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Willimantic River
Willimantic River with bridge.jpg
The Willimantic River flows past the old American Thread Company mill in Willimantic, CT.
Country United States
State Connecticut
Counties Tolland, Windham
Physical characteristics
Main source Confluence of Middle River and Furnace Brook
Stafford Springs, Tolland County, Connecticut, United States
41°57′09″N 72°18′07″W / 41.95250°N 72.30194°W / 41.95250; -72.30194
River mouth Confluence with Natchaug River to form Shetucket River
Willimantic, Windham County, Connecticut, United States
41°42′46″N 72°11′30″W / 41.71278°N 72.19167°W / 41.71278; -72.19167
Length 25 mi (40 km)
Basin features
Basin size 225 sq mi (580 km2)

The Willimantic River is a tributary of the Shetucket River, approximately 25 mi (40 km) long in northeastern Connecticut in the New England region of the United States.

It is formed in northern Tolland County, near Stafford Springs by the confluence of Middle River and Furnace Brook. It flows south to the city of Willimantic, where it joins the Natchaug River to form the Shetucket. It is joined by the Hop River on the Coventry, Columbia, and Windham town border.

Name

The word Willimantic is of Algonquian origin, either Mohegan-Pequot or Narragansett. It is commonly translated as "land of the swift running water", but the word more likely originally meant "place near the evergreen swamp". The word was first attested in English writing as Waramanticut in 1684, and later as Wallamanticuk, Wewemantic and Weammantuck before being standardized as Willimantic.

Geography

Shortly upstream from its confluence with the Natchaug, the Willimantic experiences a drop of ninety feet in one mile. The river powered textile mills from Stafford Springs to Willimantic, including the American Thread Company mill. None of these mills are operating as of 2007, having all been destroyed or converted to other uses such as apartment space.

A popular long paddling route begins south of Stafford Springs along Route 32 where the river is mostly quickwater all of the way to the flatwater of Eagleville Pond. The remainder is fairly easy going to the take-out at Route 66. Beware of the dam at the Route 275 bridge. Other access points may be at the N. River Road bridge, the Route 74 bridge, the Depot Rd bridge, the Route 195 bridge, the Jones Crossing bridge, the Merrow Road bridge, the U.S. Route 44 bridge, Brigham bridge, near the Route 275 dam, the Depot Rd bridge, the Route 31 bridge, and the Flanders Rd bridge.

Crossings

County Town Carrying
Windham Windham
Closed Bridge
The Garden

Bridge

South St.

(Frog Bridge)

MUTCD R15-1.svg Providence and Worcester

Railroad

Willimantic Footbridge
Connecticut Highway 32.svg Route 32
Windham/Tolland Windham/Columbia Parkiconsimple.gif Air Line State Park Trail
Connecticut Highway 66.svg Route 66
Windham/Coventry US 6 (1961).svg US 6

(Willimantic Bypass)

Tolland Mansfield/

Coventry

Flanders Rd.
Connecticut Highway 31.svg Route 31
MUTCD R15-1.svg Providence and Worcester

Railroad

Depot Rd.
MUTCD R15-1.svg Providence and Worcester

Railroad

Connecticut Highway 275.svg Route 275
Plains Rd.
Merrow Rd.
Mansfield/

Tolland

Connecticut Highway 195.svg Route 195
Willington/

Tolland

MUTCD R15-1.svg Providence and Worcester

Railroad (Twice in a row)

S. River Rd./Depot Rd.
Connecticut Highway 74.svg Route 74
I-84.svg I-84
MUTCD R15-1.svg Providence and Worcester

Railroad

Connecticut Highway 32.svg Route 32
Ellington/

Willington

MUTCD R15-1.svg Providence and Worcester

Railroad

Stafford 3M wordmark.svg Private Dr.
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