Exploring U.S. Rivers and Mountain Ranges

A river is a large stream of water flowing through the land into a lake, ocean, or other body of water. There are many rivers throughout the United States. Five of these are considered major rivers: Colorado, Rio Grande, Mississippi, Ohio, and Hudson.

Compass Rose We’ll start our tour and move across from west to east. Colorado Rio Grande Mississippi Ohio Hudson

Colorado River The Colorado River begins on a 14,000 foot high mountain and flows to the Gulf of California. This river is 1450 miles in length. The Colorado River flows through seven U.S. states (including, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California) and is made up of over 50 smaller rivers. The Colorado River is home to one of the seven natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon. The biggest sport along the Colorado River is whitewater rafting.

Rio Grande The Rio Grande River begins in Colorado and flows to the Gulf of Mexico. This river forms the border between the U.S. state of Texas and Mexico. The Rio Grande is 1,885 miles long. Rio Grande means “big river” in Spanish. This river is the 5 th longest river in North America.

Mississippi River The Mississippi River lies in the following ten US states: Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota. The length of the Mississippi River is approximately 2,320 miles long, and is the 2 nd longest river in the U.S. Water from 31 states and Canada flows into this river. The Mississippi River is known for flooding. Many flood control systems have been built along the river.

Ohio River The Ohio River is 981 miles long. This river flows through or borders six states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The Ohio River begins in Pennsylvania and flows into the Mississippi River. This river is the source of drinking water for 3 million people. More than 200 million tons of cargo, such as coal, is shipped along the Ohio River each year. The Ohio River is also known for flooding.

Hudson River The length of the Hudson is 315 miles. It runs from the Adirondack Mountains (part of the Appalachian Mountain chain) to Manhattan in New York. It flows north and south through the state of New York. The Hudson is smaller in size compared to the other major rivers in America, such as the Mississippi River and the Ohio River.

Mountain Ranges There are two major mountain ranges in the United States. These are the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. Let’s look at each of these mountain ranges!

The Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains are located along western North America. These mountains are high and rugged. The Rocky Mountains stretch over 3,000 miles. They start in Canada and end in New Mexico. Many of the mountains in this range are over 10,000 feet high! Water and melted snow that run off the mountains feed lakes and rivers that provide water for one-fourth of the United States.

The Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains are located on the eastern side of the United States. They stretch from Canada to Georgia. These mountains are over 500 million years old and are not as high as the Rocky Mountains because of erosion and weathering. The Appalachian Mountains are filled with trees and plants rather than rocky cliffs.