Delaware (river)

Delaware (river), river in the eastern United States, one of the major rivers of the region. The Delaware rises on the western slopes of the Catskill Mountains in eastern New York. At that point, the river consists of two branches, of which the West is the chief branch; it flows south-west as far as Deposit, New York, and then turns south-east, where it forms the boundary between Pennsylvania and New York. The East Branch parallels the course of the West Branch above Deposit, and the two branches meet at Hancock, New York. From here the river flows south-east and becomes the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, following a generally southern course to its outlet in Delaware Bay.

Important tributaries of the Delaware include the Neversink, Calicoon, and Mongaup rivers in New York; Lehigh, Schuylkill, and Lackawaxen rivers in Pennsylvania; and the Maurice and Musconetcong rivers in New Jersey. The West Branch flows for 145 km (90 mi) and the East Branch flows for 121 km (75 mi) before they meet, and then for another 451 km (280 mi) to Delaware Bay. The river drains an area of about 31,100 sq km (12,000 sq mi).

The Delaware is a source of hydroelectric power and an important waterway. It is navigable by large, ocean-going vessels as far inland as Philadelphia and by smaller vessels to Trenton, New Jersey. A canal once connected Trenton to New Brunswick, New Jersey, on the Raritan River. The canal has been filled in at numerous points, such as Manville and New Brunswick. The Chesapeake and Delaware Canal connects the Delaware River below Wilmington, Delaware, with Chesapeake Bay, and is navigable by ocean-going vessels.

Through the Delaware River Basin Commission, created in 1961, the federal government and four states—New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware—jointly manage the assets and problems of the basin.

Sections of the Delaware are particularly scenic. These sections include the Catskills between New York and Pennsylvania, known as the Upper Delaware, and the area between New Jersey and Pennsylvania that makes up the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

On the evening of December 25, 1776, George Washington led his troops across the Delaware. The next day, he and his troops defeated German mercenaries (Hessians) allied with the British in the Battle of Trenton.