Red River (Tennessee-Kentucky)

Red River
The Red River in Adams, Tennessee
Country	United States
States	Tennessee and Kentucky
Basin features
Main source	Sumner County, Tennessee 358 ft (109 m)
River mouth	Cumberland River
Basin size	1,482 sq mi (3,840 km2)
Physical characteristics
Length	100 mi (160 km)

The Red River, 100 miles (161 km) long, is a major stream of north-central Tennessee, United States and south-central Kentucky and a major tributary of the Cumberland River.

It rises in Sumner County, Tennessee, south of Portland. Trending generally northwest, it is crossed by several roads, notably State Route 76, U.S. Route 31W, and Interstate 65. A major tributary, the South Fork, forms nearby and runs parallel and south of the main river for several miles. For almost its entire length, it drains the northern Highland Rim of Tennessee and the adjacent (and analogous) Pennyroyal Plateau of Kentucky.

The Red River crosses briefly into Simpson County, Kentucky, and then enters Logan County, Kentucky. The South Fork also crosses into Logan County, coming from Robertson County, Tennessee, and joining the Red west of Adairville. Crossing the state line into Robertson County, the Red continues to flow primarily westward but with minor meanders. Crossed by U.S. Highway 41 near Adams, Tennessee, it is joined by an important tributary, Sulphur Fork, at the historic site of Port Royal, now a designated Tennessee State Historic Area. Tobacco was at one time loaded here onto shallow-draught boats, and a covered bridge crossed here. (The original covered bridge washed away in a flood, as a rebuilt replica also did subsequently.) The Red River and Sulphur Fork both form a small portion of the Robertson County-Montgomery County line, and the confluence at Port Royal marks a major jog in this line.