List of longest rivers of Mexico

Among the longest rivers of Mexico are 26 streams of at least 250 km (160 mi). In the case of rivers such as the Colorado, the length listed in the table below is solely that of the main stem.[1] In the case of the Grijalva and Usumacinta, it is the combined lengths of two river systems that share a delta.[2] In the case of the Nazas and Aguanaval, it is the combined lengths of separate rivers that flow into the same closed basin.[2]

Map showing major rivers in Mexico

Three rivers in this list cross international boundaries or form them. The Colorado and the Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte or Río Bravo) begin in the United States and flow into Mexico, while the Usumacinta begins in Guatemala and flows into Mexico.[3][4]

The primary source for the length, watershed, and surface runoff data in the table below is the 10th edition of Statistics on Water in Mexico, published by the National Water Commission in Mexico (CONAGUA); exceptions are as noted. U.S. states and departments of Guatemala appear in italics in the "States" column.

Key
† River is not entirely within Mexico.
‡ Watershed is not entirely within Mexico.
Longest rivers of Mexico
# Name Mouth[5] Length Watershed
area
Annual surface runoff States[3][4] Image
1 Rio Grande (Río Bravo del Norte or Río Bravo) Gulf of Mexico
25°57′22″N 97°08′43″W / 25.95611°N 97.14528°W / 25.95611; -97.14528 (Rio Grande (mouth))
3,108 km
1,931 mi
[n 1]
466,939 km2
180,286 mi2
[n 2]
6,090 x 106 m3
2.15 x 1011 ft3
[n 3]
Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas
2 Colorado River Gulf of California
31°48′57″N 114°48′22″W / 31.81583°N 114.80611°W / 31.81583; -114.80611 (Colorado River (mouth))
2,337 km
1,452 mi
[n 4]
630,783 km2
243,547 mi2
[n 5]
17,898 x 106 m3
6.321 x 1011 ft3
[n 6]
Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Sonora, Baja California
3 GrijalvaUsumacinta Rivers Bay of Campeche
18°35′20″N 92°41′20″W / 18.58889°N 92.68889°W / 18.58889; -92.68889 (Grijalva River (mouth))
1,911 km
1,187 mi
[n 7]
128,390 km2
49,570 mi2
[n 8]
115,536 x 106 m3
4.0801 x 1012 ft3
[n 9]
Petén, Chiapas, Tabasco
Boats line the near shore of a middle-sized river in a forest.
4 NazasAguanaval Rivers Bolsón de Mapimí
25°12′00″N 104°12′00″W / 25.20000°N 104.20000°W / 25.20000; -104.20000 (Nazas River (mouth))
1,081 km
672 mi
89,239 km2
34,455 mi2
1,912 x 106 m3
6.75 x 1010 ft3
Durango, Zacatecas, Coahuila
5 Culiacán River Pacific Ocean
24°29′32″N 107°43′55″W / 24.49222°N 107.73194°W / 24.49222; -107.73194 (Culiacán River (mouth))
875 km
544 mi
15,731 km2
6,074 mi2
3,161 x 106 m3
1.116 x 1011 ft3
Sinaloa
A medium-sized river seen from a bridge with a metal railing.
6 Balsas River Pacific Ocean
17°56′22″N 102°08′14″W / 17.93944°N 102.13722°W / 17.93944; -102.13722 (Balsas River(mouth))
770 km
478 mi
117,406 km2
45,331 mi2
16,587 x 106 m3
5.858 x 1011 ft3
Puebla, Morelos, Michoacán, Guerrero
A wide flat river flows between tree-lined banks. Jagged hills rise in the distance.
7 Lerma River Lake Chapala
20°15′00″N 103°00′00″W / 20.25000°N 103.00000°W / 20.25000; -103.00000 (Lerma River (mouth))
708 km
440 mi
47,116 km2
18,192 mi2
4,742 x 106 m3
1.675 x 1011 ft3
State of Mexico, Querétaro, Michoacán, Guanajuato, Jalisco
8 Rio Grande de Santiago Pacific Ocean
21°38′00″N 105°26′43″W / 21.63333°N 105.44528°W / 21.63333; -105.44528 (Rio Grande de Santiago (mouth))
562 km
349 mi
76,416 km2
29,504 mi2
7,849 x 106 m3
2.772 x 1011 ft3
Jalisco, Nayarit
A muddy river winds along the bottom of a deep canyon.
9 Fuerte River Gulf of California
25°48′00″N 109°25′00″W / 25.80000°N 109.41667°W / 25.80000; -109.41667 (Fuerte River (mouth))
540 km
336 mi
33,590 km2
12,970 mi2
