Which river runs along the west side of Manhattan in New York City?

The Hudson River runs along the west side of Manhattan in New York City. Manhattan’s western shoreline faces the river and, across it, the state of New Jersey.

The Hudson begins in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York and flows south for about 507 kilometers to New York Harbor. Its lower section is tidal, so seawater and freshwater mix well north of the harbor. The river is named for the English explorer Henry Hudson, who sailed upstream in 1609 while searching for a route to Asia.

Several Manhattan landmarks stand along the Hudson waterfront, including Riverside Park, Hudson River Park, Chelsea Piers, and Battery Park City. The West Side Highway and Hudson River Greenway also follow much of the island’s western edge.

A common mix-up is the East River, which borders Manhattan to the east. Despite its name, the East River is a tidal strait rather than a conventional river; it separates Manhattan from Brooklyn and Queens and connects the Upper New York Bay with Long Island Sound.