This list covers 61 rivers whose names start with the letter K, ranging alphabetically from “Kama” to “King River”. They span nearly every continent, from short mountain streams to major waterways stretching more than 2,000 kilometers. Many act as key tributaries feeding larger rivers, while others are major rivers in their own right, supplying water for irrigation, drinking, hydroelectric power, and transportation to the communities along their banks.
Rivers are natural channels that carry rain, snowmelt, and groundwater from higher ground down toward oceans, lakes, or other rivers. They have shaped human history for thousands of years, serving as trade routes, borders, and sources of food and power. The River Kelvin in Glasgow, for instance, gave its name to the Kelvin temperature scale through physicist Lord Kelvin.
Below you’ll find the table with each river’s countries, length, type, and description.
River: the name of each river covered in this list, arranged in alphabetical order to help you find a specific one quickly.
Countries: the country or countries the river flows through, so you can see which nations depend on or border it.
Length (km): the total length of the river in kilometers, giving you a sense of its scale compared to others.
Type: whether the river is a major river or a tributary, showing you how it fits into a larger river system.
Description: a short summary of what makes the river notable, including its geography, history, or cultural significance.
Rivers
| River | Countries | Length (km) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kama | Russia | 1,805 | Tributary |
| Kolyma | Russia | 2,129 | Major river |
| Kura | Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan | 1,515 | Major river |
| Kızılırmak | Turkey | 1,355 | Major river |
| Kasai | Angola, DR Congo | 2,153 | Tributary |
| Kagera | Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda | 828 | Tributary |
| Kwango | Angola, DR Congo | 1,100 | Tributary |
| Kwanza | Angola | 960 | Major river |
| Kafue | Zambia | 1,576 | Tributary |
| Kuskokwim | United States | 1,175 | Major river |
| Koyukuk | United States | 684 | Tributary |
| Kobuk | United States | 280 | Major river |
| Klamath | United States | 423 | Major river |
| Kern | United States | 265 | Major river |
| Kings River | United States | 210 | Major river |
| Kentucky River | United States | 417 | Tributary |
| Kanawha | United States | 156 | Tributary |
| Kaskaskia | United States | 515 | Tributary |
| Kankakee | United States | 215 | Tributary |
| Kalamazoo | United States | 209 | Major river |
| Kansas (Kaw) | United States | 273 | Tributary |
| Kootenay | Canada, United States | 780 | Tributary |
| Klondike | Canada | 160 | Tributary |
| Kicking Horse | Canada | 80 | Tributary |
| Kabul | Afghanistan, Pakistan | 700 | Tributary |
| Kunar | Afghanistan, Pakistan | 480 | Tributary |
| Krishna | India | 1,400 | Major river |
| Kaveri (Cauvery) | India | 805 | Major river |
| Koshi | Nepal, India | 720 | Tributary |
| Ken | India | 427 | Tributary |
| Karnaphuli | Bangladesh, India | 270 | Major river |
| Kelani | Sri Lanka | 145 | Major river |
| Kelantan | Malaysia | 248 | Major river |
| Kinabatangan | Malaysia | 560 | Major river |
| Klang | Malaysia | 120 | Major river |
| Kwai (Khwae Noi) | Thailand | 380 | Tributary |
| Kerulen | Mongolia, China, Russia | 1,264 | Major river |
| Kaidu | China | 610 | Major river |
| Kiso | Japan | 229 | Major river |
| Kitakami | Japan | 249 | Major river |
| Kuma | Japan | 115 | Major river |
| Katun | Russia | 688 | Tributary |
| Kem | Russia | 191 | Major river |
| Kuban | Russia | 870 | Major river |
| Khatanga | Russia | 227 | Major river |
| Kamchatka | Russia | 758 | Major river |
| Karun | Iran | 950 | Major river |
| Karkheh | Iran | 900 | Major river |
| Klarälven | Norway, Sweden | 460 | Major river |
| Kalix | Sweden | 461 | Major river |
| Kemijoki | Finland | 550 | Major river |
| Kymijoki | Finland | 203 | Major river |
| Kokemäenjoki | Finland | 121 | Major river |
| Kupa | Croatia, Slovenia | 296 | Tributary |
| Krka | Croatia | 72 | Major river |
| Kolubara | Serbia | 123 | Major river |
| Kocher | Germany | 184 | Tributary |
| Kennet | United Kingdom | 72 | Tributary |
| Kelvin | United Kingdom | 34 | Tributary |
| Katherine | Australia | 328 | Major river |
| King River | Australia | 155 | Major river |
Descriptions
Kama
The Kama is the longest tributary of the Volga, winding through Russia’s Ural region before feeding into Europe’s largest river.
Kolyma
One of Siberia’s great rivers, the Kolyma flows through remote northeastern Russia into the East Siberian Sea.
Kura
The largest river in the South Caucasus, the Kura rises in Turkey and flows through Georgia and Azerbaijan to the Caspian Sea.
Kızılırmak
Known as the “Red River,” the Kızılırmak is Turkey’s longest river entirely within its borders, named for its reddish silt.
Kasai
The Kasai is a major tributary of the Congo River, draining a vast basin across Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kagera
The Kagera feeds Lake Victoria and is often counted among the most distant headwaters of the Nile.
Kwango
The Kwango flows north out of Angola into the DRC, where it joins the Kasai River system.
Kwanza
Angola’s longest domestic river, the Kwanza gave the country’s currency its name and flows to the Atlantic near Luanda.
Kafue
Zambia’s longest entirely domestic river, the Kafue is a key tributary of the Zambezi and supports a major hydroelectric dam.
Kuskokwim
Alaska’s longest river contained entirely within the state, the Kuskokwim is vital for salmon runs and rural river transport.
