This is a list of rivers in the continental United States by average discharge (streamflow) in cubic feet per second. All rivers with average discharge more than 15,000 cubic feet per second are listed. Estimates are approximate, because data are variable with time period measured and also because many rivers lack a gauging station near their point of outflow.
No
River
Length (km)
Length (miles)
Average discharge (cf/s)
Outflow
1
Mississippi River
3,730
2,320
593,000 [ 1]
Gulf of Mexico
2
Ohio River
1,575 [ 2]
979 [ 2]
281,500 [ 3]
Mississippi River
3
St. Lawrence River
965 [ 2]
600
348,000 [ 1] (275,000 at U.S.-Canada boundary)
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
4
Columbia River
2,000 [ 2]
1,243 [ 2]
273,000 [ 2]
Pacific Ocean
5
Yukon River
3,185 [ 2]
1,980 [ 2]
227,000 [ 1]
Bering Sea
6
Atchafalaya River
220
137
225,000 [ 1]
Gulf of Mexico
7
Niagara River
58
36
204,700 [ 1]
Lake Ontario
8
Detroit River
51
32
188,000 [ 1]
Lake Erie
9
St. Clair River
63
39
183,000 [ 1]
Lake St. Clair
10
Missouri River
3,767 [ 2]
2,341 [ 2]
86,300
Mississippi River
11
St. Marys River
120
75
75,000 [ 1]
Lake Huron -Lake Michigan
12
Tennessee River
1,049
652
68,000 [ 1]
Ohio River
13
Mobile River
72
45
67,000 [ 1]
Gulf of Mexico
14
Kuskokwim River
1,130 [ 2]
702 [ 2]
67,000 [ 1]
Bering Sea
15
Red River
2,190
1,360
58,000 [ 1]
Atchafalaya River
16
Copper River
470
290
57,400 [ 1]
Gulf of Alaska
17
Snake River
1,674 [ 2]
1,040 [ 2]
55,000 [ 4]
Columbia River
18
Stikine River
610
379
56,000 [ 1]
Pacific Ocean
19
Susitna River
504
313
51,000 [ 1]
Gulf of Alaska
20
Arkansas River
2,322 [ 2]
1,443 [ 2]
44,500 [ 5]
Mississippi River
21
Tanana River
940 [ 2]
584 [ 2]
41,800 [ 2]
Yukon River
22
Saint John River
673 [ 6]
418 [ 6]
38,800 [ 6]
Bay of Fundy
23
Susquehanna River
747
464
38,200 [ 1]
Chesapeake Bay
24
Willamette River
301
187
37,400 [ 1]
Columbia River
25
Wabash River
810 [ 2]
503 [ 2]
34,500 [ 7]
Ohio River
26
Alabama River
512
318
32,500 [ 8]
Mobile River
27
Nushagak River
450
280
32,000 ?[ 9]
Bering Sea
28
Alsek River
386
240
31,000 [ 10]
Gulf of Alaska
29
Cumberland River
1,120 [ 2]
696 [ 2]
30,000 ?
Ohio River
30
Black River -Ouachita River
974 [ 2]
605 [ 2]
29,800 [ 2]
Red River
31
White River
1,159 [ 2]
720 [ 2]
29,500 [ 11]
Mississippi River
32
Pend Oreille River
210
130
27,000 [ 12]
Columbia River
33
Tombigbee River
320
200
26,300 [ 8]
Mobile River
34
Koyukuk River
684
425
25,000 ?[ 13]
Yukon River
35
Illinois River
439
273
24,000 [ 14]
Mississippi River
36
Sacramento River
719
447
23,500 [ 15]
Pacific Ocean
37
Porcupine River
916
569
23,000 [ 1]
Yukon River
38
Colorado River
2,330 [ 2]
1,450 [ 2]
22,000 [ 1]
Gulf of California
39
Clark Fork River
500
310
21,900 [ 16]
Pend Oreille River
40
Hudson River
507
315
21,900 [ 17]
Atlantic Ocean
41
Yentna River
121
75
21,000 ?[ 10]
Susitna River
42
Chitina River
180
112
20,000 ?
Copper River
43
Allegheny River
523
320
19,900 [ 18]
Ohio River
44
Apalachicola River
80
50
19,602 [ 19]
Gulf of Mexico
45
Connecticut River
655
407
18,400
Atlantic Ocean
46
Kvichak River
80
50
17,900 [ 10]
Bering Sea
47
Klamath River
423
263
17,300 [ 20]
Pacific Ocean
48
Santee River
230
143
17,000 (approx.)[ 9]
Atlantic Ocean
49
Skagit River
240
150
16,500
Pacific Ocean
50
Kootenai (Kootenay) River
781
485
27,600 (approx. 16,000? at U.S.-Canada boundary)
Columbia River
51
Coosa River
450
280
16,000 [ 21]
Alabama River
52
Kanawha River
156
97
16,000 [ 22]
Ohio River
53
Clearwater River
120
75
15,300 [ 23]
Snake River
54
Kobuk River
451
280
15,300 [ 10]
Bering Sea
55
St. Johns River
500
310
15,000 ?
Atlantic Ocean
56
Pee Dee River
373
232
15,000 ?[ 9]
Atlantic Ocean
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^ http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2009/pdfs/03049500.2009.pdf [bare URL PDF ]
^ "The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program study" .
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^ United States Geological Survey ; USGS 03193000 KANAWHA RIVER AT KANAWHA FALLS, WV .
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