Rhine River
Alternative / Indigenous / Local Names: Rhein, Rhin, Rijn
Western Europe's preeminent cultural, ecological, and industrial river corridor, linking the Swiss Alps to the North Sea.
Verified Geographic & Hydrological Profile
ID: RVR-0016- Official Length
- 1,230 km (764 miles)
- Drainage Basin
- Rhine Basin (185,000 km²)
- Average Discharge
- 2,900 m³/s (102,413 cu ft/s)
- Source / Headwaters
-
Tomasee, Oberalp Pass (Graubünden, Switzerland)
(Elevation: 2,345 m / 7,694 ft)
Coords: 46.6328°, 8.6658°
- Mouth / Outflow
-
North Sea at Hook of Holland (Rotterdam, Netherlands)
Coords: 51.9833°, 4.1167°
Interactive River Course Map
Geographical Overview & Course
In 2010, historical encyclopedic typos listing 1,320 km were officially corrected to 1,230 km by the International Commission for the Hydrology of the Rhine Basin.
Ecological & Environmental Significance
Extensively rehabilitated under the Rhine 2020 international action program, successfully reintroducing Atlantic salmon to upper Swiss spawning reaches.
Economic Importance, Navigation & Human Settlement
Handles tens of millions of tons of chemical, fuel, and industrial container barge freight terminating at the Port of Rotterdam.