This list covers 46 rivers, starting with “Colorado River” and ending with “Colville River”. They range from short spring-fed streams to massive waterways that cross entire continents, and they shape borders, farmland, cities, and wildlife habitats around the world. People rely on them for drinking water, irrigation, hydroelectric power, fishing, and transportation, and many have played a starring role in history and culture.
Rivers are natural channels of flowing water that carry rain, snowmelt, and groundwater from higher ground down to lakes, seas, or oceans. Some flow year-round, while others only appear after heavy rain, like Australia’s Cooper Creek. Along the way, they’ve inspired legends, powered industries, and even given their names to cities and regions, such as the Charente River and its famous brandy country.
Below you’ll find the table with the river, countries, length, type, and description.
River: the name of each river on this list, including alternate versions when more than one river shares a common name.
Countries: the country or countries each river flows through, so you can see which regions and borders it touches.
Length (km): the total length of each river in kilometers, giving you a quick way to compare their sizes.
Type: the kind of river it is, such as perennial, seasonal, tidal, or a tributary, so you know how and when it flows.
Description: a short summary of what makes each river notable, from its history and wildlife to its role in local life.
Rivers
| River | Countries | Length (km) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado River | United States, Mexico | 2,330 | Perennial |
| Columbia River | United States, Canada | 2,000 | Perennial |
| Congo River | Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo | 4,700 | Perennial |
| Cooper Creek | Australia | 1,300 | Ephemeral |
| Copper River | United States | 480 | Glacial-fed |
| Cumberland River | United States | 1,105 | Tributary |
| Cuyahoga River | United States | 160 | Tributary |
| Cape Fear River | United States | 320 | Tidal |
| Caroni River | Venezuela | 950 | Perennial |
| Catawba River | United States | 355 | Perennial |
| Cauca River | Colombia | 1,350 | Tributary |
| Cauvery River | India | 800 | Perennial |
| Ceyhan River | Turkey | 509 | Perennial |
| Charente River | France | 381 | Perennial |
| Chari River | Chad, Central African Republic | 1,400 | Seasonal |
| Chattahoochee River | United States | 692 | Perennial |
| Chenab River | India, Pakistan | 960 | Tributary |
| Cher River | France | 320 | Tributary |
| Chindwin River | Myanmar | 960 | Tributary |
| Chippewa River | United States | 285 | Tributary |
| Chobe River | Botswana, Namibia | 320 | Perennial |
| Churchill River (Labrador) | Canada | 856 | Perennial |
| Churchill River (Saskatchewan) | Canada | 1,600 | Perennial |
| Chubut River | Argentina | 810 | Perennial |
| Cimarron River | United States | 966 | Tributary |
| Citarum River | Indonesia | 297 | Perennial |
| Clarence River | Australia | 394 | Perennial |
| Clutha River | New Zealand | 338 | Perennial |
| Clyde River | United Kingdom | 158 | Tidal |
| Colorado River (Texas) | United States | 1,387 | Perennial |
| Colorado River (Argentina) | Argentina | 1,300 | Perennial |
| Comal River | United States | 3 | Perennial |
| Congaree River | United States | 80 | Tributary |
| Connecticut River | United States | 655 | Perennial |
| Coosa River | United States | 452 | Tributary |
| Coppermine River | Canada | 845 | Perennial |
| Coquet River | United Kingdom | 60 | Perennial |
| Corantijn River | Suriname, Guyana | 724 | Border river |
| Crocodile River | South Africa | 320 | Perennial |
| Cross River | Nigeria, Cameroon | 402 | Perennial |
| Current River | United States | 296 | Perennial |
| Cuanza River | Angola | 960 | Perennial |
| Cavally River | Ivory Coast, Liberia | 515 | Border river |
| Chagres River | Panama | 120 | Perennial |
| Cagayan River | Philippines | 505 | Perennial |
| Colville River | United States | 610 | Perennial |
Descriptions
Colorado River
Carves the Grand Canyon and supplies water to seven US states and Mexico before reaching the Gulf of California; heavy damming means it rarely reaches the sea today.
Columbia River
North America’s largest river by discharge into the Pacific; famous for its hydroelectric dams, including Grand Coulee, and its role in the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Congo River
Africa’s deepest river and the world’s second-largest by discharge; unusually crosses the equator twice, giving it a steady flow year-round.
Cooper Creek
An outback watercourse that only flows fully after heavy rain, feeding vast wetlands and eventually Lake Eyre; central to Aboriginal culture and early explorer expeditions.
Copper River
Alaskan river fed by glaciers, famous for its salmon runs and the dramatic Million Dollar Bridge; drains into the Gulf of Alaska.
Cumberland River
Flows through Kentucky and Tennessee before joining the Ohio River; known for Cumberland Falls and its role in early American settlement.
Cuyahoga River
An Ohio river once infamous for catching fire due to industrial pollution; its recovery is now a symbol of American environmental reform.
