Web. Google Maps. The Potomac River (/ p ə ˈ t oʊ m ə k / ()) is found within the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands into the Chesapeake Bay.The river (main stem and North Branch) is approximately 405 miles (652 km) long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km 2). The river is the fourth largest along the Atlantic Coast and has many creeks and streams that flow into it. George Washington could have built his home anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard. Map, Location and GeographyThings to Know About Washington DC's Potomac RiverThe Top 20 Historic Attractions in MarylandEssentials for Fishing in MarylandWhat You Should Know About the Anacostia RiverSee Maps of the Chesapeake Bay: Rivers and Access PointsTop Natural Attractions in the United StatesExplore the Outdoors: Recreational Activities Near Washington, D.C.Top 15 Maryland Attractions You Can't MissA Road Trip to Hit the Best East Coast Beaches Due to poor navigation, he landed downstream in Blossom Point, MD.The Potomac Conservancy has given the river increasingly higher marks since 2011, saying it’s the only major Chesapeake Bay tributary to achieve short- and long-term nutrient reductions in its headwaters. Underwater grasses and water clarity in the Potomac have been slow to recover.Still, progress is being made for this lifeline to the Chesapeake Bay. The Potomac River (/ p ə ˈ t oʊ m ə k / ( listen)) is located within the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and flows from the Potomac Highlands into the Chesapeake Bay. Potomac Estuary Between the Harry Nice Bridge (U.S. 301) and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (I-495), the Potomac is full of opportunities for recreation. 0 0. read more. The Potomac: A Nation's River. Poorly-planned development in once-rural areas is paving over river-friendly forests. Thanks to the safeguards of the Clean Water Act, the Potomac is significantly healthier than before and has become a magnet for recreation and an asset to nearby residents. It runs over 383 miles from Fairfax Stone, West Virginia to Point Lookout, Maryland and drains 14,670 square miles of land area from four states and Washington DC. Originating in the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia and drawing from the hills of Virginia and Maryland, which are collectively recognized as the Potomac River Highlands, the river offers a diversity of culture, history, and wildlife as it channels the border between those states and Washington, DC, on its 380-mile run to the Tidewater at Point Lookout, MD. e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. It provides critical habitat for wildlife and multiple species of fish while offering the nation’s capital a place to play.George Washington could have built his home anywhere on the Eastern Seaboard. There aren't any comments for this article yet. The Potomac River brings together a variety of cultures throughout the watershed from the coal miners of upstream West Virginia to the urban residents of the nation's capital and, along the lower Potomac, the watermen of Virginia's Northern Neck.This section covers the Potomac from just above Harpers Ferry in West Virginia down to Little Falls, Maryland on the border between Maryland and Washington, DC.The following table shows the major tributaries of the North Branch Potomac River, listed in order from the source to its mouth. Ator, Scott W., et al. Source: en.wikipedia.org. No. Charleston: Cannon Graphics, 1993. The Potomac River begins at a spring in the northeastern corner of Tucker County.The spring is the site of a small monolith, a replica of the first Fairfax Stone that once marked the boundary of the land grant to the sixth Lord Fairfax, which ran to the farthest headwaters of the Potomac. Vernon and the Federal City bearing his name just upstream, the Potomac’s first calling is its service as the southern headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. The Potomac is a tidal river that flows into the Chesapeake bay. See a Map and Learn About the Geography of MarylandThe Top 8 National Parks in MadagascarBest Places to See Fall Colors in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.Kayaking in Washington, D.C.: On the Potomac River & BeyondWhere is Virginia?