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List of rivers of Colorado facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Colorado in United States
The location of the State of Colorado in the United States of America.
Arkansas head waters
The start of the Arkansas River near Leadville.

This article is a list of the many rivers and streams that flow through the amazing State of Colorado in the U.S.. Colorado is known for its beautiful mountains and the important rivers that start there. These rivers provide water for people, farms, and wildlife across many states.

You can explore this list in two ways:

  • By looking at the rivers in alphabetical order.
  • By seeing how rivers connect to each other in a "tributary chart."

Major Rivers of Colorado: An Alphabetical List

This section lists many important rivers and streams found in Colorado. You'll see a number next to some names, like "383 km2 (148 mi2)". This number tells you the size of the river's drainage basin. A drainage basin is like a giant bowl where all the rain and snowmelt flows into that specific river. It's the total area of land that drains water into the river.

The names of the 17 biggest rivers in Colorado, which have drainage basins larger than 10,000 square kilometers (about three times the size of Rhode Island!), are shown in bold. These are truly huge rivers!

How Rivers Connect: A Tributary Chart

This chart shows how rivers and streams in Colorado are connected. A "tributary" is a smaller stream or river that flows into a larger one. Think of it like branches on a tree, all leading to the main trunk. The chart starts with the biggest bodies of water (like oceans) and then shows the rivers that flow into them, and then the smaller rivers that flow into those, and so on.

The 17 largest rivers in Colorado (with drainage basins over 10,000 square kilometers) are shown in bold. Rivers or oceans that are outside of Colorado are shown in italics.

Pacific Ocean

* Little Snake River 10,629 km2 (4,104 mi2) ** Roaring Fork Little Snake River ** Middle Fork Little Snake River ** North Fork Little Snake River ** South Fork Little Snake River * Bear River * Elk River ** South Fork Elk River ** Middle Fork Elk River ** North Fork Elk River * Williams Fork ** East Fork Williams Fork

* Piceance Creek 1,630 km2 (629 mi2) * Yellow Creek 760 km2 (293 mi2) * North Fork White River * South Fork White River

* Uncompahgre River 2,921 km2 (1,128 mi2) * Tomichi Creek 2,874 km2 (1,109 mi2) ** Cochetopa Creek ** Quartz Creek * Cebolla Creek * North Fork Gunnison River 2,492 km2 (962 mi2) * Smith Fork * Blue Creek * Lake Fork Gunnison River ** Henson Creek * Taylor River 1,258 km2 (486 mi2) * East River 762 km2 (294 mi2) ** Slate River * Cimarron River ** Little Cimarron River *** East Fork Little Cimarron River ** East Fork Cimarron River ** Middle Fork Cimarron River ** West Fork Cimarron River

* San Miguel River 4,060 km2 (1,567 mi2) ** South Fork San Miguel River * West Dolores River * Rio Lado

* Crystal River ** North Fork Crystal River ** South Fork Crystal River *** East Fork South Fork Crystal River * Fryingpan River ** North Fork Fryingpan River ** South Fork Fryingpan River

* Gore Creek * East Fork Eagle River * South Fork Eagle River

* Snake River ** North Fork Snake River * Tenmile Creek * Swan River ** Middle Fork Swan River ** North Fork Swan River ** South Fork Swan River

* Saint Louis Creek

* East Fork Williams Fork ** West Fork East Fork Williams Fork

* North Fork Piney River * South Fork Piney River ** First Fork South Fork Piney River

* Hermosa Creek * Florida River * North Fork Animas River * South Fork Animas River * West Fork Animas River

        • Montezuma Creek 3,044 km2 (1,175 mi2)
        • Mancos River 2,099 km2 (810 mi2)

* East Mancos River ** Middle Mancos River * West Mancos River ** North Fork West Mancos River ** South Fork West Mancos River

