 :for other rivers and places called james river and similar, see james river (disambiguation).   the james river is a river in the u.s. state of virginia. it is  long,u.s. geological survey. national hydrography dataset high-resolution flowline data. the national map, accessed april 1, 2011 extending to  if one includes the jackson river, the longer of its two source tributaries. the james river drains a catchment comprising . the watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million people (2000). it is the 12th longest river in the united states that remains entirely within a single state. ==course== the james river forms in the appalachian mountains, near iron gate on the border between alleghany 
James_River_(Virginia) James_River_Watershed Landforms_of_Richmond,_Virginia Rivers_of_Virginia Tributaries_of_the_Chesapeake_Bay