James Creek was a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Anacostia River The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. ...

in the

southwest The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...

quadrant of

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, once known as St. James' Creek and perhaps named after local landowner James Greenleaf. It arose from several springs just south of

Capitol Hill Capitol Hill, in addition to being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington, D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues. It is one of the ...

. Its course ran through land owned by James Greenleaf, roughly parallel to the route of present-day Delaware Avenue, SW, emptying into a cove along the Anacostia River at present-day 1st Street SW, between Greenleaf Point to the west and

Buzzard Point Buzzard Point is an urbanized area located on the peninsula formed by the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in the southwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. History The earliest documented name for the tip of the peninsula that no ...

to the east. South of I Street SW, it flowed through an area of tidal marshes. By 1815, its upstream reach was subsumed into the

Washington City Canal The Washington City Canal operated from 1815 until the mid-1850s in Washington, D.C. The canal connected the Anacostia River, termed the "Eastern Branch" at that time, to Tiber Creek, the Potomac River, and later the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Ca ...

, together with the main stem of

Tiber Creek Tiber Creek or Tyber Creek, originally named Goose Creek, is a tributary of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. It was a free-flowing creek until 1815, when it was channeled to become part of the Washington City Canal. Presently, it flows un ...

. From 1866 to 1876, its tidal lower reach was converted into the James Creek Canal, which was buried in 1916–1917. Two present-day sites are named after the creek: James Creek, a

District of Columbia Housing Authority The District of Columbia Housing Authority is an independent government agency whose mission is to provide affordable housing to extremely low- through moderate-income households, foster sustainable communities, and cultivate opportunities for ...

property, and the James Creek Marina, which is located within what was the creek's mouth.

References and notes

History of Washington, D.C. Rivers of Washington, D.C. Tributaries of the Potomac River Former rivers Subterranean rivers of the United States Southwest Waterfront {{WashingtonDC-river-stub