Hudson River | NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, PA (2025)

river, New York, United States

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Aug. 30, 2024, 11:02 AM ET (AP)

A centuries-old cemetery for people who were enslaved is reclaimed in New York

Hudson River, river in New York state, U.S. It flows almost entirely within the state, the exception being its final segment, where it forms the boundary between New York and New Jersey for 21 miles (34 km). The Hudson originates in several small postglacial lakes in the Adirondack Mountains near Mount Marcy (5,344 feet [1,629 metres]), the highest point in New York, and flows about 315 miles (507 km) through the eastern part of the state. Lake Tear of the Clouds is regarded as the source of its main headstream, the Opalescent River.

The Hudson follows a winding course for its first 108 miles (174 km), flowing generally southeast to Corinth in Saratoga county and then northeast to Hudson Falls. From there it flows (without significant gradient) almost directly south for 200 miles (320 km) to the Battery at the head of Upper New York Bay (at New York City). It drains an area of 13,370 square miles (34,628 square km). Its lower course, about 150 miles (240 km) long, occupies a drowned valley; extending seaward from its mouth for about 200 miles is a deep submarine canyon. Tides are felt as far north as the federal dam at Troy, where the mean tidal range is 4.7 feet (1.4 metres). The river reaches its widest point—3 miles (5 km)—at Haverstraw Bay (between Westchester and Rockland counties) before narrowing again to 0.75 mile (1.2 km) at its mouth. Together with the Mohawk River, its major tributary, it forms one of the nation’s most important waterways.

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Britannica QuizWater and its Varying Forms

The river was known to the Mahican (Mohican) Indians as Muhheakunnuk (“Great Waters Constantly in Motion”). The Florentine navigator Giovanni da Verrazano sailed a short distance upstream in 1524, but the river came to bear the name of the Englishman Henry Hudson, who explored it in 1609. Dutch settlement of the Hudson valley began in 1629, and the serene beauty of the region near Tarrytown formed a background for the stories of Washington Irving and inspired the Hudson River school of landscape painting and architecture. A strategic waterway during the American Revolution, the Hudson was the scene of numerous battles, including the decisive American victory at Saratoga and the naval battle of Tappan Zee. Benedict Arnold, the American military commander of forts in the Tappan Zee area, escaped to a British ship anchored near the village of Garrison after his discovery as a traitor. George Washington made his headquarters at Newburgh, along the west bank, in 1782 and later disbanded the American armies from there. The Palisades extend southward along the river’s west bank from southern New York into northern New Jersey. The river is overlooked at West Point by the U.S. Military Academy and at Hyde Park by the home of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The opening of three canals during the 19th century (the Erie, the Delaware and Hudson, and the Champlain) linked the river with the Great Lakes and the Delaware and lower St. Lawrence river valleys. It was thus a key factor in the growth of the Midwest as well as of New York City. Practical steam navigation was begun by inventor and engineer Robert Fulton in 1807, and the river quickly became a major commercial route. The main towns along its lower course owed their early prosperity to the whaling trade, and later in the 19th century they became home ports for interoceanic fleets.

Navigational improvements began in 1797, and in 1892 the Hudson was declared a federal government waterway. Controlling depth is 27 feet (8 metres) at Albany and 14 feet (4 metres) from Albany north to the Mohawk River. The river is open and navigable to Albany year-round for oceangoing ships and from early May to mid-November to the Great Lakes (via the canalized Mohawk and the New York State Canal System) for pleasure-boat and tugboat-barge traffic. River-borne cargo includes wood pulp, steel, cocoa beans, grain, and scrap metal. Passenger traffic has been replaced by parallel rail and highway facilities. Numerous bridges cross the river, including (from north to south) the Castleton-on-Hudson (built 1959), the Rip Van Winkle (1935), the Newburgh-Beacon (1963), the Bear Mountain (1924), the Tappan Zee (1956), and the George Washington (1931). Vehicular and railway tunnels connect New York City to northern New Jersey.

Pollution of the river by industrial waste and raw sewage has been a continuing problem. Conservation groups have made attempts to preserve the river’s ecological values, and pure-water programs have been inaugurated by the state and local governments.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Lorraine Murray.

