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List of rivers of Texas facts for kids

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The list of rivers of Texas is a list of all named waterways, including rivers and streams that partially pass through or are entirely located within the U.S. state of Texas. Across the state, there are 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers accounting for over 191,000 mi (307,000 km) of waterways. All of the state's waterways drain towards the Mississippi River, the Texas Gulf Coast, or the Rio Grande, with mouths located in seven major estuaries.

Seasonal and restrictive waterways

Waterways by drainage basin

This list is arranged by drainage basin, with tributaries indented under each larger stream's name listed in order from mouth to source.

Mississippi River

Red watershed
Red River Drainage Basin

Gulf of Mexico Coastal

Wpdms nasa topo sabine river
The Sabine and Neches rivers
Neches Watershed
Neches Drainage Basin
Trinity Watershed
Trinity Drainage Basin
SanJacinto Watershed
San Jacinto Drainage Basin
Brazos watershed
Brazos Drainage Basin
ColoradoTexas Watershed
Colorado River Drainage Basin
Guadalupe Watershed
Guadalupe Drainage Basin
SanAntonio Watershed
San Antonio Drainage Basin
Nueces Watershed
Nueces Drainage Basin

Rio Grande

Riogrande watershed
Rio Grande Drainage Basin

10 longest rivers

The following 10 rivers empty into the Gulf of Mexico. Four of the rivers are tributaries: The Pecos flows into the Rio Grande, the Red into the Mississippi River, and the Sabine and Neches flow into Sabine Lake which is connected to the Gulf of Mexico by Sabine Pass. The Canadian is a tributary of a tributary and flows into the Arkansas River which is itself a tributary of the Mississippi.

  1. Rio Grande – 1,896 miles (3,051 km), 1,250 miles (2,010 km) of which are in Texas (although technically on the border between Texas and Mexico)
  2. Red River – 1,360 miles (2,190 km) of which 680 miles (1,090 km) are in Texas
  3. Brazos River – 1,280 miles (2,060 km) of which 840 miles (1,350 km) are in Texas, making it the longest section of river in Texas
  4. Pecos River – 926 miles (1,490 km) most of which is in New Mexico
  5. Colorado River – 862 miles (1,387 km) almost entirely in Texas of which 600 miles (970 km) are not dry
  6. Canadian River – 760 miles (1,220 km) of which 200 miles (320 km) are in Texas
  7. Trinity River – 423 miles (681 km) entirely in Texas
  8. Sabine River – 360 miles (580 km) of which 360 miles (580 km) are in Texas
  9. Neches River – 416 miles (669 km) entirely in Texas
  10. Nueces River – 315 miles (507 km) entirely in Texas

The Trinity River is the longest river with its entire drainage basin in Texas. The Colorado is the longest river with both its source based on river name and its mouth in the state. The longest source of the Colorado of any kind is in New Mexico.

Shortest river

The Comal River is the shortest river in the state of Texas and the fifth-shortest river in the United States. Located entirely within the city limits of New Braunfels in Central Texas, its spring-fed waters run a distance of 2.5 miles (4 kilometers).

See also

  • List of rivers in the United States
  • List of geographical regions in Texas
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List of rivers of Texas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.