The Po is the main river of the Po Valley in northern Italy.
It rises at Pian del Re on Monte Viso in the Cottian Alps and travels eastward for roughly 650 kilometres before reaching the Adriatic Sea near the Po Delta. Its basin covers much of northern Italy and includes major tributaries such as the Ticino, Adda, Oglio, Tanaro and Mincio.
The river gave its name to the Po Valley, also called the Padan Plain or Pianura Padana. This broad lowland is Italy’s principal industrial and agricultural region, producing rice, cereals and other crops on fertile alluvial soils. Turin, Piacenza, Cremona and Ferrara all lie along its course or basin.
A common mix-up is the Adige, another important northern Italian river. The Adige flows east toward the Adriatic but lies mainly north of the Po basin and enters the sea separately. The Po is also notable for flooding: much of its lower course is confined by embankments, while its delta divides into several principal channels.