
14	Brazos River	Gulf of Mexico	860	1,390	44,620	115,566	8,800	249	Texass
15	Green River	Colorado River	760	1,230	44,900	116,200	6,100	172	Wyoming, Colorado, Utah
16	Pecos River	Rio Grande	730	1,175	44,000	113,960	71	2	New Mexico, Texas
17	White River (Arkansas)	Mississippi River	720	1,159	27,872	72,189	34,600	979	Arkansas, Missouri
18	James River	Missouri River	710	1,140	20,942	54,240	854	24.2	North Dakota, South Dakota
19	Kuskokwim River	Bering Sea	702	1,130	48,000	124,319	67,000	1,900	Alaska
20	Cimarron River	Arkansas River	698	1,123	19,510	50,540	1,500	42	Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas
21	Cumberland River	Ohio River	696	1,120	17,930	46,430	30,400	862	Kentucky, Tennessee
22	Yellowstone River	Missouri River	678	1,091	70,400	182,336	12,800	362	Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota
23	North Platte River	Platte River	665	1,070	34,885	90,352	770	21.9	Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska
24	Milk River	Missouri River	625	1,005	22,332	57,839	670	18.9	Alberta, Montana
25	Ouachita River	Black River	605	974	24,886	64,454	29,800	843	Arkansas, Louisiana
26	Saint Lawrence River	Gulf of Saint Lawrence	600	965	620,000	1,600,000	440,000	12,600	New York, Ontario, Quebec
27	Gila River	Colorado River	600	960	57,850	149,832	210	6	New Mexico, Arizona
28	Sheyenne River	Red River of the North	591	951	8,800	23,000	288	8.2	North Dakota
29	Tanana River	Yukon River	584	940	44,000	114,000	41,800	1,185	Alaska
30	Smoky Hill River	Kansas River	576	927	19,260	49,900	1,542	43.7	Colorado, Kansas
31	Niobrara River	Missouri River	568	914	12,600	32,600	1,700	49	Wyoming, Nebraska
32	Little Missouri River	Missouri River	560	900	8,310	21,500	450	13	Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota
33	Sabine River	Gulf of Mexico	553	890	9,756	25,268	8,400	238	Texas, Louisiana
34	Red River of the North	Lake Winnipeg	550	890	111,000	287,500	8,300	236	North Dakota, Minnesota, Manitoba
35	Des Moines River	Mississippi River	525	845	12,018	31,127	6,400	182	Minnesota, Missouri, Iowa
36	White River (Missouri River)	Missouri River	506	815	10,200	26,418	570	16	Nebraska, South Dakota
37	Trinity River	Galveston Bay	506	815	17,970	46,540	7,800	222	Texas
38	Wabash River	Ohio River	503	810	32,950	85,340	1,001	28	Ohio, Indiana, Illinois

List of the United States Rivers by Discharge

S.N.	River	Length (km)	Length (miles)	Average discharge (cfs)	Outflow
1	Mississippi River	3,730	2,320	593,000	Gulf of Mexico
2	Ohio River	1,575	979	281,500	Mississippi River
3	Saint Lawrence River	965	600	348,000	Gulf of Saint Lawrence
4	Columbia River	2,000	1,243	273,000	Pacific Ocean
5	Yukon River	3,185	1,980	227,000	Bering Sea
6	Atchafalaya River	220	137	225,000	Gulf of Mexico
7	Niagara River	58	36	204,700	Lake Ontario
8	Detroit River	51	32	188,000	Lake Erie
9	St. Clair River	63	39	183,000	Lake St. Clair
10	Missouri River	3,767	2,341	86,300	Mississippi River
11	St. Marys River	120	75	75,000	Lake Huron-Lake Michigan
12	Tennessee River	1,049	652	68,000	Ohio River
13	Mobile River	72	45	67,000	Gulf of Mexico
14	Kuskokwim River	1,130	702	67,000	Bering Sea
15	Red River	2,190	1,360	58,000	Atchafalaya River
16	Copper River	470	290	57,400	Gulf of Alaska
17	Snake River	1,674	1,040	55,000	Columbia River
18	Stikine River	610	379	56,000	Pacific Ocean
19	Susitna River	504	313	51,000	Gulf of Alaska
20	Arkansas River	2,322	1,443	44,500	Mississippi River
21	Tanana River	940	584	41,800	Yukon River
22	Susquehanna River	747	464	38,200	Chesapeake Bay
23	Willamette River	301	187	37,400	Columbia River
24	Wabash River	810	503	34,500	Ohio River
25	Alabama River	512	318	32,500	Mobile River
26	Nushagak River	450	280	32,000	Bering Sea
27	Alsek River	386	240	31,000	Gulf of Alaska
28	Cumberland River	1,120	696	30,000	Ohio River
29	Black River-Ouachita River	974	605	29,800	Red River
30	White River	1,159	720	29,500	Mississippi River
31	Pend Oreille River	210	130	27,000	Columbia River
32	Tombigbee River	320	200	26,300	Mobile River
33	Koyukuk River	684	425	25,000	Yukon River
34	Illinois River	439	273	24,000	Mississippi River
35	Sacramento River	719	447	23,500	Pacific Ocean
36	Porcupine River	916	569	23,000	Yukon River
37	Colorado River	2,330	1,450	22,000	Gulf of California
38	Clark Fork River	500	310	21,900	Pend Oreille River
39	Hudson River	507	315	21,900	Atlantic Ocean
40	Yentna River	121	75	21,000	Susitna River
41	Chitina River	180	112	20,000	Copper River
42	Allegheny River	523	320	19,900	Ohio River
43	Apalachicola River	80	50	19,602	Gulf of Mexico
44	Kvichak River	80	50	17,900	Bering Sea
45	Connecticut River	655	407	18,400	Atlantic Ocean
46	Delaware River	484	301	17,900	Delaware Bay
47	Klamath River	423	263	17,300	Pacific Ocean
48	Santee River	230	143	17,000	Atlantic Ocean
49	Skagit River	240	150	16,500	Pacific Ocean
50	Kootenai (Kootenay) River	781	485	27,600	Columbia River
51	Coosa River	450	280	16,000	Alabama River
52	Kanawha River	156	97	16,000	Ohio River
53	Clearwater River	120	75	15,300	Snake River
54	Kobuk River	451	280	15,300	Bering Sea
55	St. Johns River	500	310	15,000	Atlantic Ocean
56	Pee Dee River	373	232	15,000	Atlantic Ocean