Koyukuk
A remote Alaskan river, the Koyukuk winds through the Brooks Range foothills before joining the Yukon River.
Kobuk
The Kobuk flows through Arctic Alaska’s dune-studded valley into Kotzebue Sound.
Klamath
The Klamath cuts through Oregon and California and has long been vital for salmon runs and Native communities.
Kern
Fed by Sierra Nevada snowmelt, the Kern River is a popular whitewater rafting destination near Bakersfield, California.
Kings River
Fed by Sierra Nevada snowmelt, the Kings River carved the deep canyon within Kings Canyon National Park.
Kentucky River
The Kentucky River winds through the state’s Bluegrass region before joining the Ohio River.
Kanawha
Formed by the New and Gauley rivers, the Kanawha flows through West Virginia’s industrial valley to the Ohio River.
Kaskaskia
One of Illinois’s longest rivers, the Kaskaskia meanders south across the state to meet the Mississippi.
Kankakee
The Kankakee flows from Indiana into Illinois, where it once fed a vast marshland before extensive draining.
Kalamazoo
The Kalamazoo River flows across southern Michigan into Lake Michigan.
Kansas (Kaw)
Formed at Junction City, the Kansas River, locally called “the Kaw,” joins the Missouri River at Kansas City.
Kootenay
The Kootenay loops through British Columbia, Montana, and Idaho before rejoining the Columbia River system.
Klondike
Made famous by the 1890s gold rush, the Klondike River joins the Yukon River at Dawson City.
Kicking Horse
A fast mountain river in the Canadian Rockies, the Kicking Horse is popular for whitewater rafting near Golden, British Columbia.
Kabul
The Kabul River flows past Afghanistan’s capital before joining the Indus River in Pakistan.
Kunar
Rising in the Hindu Kush, the Kunar River joins the Kabul River near Jalalabad, Afghanistan.
Krishna
One of India’s largest rivers, the Krishna crosses the Deccan Plateau on its way to the Bay of Bengal.
Kaveri (Cauvery)
Sacred to South India, the Kaveri irrigates Karnataka and Tamil Nadu before reaching the Bay of Bengal.
Koshi
Nicknamed the “Sorrow of Bihar” for its frequent flooding, the Koshi is a major Himalayan tributary of the Ganges.
Ken
The Ken River flows through central India and is central to a major river-linking project connecting it with the Betwa.
Karnaphuli
The Karnaphuli flows through the Chittagong Hill Tracts and is dammed at Kaptai to form Bangladesh’s largest reservoir.
Kelani
Sri Lanka’s fourth-longest river, the Kelani flows past Colombo on its way to the Indian Ocean.
Kelantan
The Kelantan River is the lifeline of Malaysia’s Kelantan state and is prone to seasonal monsoon flooding.
Kinabatangan
Sabah’s longest river, the Kinabatangan is famed for its wildlife-rich floodplain rainforest.
Klang
The Klang River runs through Kuala Lumpur and gave the Malaysian capital its name.
Kwai (Khwae Noi)
Made famous by “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” this river joins the Mae Klong in western Thailand.
Kerulen
The Kerulen rises in Mongolia and eventually feeds the Amur River system by way of Lake Hulun.
Kaidu
The Kaidu River flows through China’s Xinjiang region into Bosten Lake.
Kiso
One of central Japan’s major rivers, the Kiso flows through a historic valley once used by feudal-era travelers.
Kitakami
The Kitakami is the longest river in Japan’s Tohoku region.
Kuma
Known as one of Japan’s fastest-flowing rivers, the Kuma is famous for its rapids in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Katun
The turquoise Katun River in the Altai Mountains merges with the Biya River to form the Ob.
Kem
The Kem flows through Russian Karelia into the White Sea and is popular for whitewater rafting.
Kuban
Rising in the Caucasus, the Kuban flows to the Sea of Azov and irrigates a major agricultural region.
Khatanga
The Khatanga drains a huge swath of Siberia northward into the Laptev Sea.
Kamchatka
The Kamchatka River runs the length of the central valley on Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula.
Karun
Iran’s longest and only navigable river, the Karun flows from the Zagros Mountains to the Persian Gulf.
Karkheh
One of Iran’s largest rivers, the Karkheh flows from the Zagros Mountains toward Iraq’s southern marshlands.
Klarälven
Flowing from Norway into Sweden’s Lake Vänern, the Klarälven is one of Scandinavia’s longest free-flowing rivers.
Kalix
One of Sweden’s few remaining undammed major rivers, the Kalix flows to the Gulf of Bothnia.
Kemijoki
Finland’s longest river, the Kemijoki flows from Lapland to the Gulf of Bothnia.
Kymijoki
The Kymijoki drains a large network of Finnish lakes into the Gulf of Finland.
Kokemäenjoki
A short but historically important river, the Kokemäenjoki links inland Finnish lake systems to the Gulf of Bothnia.
Kupa
The Kupa forms part of the Croatia-Slovenia border before joining the Sava River.
Krka
Famous for its travertine waterfalls, the Krka River lends its name to Croatia’s Krka National Park.
Kolubara
The Kolubara flows through western Serbia through a region tied to a major coal-mining basin.
Kocher
The Kocher winds through Germany’s scenic Hohenlohe region before joining the Neckar River.
Kennet
A classic chalk stream, the Kennet joins the River Thames at Reading, England.
Kelvin
Flowing through Glasgow, Scotland, the River Kelvin lent its name to the Kelvin temperature scale via physicist Lord Kelvin.
Katherine
The Katherine River carved the dramatic gorges of Nitmiluk National Park in Australia’s Northern Territory.
King River
Several Australian rivers bear this name; the Tasmanian King River is notable for its history of historic mining pollution.