# List of rivers of Europe

This article lists the principal rivers of Europe with their main tributaries.

## Scope

The border of Europe and Asia is here defined as from the Kara Sea, along the Ural Mountains and Ural River to the Caspian Sea. While the crest of the Caucasus Mountains is the geographical border with Asia in the south, Georgia, and to a lesser extent Armenia and Azerbaijan, are politically and culturally often associated with Europe; rivers in these countries are therefore included.
The list is at the outset limited to those rivers that are at least 250 km long from the most distant source, have a drainage basin (catchment area, watershed) of at least 10,000 km$^2$ (3,900 sq mi), or have a mean discharge (volume, flow) of at least 150 m$^3$/s (5,300 cu ft/s). Also included are a number of rivers (currently 47) that do not meet these criteria, but are very well known and/or nearly make the mark. Examples of these are the Arno, Ruhr, Saar, and Clyde. See the lists of rivers for individual countries linked to at the bottom of the page for smaller rivers.
The rivers are ordered from those flowing to the extreme northeast into the Arctic Ocean, following the coastline anticlockwise all the way to the southeastern coast of the Black Sea. Iceland and the British Islands are included via virtual connections with northern Norway and across the Strait of Dover and the North Channel, respectively. Finally, rivers draining into the Caspian Sea are listed from Azerbaijan to the Ural River.
The table can be sorted by each column. The first three columns give a ranking for (maximum) length, area and volume of those rivers flowing into the sea or an endorheic lake down to the cut-off values. No ranking of tributaries is attempted, as the concept is too contentious; for example, hydrologically the middle and upper Volga could be considered a tributary of the Kama, in which case it would be the fifth or sixth longest river in Europe. Instead it does not appear in the table at all.
The commercial and geopolitical importance of rivers is not ranked here. As a transportation artery, a river may unite a region commercially and economically, but major rivers, as barriers to travel, may also form political boundaries between states. The Danube, the second longest river in Europe, is notable for flowing through or past ten countries; the Rhine through or past six. The Volga, the longest river in Europe, unites a huge region of European Russia; eleven of the twenty largest cities in Russia lie on its banks. The Loire and the Po unite important regions within France and Italy respectively. The most important rivers in Europe include Rhone, Elbe, Oder, Tagus, Thames, Don and Dnieper, among others.

## Caveats

The measurements shown are drawn from sources deemed most reliable, but still are often uncertain, especially when other sources disagree wildly. For example, the Siret in Romania and Ukraine is 726 km long with a basin of 44,000 km$^2$ according to the Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 647 km (44,811 km$^2$) according to a Romanian management plan for the Siret basin and 559 km (47,610 km$^2$) according to the extensive transboundary rivers study by the Economic Commission for Europe.
Length estimates for rivers depend on a number of variables:
* River Source - The choice of the source obviously has an impact. Here we attempt to list the most distant source. When that involves a tributary nearer the mouth of the river, the length of the nominal river is listed as well, if it meets the above criteria.
* River End - Rivers flowing into estuaries have an arbitrary lower end. The channel of such a river through an estuary is usually included in the length when it is exposed at low tide.
* Path Granularity - The estimate will be larger when the curves of the river are traced at a smaller scale.
* Intermediate Bodies of Water - The length of a watercourse through a reservoir or lake is open to interpretation. For this table, when a source for the total length of a river system involving lakes is lacking, the shortest possible course through the lakes is used
* Path Changes - Over time, a river's length can change through canalization, the creation of reservoirs, and natural changes in the water course.
The catchment areas are more consistent between sources. However, in low relief the watershed is less obvious, while underground connections (especially in karst systems) further complicate area measurements. Unless excellent sources are available, the areas below 70°N latitude are taken from the HydroBASINS project. The River Networks and Ramsar Sites Information Service websites provide convenient interfaces to assess the accuracy of many of the basins. Areas for rivers above 70°N are warned and found to be less reliable.
The listed multiyear mean discharges are even less reliable than the lengths. Underestimates are most common, as the gauging stations are often far above the mouth, so that only a fraction of the drainage basin is represented. On the other hand, the highest volume of a river may not be at the mouth due to water loss by human usage, diversion (e.g. through distributaries), evaporation, or underground drainage.

## Rivers of Europe

| Arctic Ocean | Atlantic Ocean | North Sea | White Sea | Baltic Sea | Mediterranean Sea | Black Sea | Caspian Sea |

