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River

Rhine

1,233 km from source to mouth · 6 countries.

The NetherlandsFranceGermanyLiechtensteinSwitzerlandAustriaThe Netherlands, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and AustriaFlows into North Sea1st longest in The Netherlands

Follow the riverMonth by month

SourceMouthCologneDuisburg
The river and every tributary in its basin, drawn from RiverATLAS (CC BY 4.0).

In numbers

Length

1,233km

Average flow

2,200m³/s

Basin

185,000km²

Drop

1,433m

from 1,429 m to -4 m

Countries

6

The journey

From source to mouth

1,233 km of river and 68 stops on the way: 39 towns and cities on its banks, dams, bridges and the tributaries that feed it.

1,429 m-4 m
Tomaseeat 1,429 m0 km
Basel176,329 people230 km
Weil am Rhein32,361 people235 km
Karlsruhe309,247 people445 km
Mannheim319,536 people514 km
Wiesbaden288,584 people600 km
Cologne1,025,523 people801 km
Düsseldorf619,444 people859 km
Arnhem164,096 people1,007 km
North Seaat -4 m1,233 km
02505007501,0001,233 km
  1. 0 kmTomaseeat 1,429 m
  2. 77 kmLake Lucerne110 km²
  3. 80 kmRotsee0.4 km²
  4. 160 kmKlingnauer Stausee0.9 km²
  5. 162 kmAaretributary
  6. 162 kmWutachtributary
  7. 163 kmWaldshut-Tiengen25,084 people
  8. 175 kmAlbtributary
  9. 181 kmKleiner Laufen bei Laufenburg
  10. 184 kmMurgtributary
  11. 211 kmRheinfelden13,528 people
  12. 230 kmBasel176,329 people
  13. 234 kmHuningue7,487 people
  14. 235 kmWeil am Rhein32,361 people
  15. 347 kmErstein10,790 people
  16. 370 kmKehl39,708 people
  17. 370 kmStrasbourg293,771 people
  18. 389 kmPeterhafen0.5 km²
  19. 407 kmKasjdböldj0.6 km²
  20. 411 kmPolder de la Moder0.7 km²
  21. 426 kmGoldkanal1.2 km²
  22. 439 kmFermasee0.3 km²
  23. 445 kmKarlsruhe309,247 people
  24. 488 kmSpeyer49,035 people
  25. 492 kmGänsedrecksee0.8 km²
  26. 508 kmAlt-Rhein0.4 km²
  27. 508 kmBlaue Adria0.5 km²
  28. 514 kmMannheim319,536 people
  29. 515 kmLudwigshafen am Rhein163,196 people
  30. 515 kmLudwigshafen177,355 people
  31. 518 kmMelm0.4 km²
  32. 534 kmWorms86,921 people
  33. 559 kmEicher See0.5 km²
  34. 571 kmRiedsee bei Leeheim0.4 km²
  35. 593 kmMainz223,888 people
  36. 600 kmWiesbaden288,584 people
  37. 608 kmEltville am Rhein16,939 people
  38. 626 kmRüdesheim am Rhein9,874 people
  39. 628 kmBingen am Rhein25,424 people
  40. 695 kmKoblenz113,020 people
  41. 741 kmRemagen17,563 people
  42. 750 kmBad Honnef24,930 people
  43. 763 kmStadtbezirk Bonn152,544 people
  44. 764 kmBonn323,587 people
  45. 790 kmPorz am Rhein113,415 people
  46. 795 kmRodenkirchen110,158 people
  47. 800 kmKöln1,024,621 people
  48. 801 kmCologne1,025,523 people
  49. 803 kmNippes113,487 people
  50. 813 kmLeverkusen162,738 people
  51. 817 kmFühlingen Lake0.6 km²
  52. 853 kmNeuss152,457 people
  53. 859 kmDüsseldorf619,444 people
  54. 882 kmLake Elfrath0.6 km²
  55. 891 kmWedau Regatta Course0.3 km²
  56. 893 kmDuisburg500,810 people
  57. 902 kmUettelsheimer See0.4 km²
  58. 936 kmAuesee1.6 km²
  59. 939 kmDiersfordter Waldsee0.9 km²
  60. 947 kmLange Renne0.4 km²
  61. 961 kmBotzelaerer Meer0.4 km²
  62. 973 kmEmmerich am Rhein31,736 people
  63. 979 kmKleve53,094 people
  64. 986 kmDe Bijland2.3 km²
  65. 1,007 kmArnhem164,096 people
  66. 1,031 kmNeder-Betuwe24,648 people
  67. 1,096 kmGorinchem37,410 people
  68. 1,132 kmKralingen Lake1.1 km²
  69. 1,133 kmRotterdam868,135 people
  70. 1,233 kmNorth Seaat -4 m

