Pithlachascotee River

Pithlachascotee River "Cotee River"
The US 19 bridge over the Pithlachascotee River between Port Richey(left) and New Port Richey.
Location
Country	United States
State	Florida
County	Pasco
District	SWFWMD
Physical characteristics
Source	Starkey park
• location	Shady Hills, Florida
• coordinates	28°22′08″N 82°31′58″W / 28.36889°N 82.53278°W / 28.36889; -82.53278
Mouth	Gulf of Mexico
• location	Port Richey, Florida
• coordinates	28°16′40″N 82°44′37″W / 28.27778°N 82.74361°W / 28.27778; -82.74361
Length	23 mi (37 km)
Discharge
• location	10.5mi upstream from mouth
• average	25.42 cu ft/s (0.720 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• right	Five Mile Creek,

The Pithlachascotee River, often called the Cotee or "Cootie" River,^[1][2][3] is a blackwater river in Pasco County, Florida.

Originating near Crews Lake, the river flows for over 23 miles (37 km)^[4] to the south and west, flowing through the Starkey Wilderness Park before turning northwest through downtown New Port Richey, entering the Gulf of Mexico at Miller's Bayou. A Florida State Canoe Trail runs along the river.

On a chart representing the west coast of Florida accompanying the annual report of the U.S. Coast Survey for 1851, the name is translated as "Boat Building River". The whole word signifies the place where canoes were chopped or dug out. The Seminole used canoes dug out of cypress trunks. It is derived from the Creek pithlo (canoe), and chaskita (to chop out).^[5]