## Rivers of Europe by length

The longest rivers in Europe with their approximate lengths (incomplete list):
* Volga - 3,690 km (2,290 mi)
* Danube - 2,860 km (1,780 mi)
* Ural - 2,428 km (1,509 mi)
* Dnieper - 2,290 km (1,420 mi)
* Don -  1,950 km (1,210 mi)
* Pechora - 1,809 km (1,124 mi)
* - Kama - 1,805 km (1,122 mi) (the longest left tributary of the Volga and the largest one in discharge)
* - Oka - 1,500 km (930 mi) (the longest right tributary of Volga)
* - Belaya - 1,430 km (890 mi) (tributary of Kama)
* Dniester - 1,352 km (840 mi)
* Rhine - 1,236 km (768 mi)
* - Desna - 1,130 km (700 mi) (major left tributary of Dnieper)
* Elbe - 1,091 km (678 mi)
* - Donets - 1,053 km (654 mi) (major right tributary of Don River)
* Vistula - 1,047 km (651 mi)
* Tagus - 1,038 km (645 mi)
* Daugava - 1,020 km (630 mi)
* Loire - 1,012 km (629 mi)
* - Tisza - 966 km (600 mi) (1,358 km (844 mi) before 1880) (tributary of the Danube)
* Ebro - 960 km (600 mi)
* - Prut - 953 km (592 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Neman - 937 km (582 mi)
* - Sava - 933 km (580 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Meuse - 925 km (575 mi)
* Kuban - 906 km (563 mi)
* Douro - 897 km (557 mi)
* Mezen - 857 km (533 mi)
* Oder - 854 km (531 mi)
* Guadiana - 829 km (515 mi)
* Rhône - 815 km (506 mi)
* Southern Bug - 806 km (501 mi)
* Kuma - 802 km (498 mi)
* - Warta - 795 km (494 mi) (major tributary of Oder)
* Seine - 776 km (482 mi)
* Mureș - 761 km (473 mi)
* Northern Dvina - 744 km (462 mi)
* - Vychegda - 744 km (462 mi) (major left tributary of Northern Dvina)
* - Drava - 710 km (440 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Po - 682 km (424 mi)
* Guadalquivir - 657 km (408 mi)
* Bolshoy Uzen - 650 km (400 mi)
* - Siret - 647 km (402 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* - Maly Uzen - 638 km (396 mi) (tributary of Bolshoy Uzen)
* Terek - 623 km (387 mi)
* - Olt - 615 km (382 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* - Vashka - 605 km (376 mi) (major tributary of Mezen)
* Glomma - 604 km (375 mi)(Norway's longest and most voluminous river)
* Garonne - 602 km (374 mi)
* - Usa - 565 km (351 mi) (major tributary of Pechora)
* Kemijoki - 550 km (340 mi)
* - Great Morava - 550 km (340 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* - Moselle 546 km (339 mi)(longest left tributary of Rhine)
* - Main 525 km (326 mi) (longest right tributary of Rhine)
* Torne - 522 km (324 mi)
* Dalälven - 520 km (320 mi)
* - Inn 518 km (322 mi)(tributary of the Danube)
* Maritsa - 515 km (320 mi)
* - Marne - 514 km (319 mi) (major tributary of Seine)
* Neris - 510 km (320 mi)
* Júcar - 509 km (316 mi)
* Dordogne - 483 km (300 mi)
* - Saône - 480 km (300 mi) (major tributary of Rhône)
* Ume - 470 km (290 mi)
* - Mur - 464 km (288 mi) (tributary of Drava)
* Ångerman - 460 km (290 mi)
* - Klarälven - 460 km (290 mi) (major tributary of the Göta älv)
* Lule - 460 km (290 mi)
* Doubs - 453 km (281 mi)
* Gauja - 452 km (281 mi)
* Weser - 452 km (281 mi)
* Kalix - 450 km (280 mi)
* - Vindel River - 445 km (277 mi) (major tributary of the Ume River)
* Ljusnan - 430 km (270 mi)
* Indalsälven - 430 km (270 mi)
* - Vltava - 430 km (270 mi) (major tributary of the Elbe)
* Ponoy - 426 km (265 mi)
* Ialomița - 417 km (259 mi)
* Onega- 416 km (258 mi)
* - Someș - 415 km (258 mi) (tributary of Tisza)
* Struma - 415 km (258 mi)
* Adige - 410 km (250 mi)
* Skellefte - 410 km (250 mi)
* Tiber - 406 km (252 mi)
* - Vah - 406 km (252 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Pite - 400 km (250 mi)
* - Faxälven - 399 km (248 mi) (major tributary of the Ångerman)
* Vardar - 388 km (241 mi)
* Shannon - 386 km (240 mi)
* Charente - 381 km (237 mi)
* - Iskar - 368 km (229 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* - Tundzha - 365 km (227 mi) (major tributary of Maritsa)
* Ems - 362 km (225 mi)
* Tana - 361 km (224 mi)
* Scheldt - 360 km (220 mi)
* - Timiș - 359 km (223 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Genil - 358 km (222 mi)
* Severn - 354 km (220 mi)
* - Morava - 353 km (219 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Luga - 353 km (219 mi)
* - Argeș - 350 km (220 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Ljungan - 350 km (220 mi)
* Minho - 350 km (220 mi)
* Venta - 346 km (215 mi)
* Thames - 346 km (215 mi)
* - Drina - 346 km (215 mi) (major tributary of Sava, Danube)
* - Jiu - 339 km (211 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Drin - 335 km (208 mi)
* Segura - 325 km (202 mi)
* - Osam - 314 km (195 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* Trent - 297 km (185 mi)
* Haliakmon - 297 km (185 mi)
* - Arda - 290 km (180 mi) (tributary of Maritsa)
* - Yantra - 285 km (177 mi) (tributary of the Danube)
* - Bosna - 271 km (168 mi) (major tributary of Sava, Danube)
* Kamchiya - 254 km (158 mi)
* Wye - 250 km (160 mi)
* Mesta - 243 km (151 mi)

