Potomac River

Potomac River

River, east-central U.S. Rising in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, it is about 287 mi (462 km) long. It flows southeast through the District of Columbia into Chesapeake Bay. It is navigable by large vessels to Washington, D.C., above which it descends in a series of rapids and falls, including Great Falls. Noted for its beauty, the Potomac is also rich in history. Mount Vernon, home of George Washington, is on its banks below Washington, D.C. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park parallels the river.