Water level along the river (RiverATLAS; the height is exaggerated). Towns: GeoNames and Wikidata; bridges, dams and tributaries: Wikidata.

River in Western Europe to the North Sea

At the mouth it carries 2,200 m³/s on average: an Olympic pool every 1.1 seconds. It drops from 1,429 m to -4 m, 1.2 m per kilometre on average. Its basin covers 185,000 km², about the size of SY. 49.6 million people live in it. Highest water: from December to February. Its dams hold back little of its water (3.5% of a year's flow).

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to start

  • CologneLargest city on its banks · 1,025,523 people
  • Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)Nearest airport with scheduled flights, 16 km from the cityCar hire at CGN airport (Köln)Discover Cars · Affiliate link
  • On the water1,319 ferry piers, marinas, boat rentals and boat ramps along the river (OpenStreetMap)
  • Kayak and canoe57 put-ins and rapids mapped (OpenStreetMap)
  • From May to SeptemberThe best months to visit

Rhine, month by month

Highest water: from December to February

Best months to visit: from May to September.

3,600
1°57 mmJan
3,300
2°48 mmFeb
2,600
6°53 mmMar
1,800
9°53 mmApr
1,400
13°68 mmMay
1,700
16°81 mmJun
1,800
18°76 mmJul
2,100
18°80 mmAug
2,000
15°63 mmSep
1,900
10°58 mmOct
2,500
6°64 mmNov
3,100
2°63 mmDec
Water (estimated flow)Air (average) Rain (mm)Best months

From about 1,400 m³/s in the lowest month to 3,600 m³/s in the highest. An estimate: the monthly flow is modelled from the lowest and highest months of WaterGAP (RiverATLAS, 1971–2000) and the rain and snow along the river (WorldClim). Dams change the real rhythm. The chip is the average air temperature; below it, the month's rain.

Plan the trip

Plan the trip: boat trips, a bed by the river, a car

Car hire at CGN airport (Köln)Discover CarsSee 

Some links above are affiliate links: if you book through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what the data on this page says.

The basin

Rhine: the basin in numbers

163,008 km² of land send their water to this river. This is what lives on it.

Lightly regulatedReservoirs can hold 3.5% of a year's flow.
  • 49.6millionpeople live in the basin
  • 308/km²people per km²
  • 479maverage altitude of the basin
  • 875mmof rain a year (basin average)
  • 8.2°Caverage air temperature
  • 26%protected areas
  • 1.0%covered by lakes
  • 2.7km³held in reservoirs

What covers the basin

  • 43% Forest
  • 23% Cropland
  • 17% Pasture
  • 18% Towns and cities

RiverATLAS (HydroATLAS v1.0, CC BY 4.0): land cover, people, protected areas, glaciers and dams over the whole basin upstream of the mouth.

