Connecticut River Valley

Connecticut River (Kwenitegok)
Looking north from the French King Bridge at the Erving-Gill town line in western Massachusetts
Country	United States
States	Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire
Tributaries
- left	Chicopee River
- right	White River
Cities	Springfield, Massachusetts, Hartford, Connecticut
Source	Fourth Connecticut Lake
- elevation	2,660 ft (811 m)
- coordinates	45°14′53″N 71°12′51″W / 45.24806°N 71.21417°W / 45.24806; -71.21417
Mouth	Long Island Sound
- location	Old Saybrook, Connecticut and Old Lyme, Connecticut, Connecticut
- coordinates	41°16′20″N 72°20′03″W / 41.27222°N 72.33417°W / 41.27222; -72.33417Coordinates: 41°16′20″N 72°20′03″W / 41.27222°N 72.33417°W / 41.27222; -72.33417
Length	410 mi (660 km)
Basin	11,250 sq mi (29,137 km2)
Discharge	for Thompsonville, Connecticut
- average	17,070 cu ft/s (483 m3/s)
- max	282,000 cu ft/s (7,985 m3/s)
- min	968 cu ft/s (27 m3/s)
Discharge elsewhere (average)
- West Lebanon, New Hampshire	6,600 cu ft/s (187 m3/s)
River map, with major tributaries and selected dams.

The Connecticut River is the longest river in the New England region of the United States. Flowing roughly southward for 406.12 miles (653.59 km) through four U.S. states, the Connecticut rises at the U.S. border with Quebec, Canada, and discharges at Long Island Sound. Its watershed encompasses five U.S. states and one Canadian province – 11,260 square miles (29,200 km²) – via 148 tributaries, 38 of which are major rivers. Discharging at 19,600 cubic feet (560 m³) per second, the Connecticut produces 70% of Long Island Sound's fresh water.

The Connecticut River Valley is home to some of the northeastern United States' most productive farmland, as well as a metropolitan region of approximately 2 million people surrounding Springfield, Massachusetts, and the state of Connecticut's capital, Hartford.

The word "Connecticut" is a French corruption of the Mohegan word quinetucket, which means "beside the long, tidal river". The word "Connecticut" came into existence during the early 1600s, describing the river, which was also called simply "The Great River".

Prior to Dutch exploration beginning in 1614, numerous native tribes lived throughout the fertile Connecticut River valley. Information concerning how these tribes lived and interacted stems mostly from English accounts written during the 1630s.

In the southernmost region of the Connecticut River valley, the Pequots dominated a territory stretching roughly from the river's mouth (at modern-day Old Saybrook) northward to just below the Big Bend (at modern-day Middletown). By employing highly organized, aggressive tactics – alternately warring with, subjugating, and making alliances with less-centralized, predominantly agricultural tribes like the Western Niantic and Tunxis – the Pequots fended off invasions by their rivals, the Mohegans.