5,176 x 106 m3
1.828 x 1011 ft3
Sinaloa
10 Pánuco River Gulf of Mexico
22°16′00″N 97°47′00″W / 22.26667°N 97.78333°W / 22.26667; -97.78333 (Pánuco River (mouth))
510 km
317 mi
84,956 km2
32,802 mi2
20,330 x 106 m3
7.18 x 1011 ft3
Veracruz
11 Rio Conchos Rio Grande
25°07′00″N 98°32′00″W / 25.11667°N 98.53333°W / 25.11667; -98.53333 (Río Conchos (mouth))
485 km
301 mi[6]
68,386 km2
26,404 mi2[7]
2,714 x 106 m3
9.58 x 1010 ft3[8]
Chihuahua
12 Sonora River Gulf of California
28°47′06″N 111°55′11″W / 28.78500°N 111.91972°W / 28.78500; -111.91972 (Sonora River (mouth))
421 km
262 mi
27,740 km2
10,710 mi2
408 x 106 m3
1.44 x 1010 ft3
Sonora
13 Soto La Marina River Gulf of Mexico
23°45′56″N 97°44′13″W / 23.76556°N 97.73694°W / 23.76556; -97.73694 (Soto La Marina River (mouth))
416 km
258 mi
21,183 km2
8,179 mi2
2,086 x 106 m3
7.37 x 1010 ft3
Tamaulipas
14 Yaqui River Gulf of California
27°39′17″N 110°37′26″W / 27.65472°N 110.62389°W / 27.65472; -110.62389 (Yaqui River (mouth))
410 km
255 mi
72,540 km2
28,010 mi2
3,163 x 106 m3
1.117 x 1011 ft3
Sonora
Yaqui River – Sonora, Mexico
15 Sinaloa River Gulf of California
25°16′51″N 108°29′43″W / 25.28083°N 108.49528°W / 25.28083; -108.49528 (Sinaloa River (mouth))
400 km
249 mi
12,260 km2
4,730 mi2
2,126 x 106 m3
7.51 x 1010 ft3
Sinaloa
16 San Fernando River Gulf of Mexico
24°55′00″N 97°40′00″W / 24.91667°N 97.66667°W / 24.91667; -97.66667 (San Fernando River (mouth))
400 km
249 mi
17,744 km2
6,851 mi2
1,545 x 106 m3
5.46 x 1010 ft3
Tamaulipas
17 Mayo River Gulf of California
26°45′00″N 109°47′00″W / 26.75000°N 109.78333°W / 26.75000; -109.78333 (Río Mayo (mouth))
386 km
240 mi
15,113 km2
5,835 mi2
1,232 x 106 m3
4.35 x 1010 ft3
Chihuahua, Sonora
18 Tecolutla River Gulf of Mexico
20°29′00″N 97°00′00″W / 20.48333°N 97.00000°W / 20.48333; -97.00000 (Tecolutla River (mouth))
375 km
233 mi
7,903 km2
3,051 mi2
6,095 x 106 m3
2.152 x 1011 ft3
Veracruz
19 Jamapa River Gulf of Mexico
19°02′00″N 96°08′00″W / 19.03333°N 96.13333°W / 19.03333; -96.13333 (Jamapa River (mouth))
368 km
229 mi
4,061 km2
1,568 mi2
2,563 x 106 m3
9.05 x 1010 ft3
Veracruz
A small calm river curves between banks covered in dense green foliage.
20 Papaloapan River Gulf of Mexico
18°42′00″N 95°38′00″W / 18.70000°N 95.63333°W / 18.70000; -95.63333 (Papaloapan River (mouth))
354 km
220 mi
46,517 km2
17,960 mi2
44,662 x 106 m3
1.5772 x 1012 ft3
Oaxaca, Veracruz
A middle-sized river flows placidly between banks covered in vegetation.
21 Verde River Pacific Ocean
16°25′23″N 94°52′56″W / 16.42306°N 94.88222°W / 16.42306; -94.88222 (Verde River (mouth))
342 km
213 mi
5,937 km2
2,292 mi2
5,937 x 106 m3
2.097 x 1011 ft3
Oaxaca
22 Concepción River Gulf of California
30°32′00″N 113°02′00″W / 30.53333°N 113.03333°W / 30.53333; -113.03333 (Concepción River (mouth))
335 km
208 mi
25,808 km2
9,965 2
123 x 106 m3
4.3 x 109 ft3
Sonora
23 Coatzacoalcos River Gulf of Mexico
18°09′00″N 94°24′00″W / 18.15000°N 94.40000°W / 18.15000; -94.40000 (Coatzacoalcos River (mouth))
325 km
202 mi
17,369 km2
6,706 mi2
28,093 x 106 m3
9.921 x 1011 ft3
Oaxaca, Veracruz
24 San Lorenzo River Gulf of California
28°24′00″N 110°19′00″W / 28.40000°N 110.31667°W / 28.40000; -110.31667 (San Lorenzo River (mouth))
315 km
196 mi
8,919 km2
3,444 mi2
1,680 x 106 m3
5.9 x 1010 ft3
Durango, Sinaloa
25 Sonoyta River Gulf of California
31°16′00″N 113°19′00″W / 31.26667°N 113.31667°W / 31.26667; -113.31667 (Río Sonoyta (mouth))
311 km
193 mi
7,653 km2
2,955 mi2
16 x 106 m3
570 x 106 ft3
Sonora
26 San Pedro River Pacific Ocean
21°43′41″N 105°29′30″W / 21.72806°N 105.49167°W / 21.72806; -105.49167 (San Pedro River (mouth))
255 km
158 mi
26,480 km2
10,220 mi2
3,417 x 106 m3
1.207 x 1011 ft3
Durango, Nayarit