Along the river

Rhine: what you find on the way

  • 123DamsArniboden Süd, Arniboden West, Arniboden Nord and 120 more
  • 676WeirsWasserfassung Chärstelenbach, Wasserfassung Etzlibach, Nadelwehr and 673 more
  • 177LocksSchleuse Augst, Rhein, Canal de Huningue and 174 more
  • 89WaterfallsDreistäuberfälle, Lindenbach-Wasserfall, Wasserfall Tägerig and 86 more
  • 12RapidsFällbaum, Bremgartner Welle and 10 more
  • 45Canoe put-insBadi Brugg, Albbruck, Rheinwehr and 42 more
  • 552Boat rampsKayak and Canoe Slipway, Benzenholz, Auswasserungsstelle and 549 more
  • 361Ferry piersSeedorf UR (See), Flüelen (See), Flüelen and 358 more
  • 383MarinasGenossenschaft Bootshafen Flüelen, Bootshafen Sisikon, Föhnhafen Brunnen and 380 more
  • 23Boat rentalsRiviera Boote, Riviera Boote - Boat Rental, Swiss Classic Boats and 20 more
  • 57River beachesStrandbad Flüelen, Gruonbach, Badestrand Bauen and 54 more

From OpenStreetMap, within 2.5 km of the river. Not mapped is not the same as not there.

Cross-checked with our atlases

Rhine in our other atlases

What our sister atlases know about the waterfalls on this river, the lakes it flows through, the beaches at its mouth, the mountains where it rises and the islands off its mouth.

  • 1waterfall on the riverCascadyas
  • 24lakes on its wayLakeyas
  • 5beaches at the mouth and on the banksCoastya
  • 226mountains at the sourcePeakyas

Waterfalls (1)

On the river, by Cascadyas

  1. Kleiner Laufen bei Laufenburgkm 163

Cascadyas is coming soonOpen Cascadyas ↗

Lakes and reservoirs (24)

Lakes it flows through, by Lakeyas

  1. Lake Lucernekm 69 · 214 m deep110km²
  2. Rotseekm 72 · 16 m deep0.4km²
  3. Klingnauer Stauseekm 144 · 500 m deep0.9km²
  4. Eicher Seekm 5040.5km²
  5. Riedsee bei Leeheimkm 5150.4km²
  6. Lake Elfrathkm 7950.6km²
  7. Aueseekm 8431.6km²
  8. Kralingen Lakekm 1,0201.1km²

16 more on LakeyasLakeyas is coming soonOpen Lakeyas ↗

Beaches (5)

At the mouth (25 km) and on the banks, by Coastya

  1. Habana Beach13 km away18.7°C
  2. Ouddorp Beach24 km away18.7°C
  3. Badstrand Rockanje12 km away18.7°C
  4. Maasvlaktestrand12 km away18.7°C
  5. De Val25 km away · cove18.7°C

Open Coastya ↗

Mountains at the source (226)

Within 15 km of the source, by Peakyas

  1. Oberalpstock14 km away · prominence 709 m3,328m
  2. Scopi14 km away · prominence 792 m3,190m
  3. Bristen12 km away · prominence 567 m3,073m
  4. Maasplanggstock4.8 km away3,361m
  5. Piz Gannaretsch8.8 km away · prominence 934 m3,040m
  6. Piz Giuv7.8 km away · prominence 749 m3,096m
  7. Pizzo Centrale7.6 km away · prominence 451 m2,999m
  8. Piz Blas7.4 km away · prominence 312 m3,019m

218 more on PeakyasOpen Peakyas ↗

From space

The source and the mouth, seen from orbit

Rhine: satellite view of the source
The source14 km across
Rhine: satellite view of the mouth
The mouth55 km across

Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016), CC BY 4.0. The glowing line is the river as drawn by RiverATLAS.

