What river flows through Hollister, California?

The San Benito River flows through Hollister, California. It is the principal river associated with the city and forms part of the local landscape before continuing northwest toward its confluence with the Pajaro River.

The river drains a watershed of roughly 530 square miles and follows a course shaped in part by the San Andreas Fault system. It runs between the Gabilan Range to the west and the Diablo Range and southern Santa Clara Valley to the east. Although the river is important geographically, its flow is seasonal and can be intermittent in portions of the basin.

The San Benito River passes through or near communities including San Benito, Paicines, and Tres Pinos before reaching Hollister. Around the city, its corridor is also connected with flood-management, groundwater, habitat, and recreation planning. A common mix-up is the nearby Pajaro River: the San Benito River is a major tributary of the Pajaro, not the other way around.