Potomac River Map
The Potomac River is a 665 km (413 mi) river in the United States. This map shows its course from the North Branch Potomac River to the Chesapeake Bay on shaded relief, with its river network, lakes, borders and major cities.
How to read this map
The Potomac River is about 665 km (413 mi) long and drains a basin of about 38,100 km² (14,700 sq mi). Its average discharge is about 306 m³/s (10,800 cu ft/s). It rises at the North Branch Potomac River and flows into the Chesapeake Bay. Tributaries include Monocacy River, Anacostia River, Antietam Creek, Shenandoah River, Rock Creek, Accotink Creek, Aquia Creek and Broad Run.
The highlighted blue line is the course of the Potomac River as mapped by Natural Earth. Towns and cities on the map include Baltimore, Harrisburg, York, Lancaster, Fredericksburg, Alexandria, Annapolis and Hagerstown. Labeled states and countries: Washington and Maryland.
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 Potomac 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 Potomac 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.
Potomac River facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 665 km (413 mi) |
| Drainage basin | 38,100 km² (14,700 sq mi) |
| Average discharge | 306 m³/s (10,800 cu ft/s) |
| Source | the North Branch Potomac River |
| Mouth | the Chesapeake Bay |
| Countries | the United States |
| Tributaries | Monocacy River, Anacostia River, Antietam Creek, Shenandoah River, Rock Creek, Accotink Creek, Aquia Creek, Broad Run, Broad Run and Cacapon 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. Compare with the world rivers map.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Potomac River?
The Potomac River is about 665 km (413 mi) long, with a drainage basin of about 38,100 km² (14,700 sq mi).
Where does the Potomac River start and end?
The Potomac River rises at the North Branch Potomac River and flows into the Chesapeake Bay.
Can I download a blank map of the Potomac 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: Potomac River Map · Atlas of Maps (atlasofmaps.com), license CC BY 4.0.
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