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List of rivers of the United States by discharge

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This is a list of rivers in the continental United States by average discharge (streamflow) in cubic feet per second. All rivers with average discharge more than 15,000 cubic feet per second are listed. Estimates are approximate, because data are variable with time period measured and also because many rivers lack a gauging station near their point of outflow.

class="wikitable sortable"

!rowspan="2"|No

!rowspan="2"|River

! colspan="2" |Length

! colspan="2" |Average discharge

!rowspan="2"|Outflow

miles

!km

!{{cvt|0|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=unit|abbr=on}}

!{{cvt|0|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=unit2}}

1

|Mississippi River

|{{nts|2,320}}

|{{nts|3,730}}

|{{nts|593,000}}{{Cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1987/ofr87-242/pdf/ofr87242.pdf|title=Largest Rivers in the United States.|author=U.S. Geological Survey|year=1992}}

|{{cvt|593,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of Mexico

2

|Ohio River

|{{nts|979}}

|{{nts|1,575}}

|{{nts|281,500}}{{Cite book |last= Leeden |first= Frits van der |title= The Water Encyclopedia |edition= 2nd |year= 1990 |publisher= Lewis Publishers |location= Chelsea, Mich. |isbn= 0-87371-120-3 |page= [https://archive.org/details/waterencyclopedi0000vand/page/126 126] |url= https://archive.org/details/waterencyclopedi0000vand/page/126 }}

|{{cvt|281,500|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Mississippi River

3

|St. Lawrence River

|{{nts|600}}

|{{nts|965}}{{Cite book|author=Benke, Arthur C., ed., and Cushing, Colbert E., ed.|title=Rivers of North America.|location=Burlington, Mass.|publisher=Elsevier Academic Press.}}

|{{nts|348,000}} (275,000 at U.S.-Canada boundary)

|{{cvt|348,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}} ({{cvt| 275,000 |cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}} at U.S.-Canada boundary)

|Gulf of Saint Lawrence

4

|Columbia River

|{{nts|1,243}}

|{{nts|2,000}}

|{{nts|273,000}}

|{{cvt|273,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Pacific Ocean

5

|Yukon River

|{{nts|1,980}}

|{{nts|3,185}}

|{{nts|227,000}}

|{{cvt|227,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Bering Sea

6

|Atchafalaya River

|{{nts|137}}

|{{nts|220}}

|{{nts|225,000}}

|{{cvt|225,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of Mexico

7

|Niagara River

|{{nts|36}}

|{{nts|58}}

|{{nts|204,700}}

|{{cvt|204,700|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Lake Ontario

8

|Detroit River

|{{nts|32}}

|{{nts|51}}

|{{nts|188,000}}

|{{cvt|188,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Lake Erie

9

|St. Clair River

|{{nts|39}}

|{{nts|63}}

|{{nts|183,000}}

|{{cvt|183,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Lake St. Clair

10

|Missouri River

|{{nts|2,341}}

|{{nts|3,767}}

|{{nts|86,300}}

|{{cvt|86,300|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Mississippi River

11

|St. Marys River

|{{nts|75}}

|{{nts|120}}

|{{nts|75,000}}

|{{cvt|75,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Lake Huron-Lake Michigan

12

|Tennessee River

|{{nts|652}}

|{{nts|1,049}}

|{{nts|68,000}}

|{{cvt|68,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Ohio River

13

|Mobile River

|{{nts|45}}

|{{nts|72}}

|{{nts|67,000}}

|{{cvt|67,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of Mexico

14

|Kuskokwim River

|{{nts|702}}

|{{nts|1,130}}

|{{nts|67,000}}

|{{cvt|67,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Bering Sea

15

|Red River

|{{nts|1,360}}

|{{nts|2,190}}

|{{nts|58,000}}

|{{cvt|58,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Atchafalaya River

16

|Copper River

|{{nts|290}}

|{{nts|470}}

|{{nts|57,400}}

|{{cvt|57,400|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of Alaska

17

|Snake River

|{{nts|1,040}}

|{{nts|1,674}}

|{{nts|55,000}}{{cite web|url=http://wa.water.usgs.gov/data/realtime/adr/2000/data/13353000.2000.sw.pdf|title= Snake River below Ice Harbor Dam, WA |publisher=United States Geological Survey |work=National Water Information System |date=1963–2000 |accessdate=20 April 2011}}

|{{cvt|55,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Columbia River

18

|Stikine River

|{{nts|379}}

|{{nts|610}}

|{{nts|56,000}}

|{{cvt|56,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Pacific Ocean

19

|Susitna River

|{{nts|313}}

|{{nts|504}}

|{{nts|51,000}}

|{{cvt|51,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of Alaska

20

|Arkansas River

|{{nts|1,443}}

|{{nts|2,322}}

|{{nts|44,500}}{{cite web|url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1949/0044/report.pdf|title=Large Rivers of the United States, Circular 44.|author=U.S. Geological Survey|year=1949}}

|{{cvt|44,500|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Mississippi River

