What is the Rappahannock River?
Q: What is the Rappahannock River?
A: The Rappahannock River is a river in eastern Virginia, in the United States. It is about 195 miles (314 km) in length and crosses the entire northern part of the state, from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the west, across the Piedmont, to the Chesapeake Bay, south of the Potomac River.
Q: How large is its watershed?
A: The Rappahannock River's watershed covers an area of 2,848 square miles (7,380 km2), which is about 6% of Virginia.
Q: Is it a rural or developed area?
A: Much of the watershed is rural and forested; however it has experienced increased development in recent decades due to its proximity to Washington D.C.'s suburbs.
Q: What role did it play during American history?
A: The Rappahannock was an important river during American history as it was home to early settlements in Virginia Colony and later at center stage for Eastern Theater of American Civil War as a significant obstacle to north-south movements via land. As such it functioned as war's eastern-theatre boundary between Union and Confederate States of America.
Q: Where does it start and end?
A: The Rappahannock River starts at Blue Ridge Mountains located in western part of Virginia and ends at Chesapeake Bay south of Potomac River.
Q: How many miles long is it?
A: The Rappahannock River is approximately 195 miles (314 km) long.
