Saint Johns

Related Category: U.S. Physical Geography

river, 285 mi (459 km) long, rising in SE Fla., N of Lake Okeechobee, and flowing N to Jacksonville, where it turns abruptly eastward and enters the Atlantic Ocean 28 mi (45 km) away. It passes through eight lakes and receives many tributaries; the Oklawaha River (120 mi/193 km long), which receives the Silver Springs, is the most important. The dredged river is navigable c.170 mi (270 km) upstream; there is a 30-ft (9-m) channel from Jacksonville to the ocean. The lower third of the river forms part of the Intracoastal Waterway.