List of rivers of Texas


The list of rivers of Texas is a list of all named waterways, including rivers and streams that partially pass through or are entirely located within the U.S. state of Texas. Across the state, there are 3,700 named streams and 15 major rivers accounting for over of waterways. All of the state's waterways drain towards the Mississippi River, the Texas Gulf Coast, or the Rio Grande, with mouths located in seven major estuaries.

Major waterways

This list is arranged by drainage basin, with tributaries indented under each larger stream's name listed in order from mouth to source.

Mississippi River

Of the following 10 rivers, all empty into the Gulf of Mexico. Four of the rivers are tributaries: The Pecos flows into the Rio Grande, the Red into the Mississippi River, and the Sabine and Neches flow into Sabine Lake which is connected to the Gulf of Mexico by Sabine Pass. The Canadian is a tributary of a tributary and flows into the Arkansas River which is itself a tributary of the Mississippi.
  1. Rio Grande –, of which are in Texas
  2. Red River – of which are in Texas
  3. Brazos River – of which are in Texas, making it the longest section of river in Texas
  4. Pecos River – most of which is in New Mexico
  5. Colorado River – almost entirely in Texas of which are not dry
  6. Canadian River – of which are in Texas
  7. Trinity River – entirely in Texas
  8. Sabine River – of which are in Texas
  9. Neches River – entirely in Texas
  10. Nueces River – entirely in Texas
The Trinity River is the longest river with its entire drainage basin in Texas. The Colorado is the longest river with both its source based on river name and its mouth in the state. The actual longest source of the Colorado is in New Mexico.

Shortest river

The Comal River is the shortest river in the state of Texas and the fifth-shortest river in the United States. Located entirely within the city limits of New Braunfels in Central Texas, its spring-fed waters run a distance of 2.5 miles.