Loir Facts for Kids

Not to be confused with the Loire, a much bigger French river.

For other uses, see Loir (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Loir
Le Loir
River
The Loir in Lavardin
Country	France
Regions	Centre-Val de Loire, Pays de la Loire
Departments	Eure-et-Loir, Loir-et-Cher, Maine-et-Loire, Sarthe

Tributaries
- right	Braye
Cities	Châteaudun, Vendôme, La Flèche


Source	Perche
- location	Champrond-en-Gâtine, Eure-et-Loir, France
- elevation	265 m (869 ft)
- coordinates	48°22′41″N 1°3′8″E / 48.37806°N 1.05222°E / 48.37806; 1.05222
Confluence	Sarthe
- location	Briollay, Maine-et-Loire, France
- elevation	16 m (52 ft)
- coordinates	47°33′28″N 0°31′35″W / 47.55778°N 0.52639°W / 47.55778; -0.52639

Length	317.4 km (197 mi)
Basin	8,294 km² (3,202 sq mi)
Discharge	for Durtal
- average	31.70 m³/s (1,119 cu ft/s)

The Loir is a river in central France. It is a left tributary of the Sarthe. It flows through two regions of France: Centre-Val de Loire and Pays de la Loire

The Eure-et-Loir and Loir-et-Cher departments are named after this river.

Geography
- Course
Main tributaries
Gallery
Related pages
See also

Geography

The Loir is 317.4 kilometres (197.2 miles) long. Its drainage basin covers 8,294 square kilometres (3,202 square miles).

Its average yearly discharge (volume of water which passes through a section of the river per unit of time) is 31.70 m³/s (1,119 cu ft/s) at Durtal, Maine-et-Loire (1961 - 2017).

Average monthly discharge (m³/s) at Durtal

Course

The Loir starts in the former province of Perche, in the commune of Champrond-en-Gâtine, Eure-et-Loir department, Centre-Val de Loire region. It starts at an altitude of about 265 metres (869 feet).

The Loir flows, in general, to the southwest. It goes through the following regions, departments and communes:

Centre-Val de Loire region
- Eure-et-Loir: Alluyes, Illiers-Combray, Bonneval, La Chapelle-du-Noyer, Châteaudun, Cloyes-sur-le-Loir, Donnemain-Saint-Mamès, Douy, Marboué, Moléans, Montboissier, Montigny-le-Gannelon, Romilly-sur-Aigre, Saint-Avit-les-Guespières, Saint-Christophe, Saint-Denis-les-Ponts, Saint-Éman (sources), Saint-Hilaire-sur-Yerre, Saint-Maur-sur-le-Loir, Saumeray, Le Thieulin.
- Loir-et-Cher: Areines, Artins, Brevainville, Couture-sur-Loir, Fréteval, Lavardin, Les Roches-l'Évêque, Lignières, Lisle, Mazangé, Meslay, Montoire-sur-le-Loir, Morée, Naveil, Pezou, Saint-Firmin-des-Prés, Saint-Hilaire-la-Gravelle, Saint-Jacques-des-Guérets, Saint-Jean-Froidmentel ; Saint-Martin-des-Bois, Saint-Ouen, Tréhet, Villiers-sur-Loir, Vendôme, Thoré-la-Rochette.
Pays de la Loire region
- Sarthe: Poncé-sur-le-Loir, Ruillé-sur-Loir, La Chartre-sur-le-Loir, Lhomme, Chahaignes, Marçon, Dissay-sous-Courcillon, Château-du-Loir, Vaas, Le Lude, La Flèche.
- Maine-et-Loire : Durtal, Seiches-sur-le-Loir, Villevêque, Soucelles, Briollay.

At its end, the Loir flows into the Sarthe river at the place called Bec du Loir ("beak of the Cher") in Briollay, Maine-et-Loire department, at 16 metres (52 feet) of altitude.