The Tennessee River is a 652 mi (1,049 km) long river located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. Flowing through the states of Tennessee , Alabama , Mississippi , Kentucky , it begins at the confluence of French Broad and Holston rivers at Knoxville , and drains into the Ohio River near Paducah, Kentucky .

Jan 19, 2025 · Tennessee River, central component of one of the world’s greatest irrigation and hydropower systems and a major waterway of the southeastern United States. It is formed by the confluence of the Holston and French Broad rivers, just east of Knoxville, Tennessee, and flows south-southwest to Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Oct 10, 2021 · The Tennessee River is a 1,049-kilometer river in Tennessee Valley, in the southeastern United States. Originally known as the Cherokee River, the Tennessee River is a major waterway of the southeastern United States and one of the world’s most prominent hydropower and irrigation systems.

The main stem of the Tennessee River begins near Knoxville at the convergence of the headwaters. The Cumberland River is a major waterway of the Southern United States. The 688-mile-long river drains through southern Kentucky and north-central Tennessee.

From Knoxville, TN, to Paducah, KY, the Tennessee River stretches 652 miles and touches four states: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky. Its 41,000 square mile watershed is home to more than 4.5 million residents, over half of which live in communities along its banks.

The Tennessee River begins upstream of Knoxville, Tennessee. The river flows 652 miles south then west across northern Alabama and a small portion of northern Mississippi before turning north to Kentucky where the river discharges into the Ohio River only miles upstream from the Mississippi River.

The Tennessee River is a tributary, or a river that flows into, the Ohio River. Its path makes a crescent. It starts in eastern Tennessee before entering Alabama. After entering Alabama it goes north and for a few miles, forms the boundary between Alabama and Mississippi.

At approximately 652 miles long, the Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. Formed where the Holston and French Broad rivers meet, the river flows from Knoxville, TN southwest toward the Chattanooga before it loops through …

Confluence of French Broad and Holston at Knoxville. The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles (1049 km) long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names. [1] .

The Tennessee River is one of the largest rivers in the Southeast, connecting the entire region to the Mississippi. Continue exploring the Tennessee here.