* First Fork Piedra River * East Fork Piedra River * Middle Fork Piedra River

* Little Navajo River * East Fork Navajo River

* North Fork Los Pinos River

* Wolf Creek

Atlantic Ocean

* North Platte River 80,755 km2 (31,180 mi2) ** Laramie River 11,961 km2 (4,618 mi2) *** Sand Creek *** West Branch Laramie River **** North Fork West Branch Laramie River ** Encampment River *** West Fork Encampment River ** Canadian River *** North Fork Canadian River *** South Fork Canadian River ** Michigan River *** Illinois River *** North Fork Michigan River *** South Fork Michigan River *** Dry Fork Michigan River ** North Fork North Platte River * South Platte River 62,738 km2 (24,223 mi2) ** Lodgepole Creek 8,374 km2 (3,233 mi2) ** Cache la Poudre River 4,959 km2 (1,915 mi2) *** North Fork Cache la Poudre River *** South Fork Cache la Poudre River *** Spring Creek ** Crow Creek 3,717 km2 (1,435 mi2) ** Bijou Creek 3,612 km2 (1,395 mi2) ** Beaver Creek 2,939 km2 (1,135 mi2) ** Saint Vrain Creek 2,572 km2 (993 mi2) *** Boulder Creek 1,160 km2 (448 mi2) *** Left Hand Creek ** Big Thompson River 2,149 km2 (830 mi2) *** Little Thompson River **** North Fork Little Thompson River **** West Fork Little Thompson River *** Fall River **** Roaring River *** North Fork Big Thompson River *** Aspen Brook **** Wind River *** Spruce Creek **** Hidden River *** Fish Creek ** Sidney Draw 1,949 km2 (753 mi2) ** Box Elder Creek ** Kiowa Creek 1,888 km2 (729 mi2) ** Pawnee Creek 1,875 km2 (724 mi2) ** Clear Creek 1,497 km2 (578 mi2) *** Ralston Creek *** Fall River ** Cherry Creek 1,050 km2 (405 mi2) ** Plum Creek ** North Fork South Platte River *** Geneva Creek ** Middle Fork South Platte River ** South Fork South Platte River ** Lone Tree Creek *** Owl Creek ** Tarryall Creek ** Sand Creek ** Bear Creek 339 km2 (131 mi2) ** Big Dry Creek (Littleton, Colorado) ** Big Dry Creek (Westminster, Colorado) ** Little Dry Creek

* Republican River ** North Fork Republican River 13,172 km2 (5,086 mi2) ** Arikaree River 4,429 km2 (1,710 mi2) *** North Fork Arikaree River ** Frenchman Creek 7,398 km2 (2,856 mi2) ** Sappa Creek *** Beaver Creek **** South Fork Beaver Creek 1,939 km2 (749 mi2) **** Little Beaver Creek 1,602 km2 (619 mi2) ** South Fork Republican River 7,195 km2 (2,778 mi2) * Smoky Hill River 51,783 km2 (19,994 mi2) ** Ladder Creek 3,645 km2 (1,407 mi2) ** North Fork Smoky Hill River 1,965 km2 (759 mi2)

* Vermejo River ** North Fork Vermejo River

* North Fork Cimarron River 4,462 km2 (1,723 mi2) ** Sand Arroyo Creek 1,938 km2 (748 mi2)

* North Fork Purgatoire River ** West Fork North Fork Purgatoire River * Middle Fork Purgatoire River * South Fork Purgatoire River

* Cucharas River ** Hill Branch Cucharas River ** South Fork Cucharas River * South Fork Huerfano River

* Rush Creek 3,570 km2 (1,378 mi2)

* North Fork Apishapa River

* Middle Fork South Arkansas River * North Fork South Arkansas River

* North Saint Charles River

* Bear Creek 4,500 km2 (1,737 mi2)

* White Woman Creek 3,000 km2 (1,158 mi2)

* Rio de los Piños ** North Fork Rio de los Piños

* Saguache Creek 3,482 km2 (1,345 mi2)

        • Carnero Creek

Learn More About Colorado's Water

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List of rivers of Colorado Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.