Photos

Rhine in pictures

Rheinfall mit Rheinfallbrücke und Schloss Laufen
Olga Ernst · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rheinzusammenfluss
Benreis · CC BY-SA 3.0
Loreleyblick Maria Ruh 2025
Jörg Braukmann · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Rhine Hünxe Germany
Bobby-John de Bot · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tributaries

Where it flows, and what flows into it

Tributaries (144)

MoselleGermanyGermany544 km320 m³/sjoins at km 629MainGermanyGermany524 km200 m³/sjoins at km 534NeckarGermanyGermany362 km140 m³/sjoins at km 467AareSwitzerlandSwitzerland295 km560 m³/sjoins at km 146LippeGermanyGermany255 km240 m³/sjoins at km 841LahnGermanyGermany242 km54 m³/sjoins at km 691RuhrGermanyGermany217 km79 m³/sjoins at km 809IllFranceFrance217 km54 m³/sjoins at km 354SiegGermanyGermany155 km52 m³/sjoins at km 696ThurSwitzerlandSwitzerland135 km47 m³/sNaheGermanyGermany125 km32 m³/sjoins at km 566WupperGermanyGermany115 km17 m³/sjoins at km 736

Also: Ahr, Emscher, Birs, Düssel, Wiese, Hinterrhein, Wied, Erft, Bregenzerach, Elz, Selz, Lauter, Kinzig, Syre, Alb, Nette, Plessur, Glatt, Töss, Sauer, Speyerbach, Pfrimm, Wutach, Landquart

In the same basin

SaarGermanyGermany246 km78 m³/sReussSwitzerlandSwitzerland159 km130 m³/sLimmatSwitzerlandSwitzerland140 km100 m³/sSaane/SarineSwitzerlandSwitzerland126 km54 m³/sSauerGermanyGermany173 km220 m³/sRegnitzGermanyGermany59 km51 m³/sPegnitzGermanyGermany113 km12 m³/sAlzetteLuxembourgLuxembourg73 km14 m³/sMeurtheFranceFrance161 km41 m³/sKocherGermanyGermany168 km23 m³/s

Nearby

Rivers nearby

MeuseThe NetherlandsThe Netherlands950 km230 m³/s44 km awayLysBelgiumBelgium202 km22 m³/s106 km awayDommelBelgiumBelgium80 km10 m³/s83 km awaySenneBelgiumBelgium103 km5.5 m³/s99 km awayDenderBelgiumBelgium65 km8.8 m³/s102 km awayDyle / DijleBelgiumBelgium86 km69 m³/s100 km awayYserBelgiumBelgium78 km15 m³/s133 km awayRurThe NetherlandsThe Netherlands164 km25 m³/s151 km away

Where these numbers come from

Name, length, placesWikidata (Q584) · CC0
Course, profile, basinRiverATLAS v1.0 (HydroATLAS, Linke et al. 2019) · CC BY 4.0 — followed from the source to the mouth given by Wikidata
FlowWaterGAP (RiverATLAS), 1971–2000 · CC BY 4.0
Climate along the riverWorldClim (RiverATLAS), 1970–2000 · CC BY 4.0
Towns, bridges, damsWikidata · CC0; GeoNames · CC BY 4.0
Along the river© OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL
ImagesEOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons
Our other atlasesCascadyas, Lakeyas, Coastya, Peakyas — Wikidata · CC0; © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL; GeoNames · CC BY 4.0; HydroLAKES · CC BY 4.0; NOAA OISST

Every source and licence is on the data sources page.

The family

Do you prefer beaches, lakes, mountains, waterfalls, islands, rivers or canyons?

Same idea, other landscapes: field atlases built on open data, month by month, in seven languages.

beachesCoastyaFind your beach: sea temperature, sun and swimming month by month.Visit
lakesLakeyasEvery lake on Earth: water temperature, ice, depth and the shore.Coming soonVisit
mountainsPeakyasEvery summit in 3D: summit weather, the 0 °C line, huts and trails.Visit
waterfallsCascadyasEvery waterfall: height, flow month by month and when it roars.Coming soonVisit
islandsIslandyasEvery island from the sea up: size, sea temperature, ferries and 3D.Coming soonVisit
riversRiveryasEvery river from source to sea: the journey, the flow and the basin in numbers.You are here
canyonsCanyonyasEvery canyon cut to scale: depth to the floor, rim and floor temperatures, trails and viewpoints.Coming soonVisit