Hudson River facts for kids

Photograph of the Hudson River looking north from the Bear Mountain Bridge

The Hudson River is a famous river in the State of New York in the United States. It stretches for about 315 miles (507 km). The river starts way up north at Lake Tear of the Clouds, which is near Mount Marcy in Essex County. From there, it flows south all the way to New York Harbor in New York City. The river is named after Henry Hudson, an explorer who sailed on it a long time ago.

The Hudson River is a special type of river called an estuary. This means that its water is a mix of fresh water from inland and salty water from the ocean. You'll find some salt in the water from New York City up to Poughkeepsie. North of Poughkeepsie, the water becomes fresh. The amount of salt in the river changes with the tide, moving further north when the tide is high. The Hudson River is also an important part of the Erie Canal, connecting New York City to Albany. In the past, the river had a lot of pollution from factories, but people have been working hard to make it cleaner.

The lower part of the Hudson River forms a natural border between New York and New Jersey. Sometimes, this section is called the North River.

Crossing the Hudson River: Bridges

Many bridges connect the two sides of the Hudson River. These bridges are very important for travel and trade. Some of the most well-known bridges include:

• George Washington Bridge
• Tappan Zee Bridge
• Bear Mountain Bridge
• Hamilton Fish Newburgh-Beacon Bridge
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Mid-Hudson Bridge
• Kingston Rhinecliff Bridge
• Rip van Winkle Bridge
• New York Thruway (Interstate 90-Interstate 87) Bridge
• Interstate 90 Bridge

Images for kids

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  The mouth of the Hudson (yellow), located between Jersey City and New York City

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  The Hudson River flowing out of Henderson Lake in Tahawus

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  The river from Poughkeepsie, looking north.

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  The river between Hudson Waterfront in New Jersey (left) and Manhattan (right)

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  The bulk carrier Nord Angel breaking ice on the Hudson

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  Robert Havell, Jr., View of the Hudson River from Tarrytown, c. 1866

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  The Erie Canal in Amsterdam, New York

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  The George Washington Bridge links Upper Manhattan and Fort Lee, New Jersey

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  The Hudson Valley Hot-Air Balloon Festival, 2009

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  US Airways Flight 1549 after landing on the waters of the Hudson River in January 2009

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  North River by George Bellows, 1908, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

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  The Norrie Point Environmental Center in Staatsburg, headquarters of the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve

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  Debris floating on the river near the World Trade Center, 1973

See also

In Spanish: Río Hudson para niños