## Rivers of Europe by discharge

This is an incomplete list of the largest rivers of Europe by discharge:
* Volga - 8,087 m$^3$/s (285,600 cu ft/s)
* Danube - 6,450 m$^3$/s (228,000 cu ft/s)
* Pechora - 4,380 m$^3$/s (155,000 cu ft/s)
* - Kama - 3,800 m$^3$/s (130,000 cu ft/s) (the longest left tributary of the Volga and the largest one in discharge)
* Northern Dvina - 3,330 m$^3$/s (118,000 cu ft/s)
* Neva - 2,490 m$^3$/s (88,000 cu ft/s)
* Rhine - 2,315 m$^3$/s (81,800 cu ft/s) (Aare - 560 m$^3$/s (20,000 cu ft/s) as major tributary of the Rhine, even larger than Rhine's contribution of 440 m$^3$/s (16,000 cu ft/s) at their confluence in Koblenz; Waal - 1,500 m$^3$/s (53,000 cu ft/s) as its main distributary)
* Rhône - 1,900 m$^3$/s (67,000 cu ft/s)
* Dnieper - 1,700 m$^3$/s (60,000 cu ft/s)
* - Sava - 1,609 m$^3$/s (56,800 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Danube)
* Po - 1,460 m$^3$/s (52,000 cu ft/s) (largest river in Italy)
* - Usa - 1,310 m$^3$/s (46,000 cu ft/s) (major tributary of Pechora)
* - Oka - 1,258 m$^3$/s (44,400 cu ft/s) (the longest right tributary of the Volga)
* - Vychegda - 1,160 m$^3$/s (41,000 cu ft/s) (major left tributary of Northern Dvina)
* Vistula - 1,080 m$^3$/s (38,000 cu ft/s)
* Don - 890 m$^3$/s (31,000 cu ft/s)
* Mezen - 890 m$^3$/s (31,000 cu ft/s)
* - Vyatka - 890 m$^3$/s (31,000 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Kama, Volga)
* Loire - 889 m$^3$/s (31,400 cu ft/s)
* - Tisza - 863 m$^3$/s (30,500 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Danube)
* Elbe - 860 m$^3$/s (30,000 cu ft/s)
* - Belaya - 858 m$^3$/s (30,300 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Kama, Volga)
* - Svir - 790 m$^3$/s (28,000 cu ft/s) (tributary of Neva, through Lake Onega)
* - Inn - 735 m$^3$/s (26,000 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Danube)
* Douro - 720 m$^3$/s (25,000 cu ft/s) (Most voluminous river in Iberian Peninsula)
* Glomma - 709 m$^3$/s (25,000 cu ft/s) (Norway's longest and most voluminous river)
* Neman - 678 m$^3$/s (23,900 cu ft/s)
* Göta älv - 575 m$^3$/s (20,300 cu ft/s)
* Lule älv - 505 m$^3$/s (17,800 cu ft/s)
* Ångermanälven - 500 m$^3$/s (18,000 cu ft/s)
* Indalsälven - 445 m$^3$/s (15,700 cu ft/s)
* Umeälven - 443 m$^3$/s (15,600 cu ft/s)
* Kuban River - 430 m$^3$/s (15,000 cu ft/s)
* Maritsa - 383 m$^3$/s (13,500 cu ft/s)
* Meuse - 357 m$^3$/s (12,600 cu ft/s)
* Dniester - 313 m$^3$/s (11,100 cu ft/s)
* - Neretva - 240 m$^3$/s (8,500 cu ft/s)
* - Una - 240 m$^3$/s (8,500 cu ft/s) (tributary of Sava, which is a tributary of the Danube)
* - Great Morava - 232 m$^3$/s (8,200 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Danube)
* Vardar - 170 m$^3$/s (6,000 cu ft/s)
* - Bosna - 163 m$^3$/s (5,800 cu ft/s) (tributary of Sava, which is a tributary of the Danube)
* - Vrbas - 132 m$^3$/s (4,700 cu ft/s) (tributary of Sava, which is a tributary of the Danube)
* - Drina - 124 m$^3$/s (4,400 cu ft/s) (tributary of Sava, which is a tributary of the Danube)
* - Arda - 77 m$^3$/s (2,700 cu ft/s) (tributary of Maritsa)
* Struma - 76 m$^3$/s (2,700 cu ft/s)
* - Iskar - 54 m$^3$/s (1,900 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Danube)
* - Yantra - 47 m$^3$/s (1,700 cu ft/s) (tributary of the Danube)
* Mesta - 45 m$^3$/s (1,600 cu ft/s)
* - Tundzha - 32 m$^3$/s (1,100 cu ft/s) (tributary of Maritsa)
* Kamchiya - 26 m$^3$/s (920 cu ft/s)