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St. Marys River (Indiana and Ohio) facts for kids

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Saint Marys River
St Marys River Bluffton Road Fort Wayne.jpg
The St. Marys River in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Maumeerivermap.png
Map of the Maumee River watershed showing the St. Marys River
Country United States
States Ohio, Indiana
Physical characteristics
Main source confluence of East Branch and Center Branch
near St. Marys, Ohio
854 ft (260 m)
40°32′14″N 84°21′46″W / 40.5372222°N 84.3627778°W / 40.5372222; -84.3627778 (Saint Marys River origin)
River mouth confluence with the St. Joseph River to form the Maumee River
Fort Wayne, Indiana
745 ft (227 m)
41°05′00″N 85°07′56″W / 41.0833333°N 85.1322222°W / 41.0833333; -85.1322222 (Saint Marys River mouth)
Length 99 miles (159 km)
Basin features
Progression St. Marys River → Maumee River → Lake Erie → Great Lakes → St Lawrence River → Gulf of St. Lawrence
Basin size 793.1 square miles (2,054 km2)
GNIS ID 442706

The St. Marys River (Shawnee: Kokothikithiipi, in Miami-Illinois: Nameewa siipiiwi) is a 99-mile-long (159 km) tributary of the Maumee River (Miami-Illinois: Taawaawa siipiiwi) in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. Prior to development, it was part of the Great Black Swamp. Today, it drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of Lake Erie.

It is formed in southern Auglaize County in western Ohio by the confluence of the short East Branch and Center Branch. It flows briefly west to St. Marys, approaching to within two miles of Grand Lake before turning to the north. In northwestern Auglaize County it turns sharply to the west-northwest, flowing past Rockford and Willshire into Adams County, Indiana. In northeastern Indiana it flows northwest through Decatur, then enters Fort Wayne. It hooks around in its last half mile (0.8 km) to join the St. Joseph River (in Miami-Illinois: Kociihsasiipi) from the west to form the Maumee in downtown Fort Wayne.

The World War II-era US Navy vessel St. Mary's River was named after this river.

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