Colorado River Map (PDF) | Major Rivers & Lakes in Colorado

Written and Fact-checked by 青青草视频 Editors | Updated On: April 03, 2026 | 15:05 ET

Colorado River Map showing major rivers in Colorado, River start and end point, county boundaries.

River Map of Colorado State

About Map: Colorado River Map showing major rivers in Colorado, county boundaries and state boundary.

PDF Map - Free Download Colorado River Map, United States

More Maps

Colorado Map	Colorado County Map	Map of Colorado With Cities
Colorado Zipcodes	Airports in Colorado	Where is Colorado
Colorado Area Codes	Colorado Blank Map	Colorado River Map
US County Map	Colorado Road Map	Colorado Physical Map
Where is Denver	Where is Aurora	Where is Colorado Springs

Rivers and Waterways in Colorado

Colorado鈥檚 river systems begin high in the Rocky Mountains, where snowmelt feeds many of the major waterways across the western United States. Rivers in the state flow in multiple directions, with some draining west into the Colorado River system and eventually the Gulf of California, while others flow east toward the Mississippi River basin. Mountain streams dominate the landscape, especially in the central and western regions. Colorado also has numerous reservoirs and alpine lakes that are essential for water storage, irrigation, and supplying growing cities.

Major Rivers in Colorado

River	Length (Approx.)	Region	Flows Into
Colorado River	1,450 mi	West	Gulf of California
Arkansas River	1,469 mi	Central	Mississippi River
Rio Grande	1,896 mi	South	Gulf of Mexico
South Platte River	439 mi	North	Missouri River
North Platte River	716 mi	North	Missouri River
Gunnison River	180 mi	West	Colorado River
Yampa River	250 mi	Northwest	Green River
San Juan River	383 mi	Southwest	Colorado River
Dolores River	241 mi	Southwest	Colorado River
White River	195 mi	Northwest	Green River
Animas River	126 mi	Southwest	San Juan River
Poudre River	126 mi	North	South Platte River
Blue River	65 mi	Central	Colorado River
Eagle River	60 mi	Central	Colorado River
Roaring Fork River	70 mi	Central	Colorado River
Uncompahgre River	75 mi	West	Gunnison River
Cache la Poudre River	126 mi	North	South Platte River
Big Thompson River	78 mi	North	South Platte River

Major Lakes in Colorado

Lake	Type	Region
Blue Mesa Reservoir	Reservoir	West
Lake Granby	Reservoir	North
Grand Lake	Natural lake	North
Shadow Mountain Lake	Reservoir	North
Horsetooth Reservoir	Reservoir	North
Eleven Mile Reservoir	Reservoir	Central
Chatfield Reservoir	Reservoir	Central
Turquoise Lake	Reservoir	Central
Twin Lakes	Natural lake	Central
Cherry Creek Reservoir	Reservoir	Central

Major River Basins in Colorado

Colorado is divided between major river basins that send water west toward the Colorado River and east toward the Mississippi River system. These basins are crucial for water supply across the western United States, making Colorado a key headwaters state.

Colorado River Basin
Arkansas River Basin
Rio Grande Basin
South Platte River Basin
North Platte River Basin
Gunnison River Basin
Yampa River Basin
San Juan River Basin
Dolores River Basin

Colorado Rivers Facts

State	Colorado
Total Rivers & Streams	158,000+ miles of streams
Major Rivers	Colorado, Arkansas, Rio Grande, Platte
Total Waterway Length	160,000+ miles
Main Drainage	Colorado River & Mississippi River Systems
Longest River	Rio Grande
Shortest River	Blue River
Major River Basins	9 Primary Basins
Primary Outlet	Gulf of California & Gulf of Mexico
Key Uses	Water supply, irrigation, recreation, hydroelectric power
Longest River Within State	Arkansas River
Number of River Basins	8鈥�10 Major Basins
Major Reservoirs	Blue Mesa, Lake Granby, Chatfield Reservoir
Primary Water Source	Snowmelt and mountain runoff

青青草视频