The following alphabetical list includes many important
streams that flow through the
State of Colorado, including all 158 named
rivers. Where available, the total extent of the stream's
drainage basin[1] is shown after the name. The names of the 17 Colorado rivers with a drainage basin of more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 sq mi), about three times the area of Rhode Island, are shown in bold.
As of February 1, 2008, the
U.S. Board on Geographic Names had identified 5,564 natural
streams in the
State of Colorado. Of this number, 147 larger streams (2.6%) were named river and 11 (0.2%) were named rio. The vast majority of the Colorado streams (5082 or 91.3%) were named creek. Of the remaining Colorado streams, 122 (2.2%) were named arroyo, 60 (1.1%) were named wash, 44 (0.8%) were named fork, 18 (0.3%) were named branch, 17 (0.3%) were named brook, 17 (0.3%) were named run, 15 (0.3%) were named rito, 10 (0.2%) were named slough, but not a single stream was named stream. Perhaps the most unusual river name in Colorado belongs to the
West Fork East Fork Williams Fork located in
Garfield County.
There are 72 streams in the
State of Colorado that are named Willow Creek, 71 streams named Spring Creek, 53 streams named Cottonwood Creek, 49 streams named Bear Creek, 49 streams named Beaver Creek, 48 streams named Dry Creek, 33 streams named Rock Creek, 33 streams named Sand Creek, and 32 streams named Mill Creek. The
Arkansas River and the
Colorado River flow through Colorado, as do a
Florida River, an
Idaho Creek, an
Illinois River, an
Indiana Creek, a
Maryland Creek, a
Michigan River, a
Minnesota Creek, six Missouri Creeks, a
Montana Creek, two New York Creeks, two Ohio Creeks, two Pennsylvania Creeks, two Tennessee Creeks, seven Texas Creeks, and a
Virginia Creek.
Tributary chart
The following tributary chart shows many important
streams that flow through the
State of Colorado including all 158 named
rivers. The chart is arranged by
tributary and area of the
drainage basin.[1] The names of the 17 Colorado rivers with a drainage basin of more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 sq mi) are shown in bold. Oceans and streams outside of Colorado are shown in italics.
^"Renaming the Grand River, Colo."(PDF), Hearing Before the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives, Sixty Sixth Congress, Third Session, on HJ 460,
Government Printing Office, February 18, 1921, retrieved May 16, 2023
The following alphabetical list includes many important
streams that flow through the
State of Colorado, including all 158 named
rivers. Where available, the total extent of the stream's
drainage basin[1] is shown after the name. The names of the 17 Colorado rivers with a drainage basin of more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 sq mi), about three times the area of Rhode Island, are shown in bold.
As of February 1, 2008, the
U.S. Board on Geographic Names had identified 5,564 natural
streams in the
State of Colorado. Of this number, 147 larger streams (2.6%) were named river and 11 (0.2%) were named rio. The vast majority of the Colorado streams (5082 or 91.3%) were named creek. Of the remaining Colorado streams, 122 (2.2%) were named arroyo, 60 (1.1%) were named wash, 44 (0.8%) were named fork, 18 (0.3%) were named branch, 17 (0.3%) were named brook, 17 (0.3%) were named run, 15 (0.3%) were named rito, 10 (0.2%) were named slough, but not a single stream was named stream. Perhaps the most unusual river name in Colorado belongs to the
West Fork East Fork Williams Fork located in
Garfield County.
There are 72 streams in the
State of Colorado that are named Willow Creek, 71 streams named Spring Creek, 53 streams named Cottonwood Creek, 49 streams named Bear Creek, 49 streams named Beaver Creek, 48 streams named Dry Creek, 33 streams named Rock Creek, 33 streams named Sand Creek, and 32 streams named Mill Creek. The
Arkansas River and the
Colorado River flow through Colorado, as do a
Florida River, an
Idaho Creek, an
Illinois River, an
Indiana Creek, a
Maryland Creek, a
Michigan River, a
Minnesota Creek, six Missouri Creeks, a
Montana Creek, two New York Creeks, two Ohio Creeks, two Pennsylvania Creeks, two Tennessee Creeks, seven Texas Creeks, and a
Virginia Creek.
Tributary chart
The following tributary chart shows many important
streams that flow through the
State of Colorado including all 158 named
rivers. The chart is arranged by
tributary and area of the
drainage basin.[1] The names of the 17 Colorado rivers with a drainage basin of more than 10,000 square kilometers (3,900 sq mi) are shown in bold. Oceans and streams outside of Colorado are shown in italics.
^"Renaming the Grand River, Colo."(PDF), Hearing Before the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce of the House of Representatives, Sixty Sixth Congress, Third Session, on HJ 460,
Government Printing Office, February 18, 1921, retrieved May 16, 2023