where is the potomac river

The Potomac River is in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, flowing from the mountains of West Virginia through Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., before emptying into the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Quick Scoop: Where is the Potomac River?

• It starts in the Potomac Highlands / Appalachian region of West Virginia.

• It flows generally southeast, forming much of the border between Maryland and Virginia.

• Washington, D.C. sits along its banks; that is why it’s often called “the Nation’s River.”

• It finally reaches its mouth at Point Lookout, Maryland, where it enters the Chesapeake Bay.

Mini Map-in-Your-Head Example

If you imagine the U.S. East Coast, the Potomac runs just inland of the Atlantic, cutting between Maryland and Virginia, passing right by the U.S. capital before widening out into the Chesapeake Bay.

TL;DR: The Potomac River runs about 400 miles from West Virginia, past Washington, D.C., along the Maryland–Virginia line, and into the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.