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Potomac River,  «puh TOH muhk», is a beautiful and historic stream that forms the boundary between Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. It winds 287 miles (462 kilometers) in a southeast course from its source in the Allegheny Mountains to its mouth in the Chesapeake Bay. Large ships can sail inland for 115 miles (185 kilometers) to Washington, D.C. The Potomac is from 2 to 7 miles (3 to 11 kilometers) wide for its last 100 miles (160 kilometers). It drains an area of 14,500 square miles (37,550 square kilometers).

The historic Potomac breaks through the Blue Ridge Mountains at Harpers Ferry, the scene of John Brown's Raid. The river also flows past Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.