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.
More information No, River ...
No |
River |
Length (km) |
Length (miles) |
Average discharge (cf/s) |
Outflow |
1 |
Mississippi River |
3,730 |
2,320 |
593,000[1] |
Gulf of Mexico |
2 |
Ohio River |
1,575[2] |
979[2] |
281,500[3] |
Mississippi River |
3 |
St. Lawrence River |
965[2] |
600 |
348,000[1] (275,000 at U.S.-Canada boundary) |
Gulf of Saint Lawrence |
4 |
Columbia River |
2,000[2] |
1,243[2] |
273,000[2] |
Pacific Ocean |
5 |
Yukon River |
3,185[2] |
1,980[2] |
227,000[1] |
Bering Sea |
6 |
Atchafalaya River |
220 |
137 |
225,000[1] |
Gulf of Mexico |
7 |
Niagara River |
58 |
36 |
204,700[1] |
Lake Ontario |
8 |
Detroit River |
51 |
32 |
188,000[1] |
Lake Erie |
9 |
St. Clair River |
63 |
39 |
183,000[1] |
Lake St. Clair |
10 |
Missouri River |
3,767[2] |
2,341[2] |
86,300 |
Mississippi River |
11 |
St. Marys River |
120 |
75 |
75,000[1] |
Lake Huron-Lake Michigan |
12 |
Tennessee River |
1,049 |
652 |
68,000[1] |
Ohio River |
13 |
Mobile River |
72 |
45 |
67,000[1] |
Gulf of Mexico |
14 |
Kuskokwim River |
1,130[2] |
702[2] |
67,000[1] |
Bering Sea |
15 |
Red River |
2,190 |
1,360 |
58,000[1] |
Atchafalaya River |
16 |
Copper River |
470 |
290 |
57,400[1] |
Gulf of Alaska |
17 |
Snake River |
1,674[2] |
1,040[2] |
55,000[4] |
Columbia River |
18 |
Stikine River |
610 |
379 |
56,000[1] |
Pacific Ocean |
19 |
Susitna River |
504 |
313 |
51,000[1] |
Gulf of Alaska |
20 |
Arkansas River |
2,322[2] |
1,443[2] |
44,500[5] |
Mississippi River |
21 |
Tanana River |
940[2] |
584[2] |
41,800[2] |
Yukon River |
22 |
Saint John River |
673 [6] |
418 [6] |
38,800 [6] |
Bay of Fundy |
23 |
Susquehanna River |
747 |
464 |
38,200[1] |
Chesapeake Bay |
24 |
Willamette River |
301 |
187 |
37,400[1] |
Columbia River |
25 |
Wabash River |
810[2] |
503[2] |
34,500[7] |
Ohio River |
26 |
Alabama River |
512 |
318 |
32,500[8] |
Mobile River |
27 |
Nushagak River |
450 |
280 |
32,000?[9] |
Bering Sea |
28 |
Alsek River |
386 |
240 |
31,000[10] |
Gulf of Alaska |
29 |
Cumberland River |
1,120[2] |
696[2] |
30,000? |
Ohio River |
30 |
Black River-Ouachita River |
974[2] |
605[2] |
29,800[2] |
Red River |
31 |
White River |
1,159[2] |
720[2] |
29,500[11] |
Mississippi River |
32 |
Pend Oreille River |
210 |
130 |
27,000[12] |
Columbia River |
33 |
Tombigbee River |
320 |
200 |
26,300[8] |
Mobile River |
34 |
Koyukuk River |
684 |
425 |
25,000?[13] |
Yukon River |
35 |
Illinois River |
439 |
273 |
24,000[14] |
Mississippi River |
36 |
Sacramento River |
719 |
447 |
23,500[15] |
Pacific Ocean |
37 |
Porcupine River |
916 |
569 |
23,000[1] |
Yukon River |
38 |
Colorado River |
2,330[2] |
1,450[2] |
22,000[1] |
Gulf of California |
39 |
Clark Fork River |
500 |
310 |
21,900[16] |
Pend Oreille River |
40 |
Hudson River |
507 |
315 |
21,900[17] |
Atlantic Ocean |
41 |
Yentna River |
121 |
75 |
21,000?[10] |
Susitna River |
42 |
Chitina River |
180 |
112 |
20,000? |
Copper River |
43 |
Allegheny River |
523 |
320 |
19,900[18] |
Ohio River |
44 |
Apalachicola River |
80 |
50 |
19,602[19] |
Gulf of Mexico |
45 |
Connecticut River |
655 |
407 |
18,400 |
Atlantic Ocean |
46 |
Kvichak River |
80 |
50 |
17,900[10] |
Bering Sea |
47 |
Klamath River |
423 |
263 |
17,300[20] |
Pacific Ocean |
48 |
Santee River |
230 |
143 |
17,000(approx.)[9] |
Atlantic Ocean |
49 |
Skagit River |
240 |
150 |
16,500 |
Pacific Ocean |
50 |
Kootenai (Kootenay) River |
781 |
485 |
27,600 (approx. 16,000? at U.S.-Canada boundary) |
Columbia River |
51 |
Coosa River |
450 |
280 |
16,000[21] |
Alabama River |
52 |
Kanawha River |
156 |
97 |
16,000[22] |
Ohio River |
53 |
Clearwater River |
120 |
75 |
15,300[23] |
Snake River |
54 |
Kobuk River |
451 |
280 |
15,300[10] |
Bering Sea |
55 |
St. Johns River |
500 |
310 |
15,000? |
Atlantic Ocean |
56 |
Pee Dee River |
373 |
232 |
15,000?[9] |
Atlantic Ocean |
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