The Fore River is a short horn-shaped estuary, approximately 5.7 miles (9.2 km) long,^[1] separating Portland and South Portland in Maine in the United States. Many of the port facilities of the Portland harbor are along the estuary, which is formed just southwest of Portland by the confluence of several creeks. The estuary was initially known as Levett's River, so named by the first English settler of the Casco Bay region, Capt. Christopher Levett.^[2] But shortly afterwards, the estuary came to have the name by which it is known today.^[3]

The Stroudwater River flows into the Fore River estuary. The Cumberland and Oxford Canal connected the estuary with Sebago Lake via the Stroudwater River from 1832 through 1870. The estuary enters Casco Bay on the southeast edge of Portland. Like other coastal areas along the Gulf of Maine, it experiences moderately high tides, and thus the water level in the estuary and the harbor varies greatly throughout the day, leaving mud flats at low tide. It is spanned by the Pan Am Railways bridge and three highway bridges: the Casco Bay Bridge which connects Portland to South Portland, Veterans Memorial Bridge which carries Route 1, and a causeway which carries I-295.^[4]

References

^ U.S. Geological Survey 7.5-minute topographic map series: Portland East and Portland West quadrangles
^ The Beginnings of Colonial Maine, 1602–1658, Henry S. Burrage, Printed for the State, Marks Printing House, Portland, Maine, 1914
^ Portland in the Past, with Historical Notes of Old Falmouth, William Goold, B. Thurston & Company, Portland, Me., 1886
^ "Portland, ME". Google Maps. 2013. Retrieved 21 May 2013.

43°39′42.1″N 70°18′28.2″W / 43.661694°N 70.307833°W / 43.661694; -70.307833

v t e The City of Portland, Maine
General	Buildings Climate Government History timeline Mayors Media Notable people Public art Transportation
Geography	Bramhall Hill Cliff Island Cow Island Cushing Island Fore River Fore River Sanctuary Great Diamond Island Jewell Island Little Diamond Island Mackworth Island Munjoy Hill Peaks Island
Neighborhoods	Historic Deering Current Arts District Back Cove East Bayside (includes Kennedy Park) Deering Center Munjoy Hill Old Port West End
Bridges, streets and squares	Andrews Square Baxter Boulevard Boothby Square Casco Bay Bridge Commercial Street Congress Square Congress Street Cumberland Avenue Eastern Promenade Exchange Street Fore Street Franklin Street Longfellow Square Martin's Point Bridge Middle Street Monument Square Tukey's Bridge Veterans Memorial Bridge Western Promenade
Sports teams	Current Maine Mariners (ECHL) Maine Celtics Portland Phoenix Portland Sea Dogs Maine Roller Derby Former Maine Mammoths Maine Mariners (AHL) Portland Blue Sox Portland Pilots Portland Pirates
Metropolitan area	Greater Portland
Education	Maine College of Art & Design University of New England University of Southern Maine Portland, