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USA  Bodies of Water Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
USA  Bodies of Water Quizzes, Trivia

USA - Bodies of Water Trivia

USA - Bodies of Water Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
8 quizzes and 80 trivia questions.
1.
  A River Runs Through It    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is a quiz about the rivers that flow through U.S. cities/states. In the 18th and 19th centuries cities often grew up on major rivers as they were a source of transportation and water.
Average, 10 Qns, ncterp, Aug 24 23
Recommended for grades: 8,9,10,11,12
Average
ncterp gold member
Aug 24 23
406 plays
2.
  Rivers of the United States of America   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I'll tell you a little bit of the river. You identify it for me.
Average, 10 Qns, srini701, May 06 21
Average
srini701 gold member
May 06 21
7555 plays
3.
  Around the Bend    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
See if you can match these--ten of the twelve longest rivers in the United States--with the towns and cities through which they pass.
Easier, 10 Qns, bernie73, May 06 21
Recommended for grades: 6,7,8
Easier
bernie73 gold member
May 06 21
418 plays
4.
  A River Runs Through It - U.S. Edition    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Match up this list of rivers with the towns or cities in the United States that they run through.
Average, 10 Qns, darksplash, May 07 23
Average
darksplash
May 07 23
480 plays
5.
  Where's That Water    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A short knowledge test of US rivers and waterways.
Average, 10 Qns, patk60, May 06 21
Average
patk60
May 06 21
4024 plays
6.
  Rivers of the US    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Rivers were a major factor in the building of this county. They helped with interstate commerce, travel, and recreation among other things. See how much you know about the rivers of the United States and where they flow. Enjoy!
Very Difficult, 10 Qns, PSURef21, May 07 23
Very Difficult
PSURef21
May 07 23
1413 plays
7.
  USA Border Rivers    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Rivers form natural boundaries for some states. The correct answers will constitute at least a portion of the border between two states.
Average, 10 Qns, sc31089, May 07 23
Average
sc31089
May 07 23
1105 plays
8.
  Native American River Names    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Many American rivers retain, at least approximately, the names they were called in Native American languages. In which state is each of the following rivers primarily located?
Average, 10 Qns, cobb367, May 07 23
Average
cobb367
May 07 23
485 plays
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USA - Bodies of Water Trivia Questions

1. What is the name of the river that flows through Dallas, Texas?

From Quiz
A River Runs Through It

Answer: Trinity River

The Trinity River is the longest river with a watershed entirely in the state of Texas. Spanish explorers named it "La Santisima Trinidad" (Most Holy Trinity). The river empties into the Gulf of Mexico. Salmon fishing is popular!

2. This river flows from Pittsburgh, PA to Cairo, IL where it joins forces with the largest river in the USA. By the time it travels its entire 980 mile length, this river will flow through or border six states. What river divides Indiana and Kentucky?

From Quiz USA Border Rivers

Answer: Ohio

Due to its flow towards the West, the Ohio river was used by early settlers for westward expansion. It also formed the southern border of the Northwest Territory and was the dividing line between slave and free territory.

3. The Connecticut River forms the border between which two states?

From Quiz Where's That Water

Answer: New Hampshire and Vermont

Flowing south, the Connecticut River runs the entire length of the New Hampshire/Vermont border. The river continues south through Connecticut and flows into the Long Island Sound at Old Saybrook, CT.

4. In 2002 a bridge in Oklahoma on Interstate 40 was struck by a barge and collapsed. Over which river was this bridge?

From Quiz Rivers of the US

Answer: Arkansas River

The bridge in question was located near Webbers Falls, OK. A total of fourteen deceased victims were recovered from this terrible accident. After its trip though Oklahoma, the Arkansas River goes through the state of (surprise!) Arkansas, eventually passing thought the state capital, Little Rock, in the center of the state. The Arkansas finally empties in the Mississippi River in the southwester portion of the state of Arkansas (there the Mississippi is forming the border between Arkansas and the state of Mississippi). While a portion of the Red River is totally within Oklahoma, it is best known as forming the border between Oklahoma and Texas. The North Canadian River flows through the capital city of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City. The Missouri River is the second longest river in the United States, emptying in the Mississippi (the longest in the US) at St. Louis, MO. Along its route, the Missouri River does not pass through Oklahoma.

5. This river once used to flow into the Lake Michigan, but in 1900 its flow was reversed using a series of locks, and the river now flows into the Sanitary and Ship Canal. This river is dyed green every year on St. Patrick's Day.

From Quiz Rivers of the United States of America

Answer: Chicago River

The river is 156 miles long and has 45 movable bridges on it. There was a flood in the river in 1992.

6. What major city does the Schuylkill River flow through?

From Quiz A River Runs Through It

Answer: Philadelphia, PA

The Schuylkill River derived its name from Pennsylvania Dutch settlers in the early 17th century. It means "hidden river." The river serves as a major form of transportation from the coal mining sections of northern Pennsylvania to the Delaware River in Philadelphia.

7. Big Muddy is the nickname of this river that forms the border between Nebraska and Iowa. As the longest river in the USA, this river flows through more state capitals than any other. What river is this?

From Quiz USA Border Rivers

Answer: Missouri

The Missouri River flows through three state capitals, Bismarck, North Dakota; Pierre, South Dakota; and Jefferson City, Missouri. After joining the Mississippi, that same water will continue on through one more state capital (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) before ending up in the Gulf of Mexico.

8. The Hudson River flows through this New York State's capital city?

From Quiz Where's That Water

Answer: Albany

Albany became capital in 1797. Kingston is the original capital city of New York State.

9. What was not one of the three rivers next to Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania?

From Quiz Rivers of the US

Answer: Schuykill River

Three Rivers Stadium was opened in 1970 and was the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL and the Pittsburgh Pirates of Major League Baseball. At the site of Three Rivers Stadium is the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River. From Pittsburgh, the Ohio River eventually goes on to form the southern borders of the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, along with northern borders of West Virginia, and Kentucky. The Ohio River joins with the Tennessee River near Paducah, Kentucky, and then empties into the Mississippi River near Cairo, Illinois. The Allegheny River begins in north-central Pennsylvania, moves briefly into New York state, and then comes back into Pennsylvania. It travels though the western part of the state down to Pittsburgh. The Monongahela begins in West Virginia, and then flows north into Pennsylvania, eventually to Pittsburgh. The Schuylkill River is a smallish river in the southeastern part of Pennsylvania, eventually flowing into the much larger Delaware River in Philadelphia, PA.

10. One of the easternmost rivers of the Mississippi River system, this river rises in Potter County, Pennsylvania and joins the Monongahela River at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

From Quiz Rivers of the United States of America

Answer: Allegheny River

The Allegheny flows in a northwest direction from Potter County into New York State, turns southwestward into Pennsylvania, and on joining the Monongahela River, is known as the Ohio River, which ultimately joins the Mississippi and flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

11. Southwest Idaho is separated from Oregon and Washington by the same river that Evel Knievel jumped over with a rocket powered motorcycle in 1974. What is the name of this river?

From Quiz USA Border Rivers

Answer: Snake

Along the Oregon/Idaho border, the Snake River flows through Hell's Canyon, the deepest river-carved gorge in North America. Evel Knievel's jump wasn't as successful as he had planned. Before he could land on the other side of the canyon, he was blown backwards and ended up 600ft down and on the same side of the river he jumped from.

12. In Three Forks, MT, the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers create this river?

From Quiz Where's That Water

Answer: Missouri River

The Jefferson is the longest of the three rivers making the Mississippi-Missouri-Jefferson the third longest river in the world (3,896 miles). The Nile is the longest river (4,157 miles), Amazon is number two (3,969 miles). The Yangtze river in China is a close fourth at 3,859 miles.

13. The largest river in volume flowing into the Pacific Ocean from North America. This river starts from the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia and also flows through Washington. Portland in Oregon is one of the major cities on this river.

From Quiz Rivers of the United States of America

Answer: Columbia River

A great source of hydroelectric power for irrigation and electricity, the Columbia River gorge is also a great wind surfing place. The river flows into the Pacific Ocean at Astoria, Oregon.

14. What city does the St. Johns River run through?

From Quiz A River Runs Through It

Answer: Jacksonville, FL

The St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida. The river was named Rio de San Juan by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. When the English acquired the river in the 18th century the English translation of St. Johns stuck. It is also believed the river was named after St. John the Baptist.

15. This river forms the majority of the border between Oregon and Washington. By volume, this is the largest river flowing into the Pacific Ocean from North America and the fourth largest in the USA. Name it.

From Quiz USA Border Rivers

Answer: Columbia

Lewis and Clark completed their journey west at Fort Clatsop in Oregon after paddling down the Snake and Columbia Rivers. The Columbia River Gorge is one of the most popular places in the world for windsurfing, but Lewis and Clark probably finished their journey the old fashioned way.

16. The Salton Sea was formed in 1905 by floodwaters from this river?

From Quiz Where's That Water

Answer: Colorado River

While formed by the freshwater Colorado river during flooding in 1905 (prior to Hoover Dam), the Salton Sea is a saline lake. The Salton Sink (pre Salton Sea name) was a salt mining location. This is the largest lake in California.

17. A certain American town is home to a major university. That town gets its name from a physical feature of the river that flows through that town. What is the name of that river?

From Quiz Rivers of the US

Answer: Saint Joseph River

The St. Joseph River flows though South Bend, Indiana, home of the University of Notre Dame. The river flows from east of the city and then turns suddenly north near the city center, hence the city is positioned on the "south bend" of the river. Everything south of South Bend is in the Mississippi River watershed-meaning that any water south of South Bend flows into the Mississippi and then into the Gulf of Mexico. Water from the St. Joseph River flows into Lake Michigan, so it is, therefore, in the Great Lakes watershed. The Raccoon River flows though Iowa, and empties into the Des Moines River in Des Moines, IA (the Des Moines eventually flows into the Mississippi). The Charles River is a relatively short river in Massachusetts. In the end of its journey, the Charles flows though Boston (home of Harvard University, amongst other schools). The name "Boston" is not derived from any feature of the river, but, rather, it comes from the town of Boston, Lincolnshire, England. The Connecticut River flows from northern New Hampshire, forms the border between New Hampshire and Vermont, through central Massachusetts, and then through Connecticut before emptying into Long Island Sound. It is the longest river in New England. It flows through Hanover, NH, site of Dartmouth College.