Cape Fear River
North Carolina’s only major river flowing entirely within the state; named for the dangerous shoals at its mouth that wrecked countless ships.
Caroni River
Home to Angel Falls, the world’s tallest waterfall, on one of its tributaries; heavily dammed for hydroelectric power at Guri Dam.
Catawba River
Rises in the Appalachians and flows through the Carolinas, known downstream as the Wateree River; supports several reservoirs and hydroelectric stations.
Cauca River
Colombia’s second-most important river, running through a fertile valley before joining the Magdalena River; vital for agriculture and hydropower.
Cauvery River
A sacred river in southern India central to Hindu tradition; its water sharing between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has long been a political flashpoint.
Ceyhan River
Flows through southern Turkey into the Mediterranean Sea; supports irrigation for cotton farming across the Cukurova plain.
Charente River
Winds through western France past Cognac, lending its name to the region famous for brandy production.
Chari River
The main river feeding Lake Chad; its fluctuating flow has mirrored the lake’s dramatic shrinkage in recent decades.
Chattahoochee River
Forms part of the Georgia-Alabama border and supplies drinking water to Atlanta; a popular spot for rafting and fishing.
Chenab River
One of the five rivers of Punjab, formed by two Himalayan streams; central to the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan.
Cher River
A tributary of the Loire that famously flows beneath the Chateau de Chenonceau, straddling the river itself.
Chindwin River
The largest tributary of the Ayeyarwady River, flowing through remote northern Myanmar; important for teak logging and river trade.
Chippewa River
Flows through Wisconsin into the Mississippi River; historically vital to the region’s logging industry.
Chobe River
Forms part of the border between Namibia and Botswana and feeds the wildlife-rich Chobe National Park, famous for its elephant herds.
Churchill River (Labrador)
A powerful Labrador river harnessed for one of the world’s largest underground hydroelectric plants at Churchill Falls.
Churchill River (Saskatchewan)
A historic fur-trade route across the Canadian Shield, known for its clear water and countless rapids and lakes.
Chubut River
Patagonia’s longest river, flowing from the Andes to the Atlantic; supports irrigated farmland in an otherwise arid region.
Cimarron River
A shallow, sandy-bedded tributary of the Arkansas River that crosses the southern Great Plains; featured in western folklore and film.
Citarum River
Java’s longest river, vital for irrigation and hydropower, but also known as one of the world’s most polluted rivers.
Clarence River
New South Wales’ largest coastal river, known for its fertile floodplains and sugarcane farming.
Clutha River
New Zealand’s largest river by volume, flowing from Lake Wanaka through Otago’s gold-mining country to the Pacific.
Clyde River
Scotland’s key waterway, historically the heart of Glasgow’s shipbuilding industry along its tidal lower reaches.
Colorado River (Texas)
Texas’s longest river entirely within the state, flowing from the Llano Estacado to Matagorda Bay on the Gulf of Mexico.
Colorado River (Argentina)
Formed by Andean tributaries, it crosses Patagonia’s dry steppe, providing crucial irrigation before reaching the Atlantic.
Comal River
One of the shortest rivers in the US, spring-fed in New Braunfels, Texas, and popular for tubing in its clear, cool water.
Congaree River
Formed by the Saluda and Broad rivers in South Carolina; its floodplain forest is protected within Congaree National Park.
Connecticut River
New England’s longest river, flowing from northern New Hampshire through four states to Long Island Sound.
Coosa River
Formed in Georgia and flowing through Alabama, it’s known for exceptional freshwater biodiversity, including many rare mussel and snail species.
Coppermine River
A remote Arctic river in Canada’s Northwest Territories and Nunavut, named for copper deposits early explorers found along its banks.
Coquet River
A Northumberland river known for its salmon fishing and the ruins of Warkworth Castle overlooking its banks.
Corantijn River
Forms much of the natural border between Suriname and Guyana, flowing through dense, largely untouched rainforest.
Crocodile River
Flows along the southern boundary of Kruger National Park, offering some of the best wildlife viewing in South Africa.
Cross River
Gives its name to Nigeria’s Cross River State and hosts one of Africa’s last strongholds of the critically endangered Cross River gorilla.
Current River
A spring-fed Ozark river in Missouri prized for its exceptionally clear water and popular canoe trails.
Cuanza River
Angola’s longest river, flowing from the central highlands to the Atlantic; historically important for river trade during the colonial era.
Cavally River
Forms part of the border between Ivory Coast and Liberia, running through dense West African rainforest.
Chagres River
Dammed to create Gatun Lake, it supplies the water that fills the locks of the Panama Canal.
Cagayan River
The Philippines’ longest river, flowing through the fertile Cagayan Valley on Luzon before reaching the Luzon Strait.
Colville River
Alaska’s largest river draining into the Arctic Ocean, flowing entirely north of the Arctic Circle through the North Slope.