Roanoke River | River, United States - Encyclopedia Britannica

Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos Roanoke River Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics Quizzes Guess the City by Its River Quiz Water and its Varying Forms Contents Geography & Travel Physical Geography of Water Rivers & Canals CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style MLA APA Chicago Manual of Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media Facebook X URL https://www.britannica.com/place/Roanoke-River Feedback External Websites Feedback Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Feedback Type Select a type (Required) Factual Correction Spelling/Grammar Correction Link Correction Additional Information Other Your Feedback Submit Feedback Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

• NCpedia - Roanoke River, United States

Roanoke River river, United States Ask Anything Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Roanoke River, river rising in the Appalachian Valley in Montgomery County, southwestern Virginia, U.S., and flowing in a southeasterly direction for 380 mi (612 km) into Albemarle Sound, on the Atlantic coast of North Carolina. It drains an area of 9,580 sq mi (24,810 sq km). Just north of the Virginia–North Carolina boundary it joins the Dan River, its principal tributary; above the junction the river was formerly known as the Staunton.

The Roanoke is navigable for small craft for 112 mi from its mouth to Weldon, N.C., which lies just below the Fall Line near Roanoke Rapids, N.C. Ships with a draft of up to 12 ft (3.65 m) can reach Plymouth, N.C., 6 mi above the mouth. In 1829 the Weldon Canal, 12 mi long, was opened as a passage around the rapids, but it was abandoned in 1850. The river is impounded by a series of dams: Smith Mountain and Leesville below Roanoke, Va.; John H. Kerr Dam below Clarksville, Va.; and Roanoke Rapids Dam, which impounds Lake Gaston.