The Potomac River ( /pəˈtoʊmək/) flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river (main stem and North Branch) is approximately 405 miles (652 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km²). In terms of area, this makes the Potomac River the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast of the United States and the 21st largest in the United States. Over 5 million people live within the Potomac watershed.
Read more about Potomac River: Geography, History, Water Supply and Water Quality, Legal Issues, North Branch Potomac River, South Branch Potomac River, Upper Potomac River, Tidal Potomac River, Fish
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—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“The murmurs of many a famous river on the other side of the globe reach even to us here, as to more distant dwellers on its banks; many a poet’s stream, floating the helms and shields of heroes on its bosom.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)