See also

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Notes and references

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Notes
  1. ^ Of the total, 1,074 km (667 mi) or about 35 percent are in the United States, and 2,034 km (1,264 mi) (about 65 percent) form a common border between Mexico and the United States.[2]
  2. ^ Of the total, 225,242 km2 (86,966 sq mi) (about 48 percent) are in Mexico, and 241,697 km2 (93,320 sq mi) (about 52 percent) are in the United States.[2]
  3. ^ Of the total, 5,588 x 106 m3/year (about 92 percent) come from Mexico and 502 x 106 m3/year (about 8 percent) from the United States.[2]
  4. ^ Of the total, 2,140 km (1,330 mi) or about 91.5 percent are in the United States; 160 km (99 mi) (about 7 percent) are in Mexico, and 37 km (23 mi) (about 1.5 percent) form a common border between Mexico and the United States.[2]
  5. ^ Of the total, 3,840 km2 (1,480 sq mi) (about 0.6 percent) are in Mexico, and 626,943 km2 (242,064 sq mi) (about 99.4 percent) are in the United States.[2]
  6. ^ Of the total, 13 x 106 m3/year, about 0.07 percent, come from Mexico and 17,885 x 106 m3/year (about 99.93 percent) from the United States.[2]
  7. ^ Of the total, 1,521 km (945 mi) or about 80 percent are in Mexico, and 390 km (240 mi) (about 20 percent) are in Guatemala.[2]
  8. ^ Of the total, 83,553 km2 (32,260 sq mi) (about 65 percent) are in Mexico, and 44,837 km2 (17,312 sq mi) (about 35 percent) are in Guatemala.[2]
  9. ^ Of the total, 71,716 x 106 m3/year (about 62 percent) come from Mexico and 43,820 x 106 m3/year (about 38 percent) from Guatemala.[2]
References
  1. ^ Kammerer, J.C. (September 1, 2005). "Largest Rivers in the United States". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, ed. (June 2010). Statistics on Water in Mexico (PDF) (10th ed.). National Water Commission in Mexico (CONAGUA). pp. 36–39. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
  3. ^ a b The Road Atlas. Chicago, Illinois: Rand McNally & Company. 2008. ISBN 0-528-93961-0.
  4. ^ a b Mexico AdventureMap (Map) (2010 ed.). National Geographic Society. ISBN 978-1-56695-527-0.
  5. ^ "GeoNames Search". National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. Retrieved June 13, 2011. Approximate coordinates from GeoNames, in some cases adjusted by geolocating with Google Earth.
  6. ^ Merriam-Webster's Geographical Dictionary (3rd ed.). Springfield, Massachusetts: Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. 1997. p. 274. ISBN 0-87779-546-0.
  7. ^ Benke and Cushing, p. 1079
  8. ^ Kelly, Mary E.; Arias Rojo; Héctor M. "River Habitat Restoration in the Chihuahuan Desert: The Río Conchos and the Forgotten River Stretch of the Rio Grande" (PDF). Southwest Consortium for Environmental Research and Policy. p. 172. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 21, 2012. Retrieved June 28, 2011.

Works cited

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  • Benke, Arthur C., ed., and Cushing, Colbert E., ed. Rivers of North America. Burlington, Massachusetts: Elsevier Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-088253-1.