Bodies of Water in the USA Trivia Quiz

Answer: The cities of Buffalo and Cleveland are located on Lake Erie's shores.

Lake Erie is the fourth largest of the five Great Lakes. It is bounded by the U.S. states of New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Michigan. Lake Erie also borders the Canadian province of Ontario. The cities of Buffalo, New York, and Cleveland, Ohio, are along the shores of Lake Erie.

The name "Erie" comes from a Native American tribe. Lake Erie is famous for its "lake effect" snowfall, and Buffalo usually receives a lot of snow in the winter months. Lake Erie is not located near the Rocky Mountains.

Answer: Potomac River

The Potomac River starts in the mountainous regions of West Virginia and Maryland and flows approximately 400 miles (700 km) eastward into Chesapeake Bay. The lower part of the Potomac forms the tidal basin region of Washington, DC. The River Thames is located in England, the Murray River is found in Australia, and the Waikato River is in New Zealand.

Answer: Hudson River

The Hudson River is 315 miles (507 km) long. It flows from upstate New York southward and terminates just south of Manhattan Island in New York City. This river is named after Henry Hudson, a British explorer who worked for the Dutch East India Company in the early 1600s. Long Island Sound is a body of water which separates Long Island from the state of Connecticut.

The Allegheny River flows through the western parts of Pennsylvania and New York State. The Snake River runs through the western U.S. states of Wyoming, Washington State, Idaho and Oregon.

Answer: Mississippi River

The mighty Mississippi River is one of the longest rivers in the world. It flows about 2320 miles (3730 km) southward from the state of Minnesota to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Mississippi has been the subject of many stories and songs throughout history. Mark Twain described this great body of water in his 1876 classic story, "Tom Sawyer." The Han River is located in South Korea, the Charles River is located in the state of Massachusetts, and the North Sea is a body of water north of Europe.

Answer: Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water in the world. It forms the western border of the continental USA, including the states of California, Oregon and Washington. The Pacific Ocean also borders the northern state of Alaska, and it surrounds the Hawaiian Islands. The Atlantic Ocean borders the eastern states of the USA.

Answer: Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan is the third largest of the five Great Lakes, and it is the only Great Lake which is completely located within the United States. The great city of Chicago is found on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. The states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois are bordered by this body of water.

The Yellow River is located in China; Lakes Champlain and Otsego are found in New York State.

Answer: South Carolina

The Gulf of Mexico is bordered by the U.S. states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. South Carolina is situated along the Atlantic Ocean, in the southeastern section of the USA.

Answer: Rio Grande

The Rio Grande (Spanish for "Big River") runs for about 1250 miles (2018 km) on the border between Texas and Mexico. This body of water gets its start in the state of Colorado and flows in a southeasterly direction towards Texas. Puget Sound is located in Seattle, Washington State; the River Shannon is found in Ireland; and Lake George is situated in New York State.

Answer: It is the largest reservoir in the United States.

Lake Mead was formed in 1936, and it is the largest reservoir in the United States. The fresh water from this 110-mile (180-km) lake serves the cities of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Los Angeles, California. This body of water is named after Elwood Mead, a government commissioner who planned and supervised the building of this reservoir.

Answer: Crater Lake

Crater Lake, in Oregon, is truly a wonder of nature. It was formed about 7000 years ago when a volcano named Mount Mazama collapsed. A giant hole was formed in the ground, and scientists estimate that it took about 800 years for the hole to fill with water. Crater Lake is now the deepest lake in the USA.

The Fraser River is located in western Canada, the Bering Sea separates the state of Alaska from the country of Russia, and Lake Okeechobee is situated in the state of Florida.