10 Longest Rivers in the U.S.: From the Missouri to the Brazos | Maqvi News

Meandering for 1,280 miles (2,060 km), the Brazos is the tenth longest river in the U.S. but the longest entirely within the state of Texas. The river flows from the panhandle through the heart of the Lone Star state to the Gulf of Mexico.

It just barely beats the length of another major North American river, the Columbia River, which flows for 1,240 miles (1,996 km) from the Canadian province of British Columbia through the Pacific Northwest toward the Pacific Ocean.

Dammed at multiple points to create reservoirs, including Lake Possum Kingdom and Lake Whitney, the Brazos River has a watershed of 45,600 square miles (7,339 square km). The river’s original name was Brazos de Dios, or “Arms of God” in Spanish.

This article was created in conjunction with AI technology, then was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.