18. What river forms the border between Washington, DC and Virginia?

From Quiz A River Runs Through It

Answer: The Potomac River

The Potomac River is the fastest flowing river in the U.S. The Potomac provides Washington, DC with over 90% of its drinking water. In 1998 the river was designated an American Heritage River.

19. Forming part of the border between Indiana and Illinois, this is Indiana's state river and also mentioned by name in the state song. What river is this?

From Quiz USA Border Rivers

Answer: Wabash

With a 411 mile stretch between Huntington, Indiana and the confluence with the Ohio River, the Wabash River flows freely for longer than any other river east of the Mississippi. The Wabash River flows through Wabash, Indiana; which was the first electrically lighted city in America.

20. Wholly contained within the state of Texas, what is the name of the river that flows through the capital city of Austin?

From Quiz Where's That Water

Answer: Colorado River

This is a different Colorado River from the one that flows from the Colorado Rockies through the Grand Canyon and out to Gulf of California.

21. Which river had the direction of its flow reversed in 1900 for sanitation reasons?

From Quiz Rivers of the US

Answer: Chicago River

The Chicago River originally flowed through Chicago into Lake Michigan. Some of its flow was diverted in 1871, and in 1900 the flow was completely reversed so that it flowed from Lake Michigan to the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and eventually to the Mississippi River. Every year, on St. Patrick's Day, the Chicago River is dyed green. The Cuyahoga River flows though northeastern Ohio, emptying into Lake Erie at Cleveland. Due to high pollution level, the river actually caught on fire several times in the twentieth century (though it has been cleaned up quite a bit in recent years). The Detroit River is only 32 miles long. It runs between Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie, past the city of Detroit, Michigan. It forms the boundary between the United States and Canada. Looking across this river from Detroit, you are looking into Windsor, Ontario, Canada-this is one of the very few places where you look south into Canada from the lower 48 states. The Platte River flows through Nebraska, and flows into the Missouri River just south of Omaha, NE.

22. The fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast of the USA, major tributaries of this "famous" river include the Shenandoah River, the Monocacy River and the Anacostia River.

From Quiz Rivers of the United States of America

Answer: Potomac River & Potomac

The Potomac River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of USA. The river is approximately 413 miles (665 km) long.

23. George Washington is shown crossing this river while heading into the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War in a famous painting by Emanuel Leutze. What river provides the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey?

From Quiz USA Border Rivers

Answer: Delaware

The Battle of Trenton had two future US Presidents involved. George Washington and James Monroe, who was badly injured in the battle. The Delaware River also flows through the first capital of the United States of America, Philadelphia.

24. Three Mile Island nuclear accident occurred in 1979 on Three Mile Island which is located on this river?

From Quiz Where's That Water

Answer: Susquehanna River

Three Mile Island is just South of Harrisburg, PA

25. A dam along which river is home to the largest electric producing facility in the United States?

From Quiz Rivers of the US

Answer: Columbia River

This damming of the Columbia River is by the Grand Coulee Dam, which is located in northeast Washington state. The Columbia River eventually joins forces with the Snake and Willamette Rivers before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at the Washington/Oregon border. The Colorado River is in the southwestern United States. It forms Lake Powell on the Arizona/Utah border, being dammed by Glen Canyon Dam. It also forms Lake Mead on the Arizona/Nevada border, there being dammed by Hoover Dam. The Colorado's greatest claim to fame is that it formed (and flows though) the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona. The Niagara River is about 35 miles long and runs from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Some of the water from the Niagara River is diverted to run the turbines that produce the hydroelectric power. The Cape Fear River runs through east central North Carolina and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near Wilmington, NC.

26. This river marks part of the boundary between Mexico and the United States. It rises in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado and ends in a small sandy delta on the Gulf of Mexico.

From Quiz Rivers of the United States of America

Answer: Rio Grande

The Rio Grande has more users for its water than the water in it. Unless rainfall returns to normal levels during the next few years and water conservation measures are strictly adopted, the Rio Grande may well become extinct pretty soon.

27. What two rivers meet to form a third in Pittsburgh, PA?

From Quiz A River Runs Through It

Answer: The Allegheny and the Monongahela meet to form the Ohio River

Hence, Three Rivers Stadium, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fort Duquesne, located on the site of present-day Pittsburgh, was a strategically important outpost in 18th century Colonial America.

28. Commemorated in a poem by Sidney Lanier and the subject of an Alan Jackson song, this river marks part of the border between Georgia and Alabama before ending up in the Gulf of Mexico. What river is this?

From Quiz USA Border Rivers

Answer: Chattahoochee

The name Chattahoochee means "painted rock". The Chattahoochee is known as the Apalachicola River after it enters Florida. According to the Alan Jackson song, "it gets hotter than a hoochie coochie".

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