Patuxent River

Patuxent River Patuxent tributary/Patuxent affluent
Patuxent River near Bowie
Patuxent River drainage basin
Location
Country	United States
State	Maryland
Major cities	Columbia, Laurel, Bowie, Upper Marlboro
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	2.3 mi (3.7 km) southwest of Mount Airy, Maryland, U.S.
• coordinates	39°20′55″N 77°10′39″W / 39.34861°N 77.17750°W / 39.34861; -77.17750
• elevation	823 ft (251 m)
Mouth	Chesapeake Bay
• location	2 mi (3.2 km) east of Solomons, Maryland
• coordinates	38°18′43″N 76°25′19″W / 38.31194°N 76.42194°W / 38.31194; -76.42194
• elevation	0 ft (0 m)
Length	115 mi (185 km)
Basin size	908 sq mi (2,350 km2)
Discharge
• location	Laurel, Maryland
• average	171 cu ft/s (4.8 m3/s)
• minimum	8 cu ft/s (0.23 m3/s)
• maximum	2,870 cu ft/s (81 m3/s)
Discharge
• location	Bowie, Maryland
• average	647 cu ft/s (18.3 m3/s)
• minimum	134 cu ft/s (3.8 m3/s)
• maximum	4,500 cu ft/s (130 m3/s)
Basin features
Tributaries
• left	Little Patuxent River
• right	Western Branch

The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington, D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between the two. The 908-square-mile (2,352 km²) ^[1] Patuxent watershed had a rapidly growing population of 590,769 in 2000. It is the largest and longest river entirely within Maryland, and its watershed is the largest completely within the state.