Hudson River | NY, NJ, CT, MA, VT, PA (2025)

FAQs

What 2 states does the Hudson River run between? ›

Hudson River, river in New York state, U.S. It flows almost entirely within the state, the exception being its final segment, where it forms the boundary between New York and New Jersey for 21 miles (34 km).

What runs under the Hudson River between NY & NJ? ›

The first Hudson River vehicular crossing, the Holland Tunnel connects Canal Street in Manhattan with 12th and 14th streets in Jersey City, NJ, and is considered an outstanding engineering achievement.

How deep is the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey? ›

Hudson River
Hudson River Ka'nón:no (Mohawk) Mahicannittuk (Mahican) Muhheakantuck / Mahicannitukw (Munsee)
Depth
average30 ft (9.1 m) (extent south of Troy)
• maximum202 ft (62 m)
Discharge
38 more rows

What are some interesting facts about the Hudson River? ›

It empties into New York Bay after a journey of more than 300 miles (480 kilometers). It is named for the English explorer Henry Hudson. The river begins in several small mountain lakes in the northeastern part of the state. At first it winds through the countryside toward the southeast and then the northeast.

What state owns the Hudson River? ›

The Hudson River is the defining natural feature of a major region of New York State, familiar to millions who drive across its bridges, admire its grandeur from parks and historic sites, or ride the Hudson River Line railroad. Familiar as it may be, the Hudson is more than it seems.

What major US city is connected to the Hudson River? ›

The river's journey is 315 miles long. It ends at New York City near the Atlantic Ocean. This river is called the Hudson.

Is there a subway under the Hudson River? ›

Construction of the subway tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey stretched out over a period of more than three decades beginning in 1874, predating the first New York City subway (although the IRT subway opened beforehand, initial construction of the first New York City subway did not begin ...

Can you swim in the Hudson River? ›

Thanks to decades of work to halt pollution and restore the Hudson, people want to get in and enjoy the river. Much of the Hudson is safe to swim in much of the time, but the river has only 4 public swimming areas along its 150-mile stretch (a huge contrast to the 224 beaches on Long Island Sound).

Is the Lincoln Tunnel underwater or underground? ›

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Designed by Ole Singstad, the tunnel was built by shield-and-compressed-air methods to hold back the outside water pressure. The tunnel consists of three vehicular tubes, each of which carries two lanes of traffic. It is about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and lies 97 feet (30 metres) below the river's surface.

How deep is the Hudson River where the plane crashed? ›

The Hudson River is about 50 feet deep, or about 15 meters, where the plane landed. The plane actually did both of those things, plus a bonus third thing! It floated for a while, then it sank, and then it rested on the river bed.

Is the Hudson River fresh or saltwater? ›

The Hudson River is not your typical river. For about half its length, the Hudson is actually a tidal estuary, where salt water from the ocean combines with fresh water from northern tributaries.

Is the Hudson River clean? ›

Types of pollution and other environmental impacts. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has listed various portions of the Hudson as having impaired water quality due to PCBs, cadmium, and other toxic compounds.

Why is the Hudson River so famous? ›

It played a pivotal role in winning the Revolutionary War, and the river became the world's most important commercial waterway when the Erie Canal opened the way to the American West.

How many bodies are found in the Hudson River every year? ›

This results in a total of 59 bodies floating down the lower Hudson every year (49 or 50 from NYC, 5 or 6 from Bergen County, and about 4 from Hudson County). 59 divided by 365 gives you about 0.16 bodies per day.

Where is the deepest part of the Hudson River? ›

The part considered to be deepest is in the gorge named World's End at 62m (216ft). World's End is the deepest point on the river. Just south of West Point is charted at 175 ft deep. most of the rest of the river through the glacial channel cut through Granite in the Hudson highland is around 60 ft deep.

What city is built on the Hudson River? ›

New Amsterdam was founded at the mouth of the Hudson River, and would later become known as New York City.

Is the Hudson River saltwater or freshwater? ›

For about half its length, the Hudson is actually a tidal estuary, where salt water from the ocean combines with fresh water from northern tributaries. The Hudson is tidal from the mouth of the Hudson in New York Harbor to the Federal Dam in Troy, a distance of about 153 miles.

Is Hudson in Texas or New York? ›

For so small a city, Hudson has seen much fame and notoriety. In 1797, it came just one vote short of becoming the capital of New York State. In the mid-19th century, it was a center and inspiration for the Hudson River School of landscape painters.

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