Charles River

Charles River
Quinobequin
Longfellow Bridge (center) connecting Boston and Cambridge crossing a frozen Charles River
Map
Location
CountryUnited States
StateMassachusetts
CitiesHopkinton, Cambridge, Boston
Physical characteristics
SourceEcho Lake
 • locationHopkinton, Massachusetts, United States
 • coordinates42°11′34″N 71°30′43″W / 42.19278°N 71.51194°W / 42.19278; -71.51194
 • elevation350 ft (110 m)
MouthBoston Harbor
 • location
Boston, Massachusetts, United States
 • coordinates
42°22′14″N 71°3′13″W / 42.37056°N 71.05361°W / 42.37056; -71.05361
 • elevation
0 ft (0 m)
Length80 mi (130 km)
Basin size308 sq mi (800 km2)
Discharge 
 • average302 cu ft/s (8.6 m3/s)
 • minimum0.1 cu ft/s (0.0028 m3/s)
 • maximum4,150 cu ft/s (118 m3/s)

The Charles River (Massachusett: Quinobequin), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an 80-mile-long (129 km) river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles back on itself several times and travels through 23 cities and towns before reaching the Atlantic Ocean.[1] The indigenous Massachusett named it Quinobequin, meaning "meandering" or "meandering still water".[2]

  1. ^ "Charles River Watershed". The Charles River Watershed Association. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  2. ^ Carbone, Sage (February 27, 2023). "You live in Anmoughcawgen". Cambridge Day. Retrieved December 3, 2023.