The Mayo River is 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 drai ...
of the
Dan River
The Dan River flows 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 flows back int ...
, which in turn is a tributary of the
Roanoke River
The Roanoke River ( ) runs long through southern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina in the United States. A major river of the southeastern United States, it drains a largely rural area of the coastal plain from the eastern edge of the Ap ...
. All three rivers flow through the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
s of
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. It is named for
Major William Mayo (''ca.'' 1685-1744).
Course
The Mayo River is formed by two main branches, the North Fork Mayo River and the South Fork Mayo River. Both forks rise in
Patrick County, Virginia
Patrick County is a county located on the central southern border of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,608. Its county seat is Stuart. It is located within both the rolling hills and valleys of the Pi ...
, gathering the waters of many tributary streams. The two forks join in northwestern
Rockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,096. Its county seat is Wentworth. The county is known as "North Carolina's North Star."
Rockingham County is included in ...
, forming the Mayo River proper, which then flows south into joining the Dan River near the towns of
Mayodan, North Carolina and
Madison, North Carolina
Madison is a town located in Rockingham County, North Carolina. At the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,132. Madison is part of the Greensboro-High Point Metropolitan Statistical Area of the Piedmont Triad metro region. It was ...
.
See also
*
Mayo River State Park
*
List of Virginia rivers
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Virginia.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries, arranged in the order of their confluence from mouth to source, indented under each larger stream's nam ...
*
List of North Carolina rivers
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of North Carolina.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin, with respective tributaries alphabetically indented under each larger stream's name.
Atlantic Ocean
* North Landing Riv ...
References
External links
*
Rivers of Virginia
Rivers of North Carolina
Tributaries of the Roanoke River
Rivers of Rockingham County, North Carolina
Rivers of Patrick County, Virginia
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