List of rivers of Pennsylvania Facts for Kids

The Delaware River in Philadelphia, a major waterway in Pennsylvania.

The Susquehanna River near Sunbury, Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is a state filled with many amazing rivers and streams! These waterways are super important. They provide drinking water, homes for wildlife, and places for fun activities like fishing and boating. This article will help you explore some of the main rivers and streams in Pennsylvania. We'll learn how they connect to larger bodies of water, like bays and even the huge Mississippi River!

Understanding Drainage Basins
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Understanding Drainage Basins

Imagine a giant funnel. When rain falls, all the water that lands inside that funnel flows down to one single point. A "drainage basin" is like that funnel for rivers. It's an area of land where all the rain and snowmelt eventually flows into a specific river, lake, or ocean. Pennsylvania's rivers flow into several large drainage basins.

Rivers Flowing to Delaware Bay

The Delaware River is one of the most important rivers in Pennsylvania. It forms part of the eastern border of the state. Many smaller rivers and streams flow into the Delaware River, eventually reaching the Delaware Bay and then the Atlantic Ocean.

Map showing the Delaware River drainage basin.

Map of the Schuylkill River drainage basin.

Map of the Lehigh River drainage basin.

The Lehigh River flowing through Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The Schuylkill River in Philadelphia.

Here are some of the main rivers and streams that are part of the Delaware Bay drainage basin in Pennsylvania:

Delaware River
- Christina River
  - Brandywine Creek
- Schuylkill River
- Frankford Creek
- Pennypack Creek
- Poquessing Creek
- Neshaminy Creek
- Tohickon Creek
- Lehigh River
- Bushkill Creek
- Brodhead Creek
- Big Bushkill Creek
- Lackawaxen River
  - Wallenpaupack Creek
  - Dyberry Creek
- West Branch Delaware River

Rivers Flowing to Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is a large estuary (where fresh river water mixes with salty ocean water) that connects to the Atlantic Ocean. Several Pennsylvania rivers flow south into this bay.

Map of the Susquehanna River drainage basin.

The most famous river in this basin is the Susquehanna River. It's one of the longest rivers on the East Coast of the United States!

Here are some of the main rivers and streams that are part of the Chesapeake Bay drainage basin in Pennsylvania:

Susquehanna River

Potomac River

The Potomac River also has some tributaries that start in Pennsylvania. This river flows through several states before reaching the Chesapeake Bay.

Map of the Potomac River drainage basin.

Here are some Pennsylvania streams that feed into the Potomac River:

Potomac River (MD)
- Monocacy River (MD)
  - Toms Creek
  - Piney Creek
  - Marsh Creek
  - Rock Creek
- Antietam Creek
- Conococheague Creek
- Licking Creek
- Tonoloway Creek
- Sideling Hill Creek
- Town Creek
- North Branch Potomac River (MD)
  - Evitts Creek
  - Wills Creek

Rivers Flowing to the Gulf of Mexico

It might seem far away, but some of Pennsylvania's rivers actually flow all the way to the Gulf of Mexico! How? They are part of the huge Mississippi River drainage basin. Water from these rivers flows into the Ohio River, then the Mississippi River, and finally into the Gulf.

Ohio River

The Ohio River is a major river that forms part of Pennsylvania's western border. Many important Pennsylvania rivers flow into it.

Map of the Ohio River drainage basin.

Here are some of the main rivers and streams that are part of the Ohio River drainage basin in Pennsylvania:

Ohio River
- Buffalo Creek
- Cross Creek (Ohio River tributary)
- Little Beaver Creek
- Raccoon Creek
- Beaver River
  - Connoquenessing Creek
    - Slippery Rock Creek
  - Mahoning River
  - Shenango River
    - Neshannock Creek
    - Pymatuning Creek
    - Little Shenango River
- Chartiers Creek

Allegheny River

The Allegheny River is a very important river in western Pennsylvania. It joins with the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.

Map of the Allegheny River drainage basin.

Here are some of the main rivers and streams that are part of the Allegheny River drainage basin:

Allegheny River
- Pine Creek
- Plum Creek
- Deer Creek
- Buffalo Creek
- Kiskiminetas River
  - Loyalhanna Creek
  - Conemaugh River
- Crooked Creek
- Mahoning Creek
- Redbank Creek
- Clarion River
  - Little Toby Creek
  - Big Mill Creek
  - East Branch Clarion River
- Sandy Creek
- French Creek
  - Sugar Creek
  - Conneaut Outlet
  - Cussewago Creek
  - Woodcock Creek
  - Conneauttee Creek
  - LeBoeuf Creek
- Oil Creek
- Tionesta Creek
- Brokenstraw Creek
- Conewango Creek
- Kinzua Creek
- Tunungwant Creek
- Oswayo Creek
- Potato Creek

Monongahela River

The Monongahela River is another major river in western Pennsylvania. It flows north to meet the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh.

Map of the Monongahela River drainage basin.

Here are some of the main rivers and streams that are part of the Monongahela River drainage basin:

Monongahela River
- Turtle Creek
- Youghiogheny River
  - Sewickley Creek
  - Jacobs Creek
  - Indian Creek
  - Casselman River
- Peters Creek
- Mingo Creek
- Redstone Creek
- Dunlap Creek
- Tenmile Creek
- Muddy Creek
- Whiteley Creek
- Georges Creek
- Dunkard Creek
- Cheat River
  - Big Sandy Creek

Rivers Flowing to Lake Erie

A few rivers and streams in the very northwest corner of Pennsylvania flow into Lake Erie. Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes of North America.

Here are some of the main streams that flow into Lake Erie from Pennsylvania:

Twentymile Creek
Sixteenmile Creek
Twelvemile Creek
Eightmile Creek
Sevenmile Creek
Sixmile Creek
Fourmile Creek
Mill Creek
Walnut Creek
Trout Run
Elk Creek
Crooked Creek
Raccoon Creek
Turkey Creek
Conneaut Creek

Rivers Flowing to Lake Ontario

Only one river in Pennsylvania flows into Lake Ontario:

Genesee River
- Cryder Creek

List of rivers of Pennsylvania facts for kids

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