Humboldt River

The Humboldt River is an extensive river drainage system located in north-central Nevada. It extends in a general east-to-west direction from its headwaters in the Jarbidge, Independence, and Ruby Mountains in Elko County, to its terminus in the Humboldt Sink, approximately 225 miles away in northwest Churchill County. Most estimates put the Humboldt River at 290 miles long however, due to the extensive meandering nature of the river, its length is more closely estimated at 380 miles . It is located within the Great Basin Watershed and is the third longest river in the watershed behind the Bear River at 355 miles and the Sevier River at 325 miles . The Humboldt River Basin is the largest sub-basin of the Great Basin encompassing an area of 16,840 square miles . It is the only major river system wholly contained within the state of Nevada.

It is the only natural transportation artery across the Great Basin and has historically provided a route for westward migration. Additionally, two major railroad routes loosely follow its path. Interstate 80 follows the course of the river from its source to its mouth. The river is named for the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt.

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