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Dan River
Dan River Danville Virginia.JPG
View of the Dan River, Danville, Virginia
Dan River is located in Virginia
Dan River
Dan River is located in the United States
Dan River
Location of the mouth of Dan River
Other name(s) Tributary to Roanoke River
Country United States
States Virginia
North Carolina
Counties (Virginia) Floyd
Halifax
Mecklenburg
Patrick
Pittsylvania
Counties (North Carolina) Caswell
Rockingham
Stokes
Physical characteristics
Main source divide between Dan River, Smith River and New River
about 2 miles northeast of Rock Castle Gap
3,170 ft (970 m)
36°46′41″N 080°21′54″W / 36.77806°N 80.36500°W / 36.77806; -80.36500
River mouth John H. Kerr Reservoir (Roanoke River)
Stanton River State Park
300 ft (91 m)
36°39′22″N 078°35′55″W / 36.65611°N 78.59861°W / 36.65611; -78.59861
Length 214 mi (344 km)
Basin features
Progression generally east
River system Roanoke River
Basin size 3,300 square miles (8,500 km2)
Tributaries
  • Left:
    Ivy Creek
    Roaring Creek
    Coxes Branch
    Lickskillet Branch
    Little Dan River
    Peters Creek
    Bonds Branch
    Newman Branch
    Seven Island Creek
    Snow Creek
    Blackies Branch
    Reed Creek
    Beaver Island Creek
    Mayo River
    Buffalo Creek
    Matrimony Creek
    Smith River
    Covenant Branch
    Cascade Creek
    Trotters Creek
    Childress Creek
    Sandy River
    Fall Creek
    Barkers Branch
    Hances Branch
    Coy Creek
    Cane Creek
    Mineral Springs Branch
    Sandy Creek
    Wolfe Creek
    Barker Creek
    Double Creek
    Byrds Branch
    Toby Creek
    Little Toby Creek
    Birch Creek
    Miry Creek
    Pond Branch
    Poplar Creek
    Reedy Creek
    Banister River
    Peter Creek
  • Right:
    Quaker Field Branch
    Toggle Creek
    Mill Creek
    Round Meadow
    Squall Creek
    Squirrel Creek
    Fall Creek
    Big Branch
    Big Creek
    Double Creek
    Cascade Creek
    Indian Creek
    Scott Branch
    Town Fork Creek
    Belews Creek
    Hogans Creek
    Jacobs Creek
    Massy Creek
    Roach Creek
    Fishing Creek
    Town Creek
    Rock Creek
    White Oak Creek
    Williamson Creek
    Wolf Island Creek
    Jackson Branch
    Pumpkin Creek
    Hogans Creek
    Moon Creek
    Rattlesnake Creek
    Little Rattlesnake Creek
    Country Line Creek
    Winns Creek
    Powells Creek
    Chalmers Creek
    Locust Creek
    Lawsons Creek
    Perrin Creek
    Grassy Creek
    Hyco River
    Aarons Creek
Waterbodies Cockrum Millpond
John H. Kerr Reservoir

The Dan River flows 214 miles (344 km) in the U.S. states of North Carolina and Virginia. It rises in Patrick County, Virginia, and crosses the state border into Stokes County, North Carolina. It then flows into Rockingham County. From there it back into Virginia through only Pittsylvania County before reentering North Carolina near the border between Caswell County and Rockingham County. It flows into northern Caswell County and then back into southern Virginia (briefly Pittsylvania County, then into Halifax County) and finally into Kerr Reservoir on the Roanoke River.

The name of the river was first recorded by William Byrd II in 1728, during an expedition to survey the Virginia border, though Byrd did not explain the reason for the name. A variant name is "South Branch Roanoke River".

In 2014, a large amount of coal ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, spilled into the river, prompting a cleanup process costing an estimated $300 million.

Dan River is also the name of the southeastern political district of Pittsylvania County, where a small section of the river serves as the boundary between Pittsylvania County and the city of Danville.

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