Colorado River Map
The Colorado River is a 2,330 km (1,450 mi) river through 2 countries. This map shows its course from La Poudre Pass to the Gulf of California on shaded relief, with its river network, lakes, borders and major cities.
How to read this map
The Colorado River is about 2,330 km (1,450 mi) long and drains a basin of about 637,000 km² (246,000 sq mi). Its average discharge is about 640 m³/s (22,600 cu ft/s). It rises at La Poudre Pass and flows into the Gulf of California. It flows through or along Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California. Tributaries include Eagle River, Roaring Fork River, Gunnison River, Dolores River, Range Creek, San Juan River, Little Colorado River and Gila River.
The highlighted blue line is the course of the Colorado River as mapped by Natural Earth. Towns and cities on the map include Phoenix, Irvine, San Diego, Denver, Las Vegas, San Bernardino, Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez. Labeled states and countries: Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Colorado.
Greens show lower elevations; tan and brown show higher land, with pale tones toward the highest terrain. Shadows emphasize the slopes, and vertical relief is exaggerated so landforms are easier to read. Dashed lines show country borders, and fine dashed lines show state or province borders.
The relief uses Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED2010 and ETOPO1 elevation data). Rivers, lakes, borders and the course of the Colorado River come from Natural Earth, and the figures on this page from Wikidata. Natural Earth draws features at a small scale, so the line is a guide to where the Colorado River is, not a surveyed boundary.
Blank physical map
The blank version keeps the mapped features and removes the place labels. Download it for a geography worksheet or practice identifying the features.
Colorado River facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 2,330 km (1,450 mi) |
| Drainage basin | 637,000 km² (246,000 sq mi) |
| Average discharge | 640 m³/s (22,600 cu ft/s) |
| Source | La Poudre Pass |
| Mouth | the Gulf of California |
| Countries | the United States and Mexico |
| US states | Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California |
| Tributaries | Eagle River, Roaring Fork River, Gunnison River, Dolores River, Range Creek, San Juan River, Little Colorado River, Gila River, Green River and Dirty Devil River |
Data sources and license
- Natural Earth (public-domain geography): Public domain.
- Terrain Tiles / Mapzen (SRTM, GMTED2010, ETOPO1): Open elevation data; source attribution retained.
- Wikidata (lengths, areas, countries and other facts): CC0 1.0.
Map design and rendered images: Atlas of Maps, CC BY 4.0. Source databases retain their own licenses; the map license does not replace them.
Maps of the countries: United States, Mexico. Compare with the world rivers map.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Colorado River?
The Colorado River is about 2,330 km (1,450 mi) long, with a drainage basin of about 637,000 km² (246,000 sq mi).
Where does the Colorado River start and end?
The Colorado River rises at La Poudre Pass and flows into the Gulf of California.
Which states does the Colorado River flow through?
The Colorado River flows through or along Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California.
Can I download a blank map of the Colorado River?
Yes. The blank version keeps the relief, rivers and borders and the highlighted river but removes the place names. Both versions are free to download as PNG and as an A4 PDF.
Use this map
You can download, print and share this map for free, in class, in school projects, in presentations and on websites, as long as you credit the source: Colorado River Map · Atlas of Maps (atlasofmaps.com), license CC BY 4.0.
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