21

|Tanana River

|{{nts|584}}

|{{nts|940}}

|{{nts|41,800}}

|{{cvt|41,800|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Yukon River

22

| Saint John River

|{{nts|418}} {{cite web |title=Saint John River |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/saint-john-river |website=The Canadian Encyclopedia |access-date=27 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227085139/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/saint-john-river |archive-date=27 December 2018 |url-status=live }}

|{{nts|673}}

|{{nts|38,800}}

|{{cvt|38,800|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Bay of Fundy

23

|Susquehanna River

|{{nts|464}}

|{{nts|747}}

|{{nts|38,200}}

|{{cvt|38,200|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Chesapeake Bay

24

|Willamette River

|{{nts|187}}

|{{nts|301}}

|{{nts|37,400}}

|{{cvt|37,400|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Columbia River

25

|Wabash River

|{{nts|503}}

|{{nts|810}}

|{{nts|34,500}}{{cite web|url=http://waterdata.usgs.gov/in/nwis/nwis|title=USGS Water Data for Indiana}}

|{{cvt|34,500|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Ohio River

26

|Alabama River

|{{nts|318}}

|{{nts|512}}

|{{nts|32,500}}{{cite web|url=http://waterdata.usgs.gov/al/nwis/nwis|title=USGS Water Data for Alabama}}

|{{cvt|32,500|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Mobile River

27

|Nushagak River

|{{nts|280}}

|{{nts|450}}

|{{nts|32,000}}?{{cite web|title="U.S. Geological Survey National Water Summary 1985: State Summaries of Surface-Water Resources|year = 1987|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=plbxAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA414}}

|{{cvt|32,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Bering Sea

28

|Alsek River

|{{nts|240}}

|{{nts|386}}

|{{nts|31,000}}{{cite web|url=http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ak/nwis/nwis|title=USGS Water Data for Alaska}}

|{{cvt|31,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of Alaska

29

|Cumberland River

|{{nts|696}}

|{{nts|1,120}}

|{{nts|30,000}}?

|{{cvt|30,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Ohio River

30

|Black River-Ouachita River

|{{nts|605}}

|{{nts|974}}

|{{nts|29,800}}

|{{cvt|29,800|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Red River

31

|White River

|{{nts|720}}

|{{nts|1,159}}

|{{nts|29,500}}{{cite web|url=http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ar/nwis/nwis|title=USGS Water Data for Arkansas}}

|{{cvt|29,500|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Mississippi River

32

|Pend Oreille River

|{{nts|130}}

|{{nts|210}}

|{{nts|27,000}}{{cite web|url=http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2013/pdfs/12396500.2013.pdf|title=USGS Gage #12396500 on the Pend Oreille River below Box Canyon, near Ione, WA|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|work=National Water Information System|date=1952–2013|accessdate=2014-10-13}}

|{{cvt|27,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Columbia River

33

|Tombigbee River

|{{nts|200}}

|{{nts|320}}

|{{nts|26,300}}

|{{cvt|26,300|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Mobile River

34

|Koyukuk River

|{{nts|425}}

|{{nts|684}}

|{{nts|25,000}}?{{cite web|title=U.S. Geological Survey National Water Summary 1985: State Summaries of Surface-Water Resources|year = 1987|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=plbxAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA414}}

|{{cvt|25,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Yukon River

35

|Illinois River

|{{nts|273}}

|{{nts|439}}

|{{nts|24,000}}{{cite web|url=http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2012/pdfs/05586100.2012.pdf|title=USGS Gage #05586100 on the Illinois River at Valley City, IL|publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|work=National Water Information System|date=1939–2012|accessdate=2013-11-09}}

|{{cvt|24,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Mississippi River

36

|Sacramento River

|{{nts|447}}

|{{nts|719}}

|{{nts|23,500}}{{cite web |url=http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2009/pdfs/11447650.2009.pdf |title=USGS Gage #11447650 on the Sacramento River at Freeport, CA (Water-Data Report 2009) |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey |work=Water Resources of the United States }}

|{{cvt|23,500|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Pacific Ocean

37

|Porcupine River

|{{nts|569}}

|{{nts|916}}

|{{nts|23,000}}

|{{cvt|23,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Yukon River

38

|Colorado River

|{{nts|1,450}}

|{{nts|2,330}}

|{{nts|22,000}}

|{{cvt|22,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of California

39

|Clark Fork River

|{{nts|310}}

|{{nts|500}}

|{{nts|21,900}}{{cite web |url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2004/wdr-mt-04/ |title=Montana Water Resources Data 2004}}, file {{cite web |url=http://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2004/wdr-mt-04/PDF%20files/2_13.pdf |title=Mill Creek above Bassoo Creek, near Niarada to Clark Fork at Whitehorse Rapids, near Cabinet, ID}}.

|{{cvt|21,900|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Pend Oreille River

40

|Hudson River

|{{nts|315}}

|{{nts|507}}

|{{nts|21,900}}{{cite web|url=http://ny.water.usgs.gov/projects/dialer_plots/Hudson_R_at_NYC_Freshwater_Discharge.htm|title=Estimates of monthly and annual net discharge, in cubic feet per second, of Hudson River at New York, N.Y.|publisher=United States Geological Survey|date=October 15, 2010|accessdate=December 30, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194547/http://ny.water.usgs.gov/projects/dialer_plots/Hudson_R_at_NYC_Freshwater_Discharge.htm|archivedate=March 4, 2016|df=mdy-all}}

|{{cvt|21,900|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Atlantic Ocean

41

|Yentna River

|{{nts|75}}

|{{nts|121}}

|{{nts|21,000}}?

|{{cvt|21,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Susitna River

42

|Chitina River

|{{nts|112}}

|{{nts|180}}

|{{nts|20,000}}?

|{{cvt|20,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Copper River

43

|Allegheny River

|{{nts|320}}

|{{nts|523}}

|{{nts|19,900}}http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2009/pdfs/03049500.2009.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}

|{{cvt|19,900|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Ohio River

44

|Apalachicola River

|{{nts|50}}

|{{nts|80}}

|{{nts|19,602}}{{Cite web|url=https://www2.usgs.gov/water/southatlantic/ga/nawqa/basin/apalachicola-basin.html|title = The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program study}}

|{{cvt|19,602|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Gulf of Mexico

45

|Connecticut River

|{{nts|407}}

|{{nts|655}}

|{{nts|18,400}}

|{{cvt|18,400|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Atlantic Ocean

46

|Kvichak River

|{{nts|50}}

|{{nts|80}}

|{{nts|17,900}}

|{{cvt|17,900|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Bering Sea

47

|Klamath River

|{{nts|263}}

|{{nts|423}}

|{{nts|17,300}}{{cite web | title = Water-Data Report 2013: 11530500 Klamath River near Klamath, CA | publisher = U.S. Geological Survey | url = http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2013/pdfs/11530500.2013.pdf}}

|{{cvt|17,300|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Pacific Ocean

48

|Santee River

|{{nts|143}}

|{{nts|230}}

|{{nts|17,000}}(approx.){{cite web|title="U.S. Geological Survey National Water Summary 1985: State Summaries of Surface-Water Resources|year = 1987|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=plbxAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA414}}

|{{cvt|17,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Atlantic Ocean

49

|Skagit River

|{{nts|150}}

|{{nts|240}}

|{{nts|16,500}}

|{{cvt|16,500|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Pacific Ocean

50

|Kootenai (Kootenay) River

|{{nts|485}}

|{{nts|781}}

|{{nts|27,600}} (approx. 16,000? at U.S.-Canada boundary)

|{{cvt|27,600|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}} (approx. {{cvt| 16,000 |cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}? at U.S.-Canada boundary)

|Columbia River

51

|Coosa River

|{{nts|280}}

|{{nts|450}}

|{{nts|16,000}}{{cite web|title= Water resources data for the United States, Water Year 2009; gage 02411000, Coosa River at Jordan Dam near Wetumpka, AL|publisher=USGS|url= http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2009/pdfs/02411000.2009.pdf}}

|{{cvt|16,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Alabama River

52

|Kanawha River

|{{nts|97}}

|{{nts|156}}

|{{nts|16,000}}United States Geological Survey; [http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?03193000 USGS 03193000 KANAWHA RIVER AT KANAWHA FALLS, WV].

|{{cvt|16,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Ohio River

53

|Clearwater River

|{{nts|75}}

|{{nts|120}}

|{{nts|15,300}}{{cite web|title=USGS Gage #13343000 on the Clearwater River near Lewiston|publisher=United States Geological Survey National Water Information System|url=http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/peak?site_no=13343000&agency_cd=USGS&format=html}}

|{{cvt|15,300|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Snake River

54

|Kobuk River

|{{nts|280}}

|{{nts|451}}

|{{nts|15,300}}

|{{cvt|15,300|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Bering Sea

55

|St. Johns River

|{{nts|310}}

|{{nts|500}}

|{{nts|15,000}}?

|{{cvt|15,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Atlantic Ocean

56

|Pee Dee River

|{{nts|232}}

|{{nts|373}}

|{{nts|15,000}}?

|{{cvt|15,000|cuft/s|m3/s|disp=out}}

|Atlantic Ocean

See also

References

{{reflist|2}}

*Discharge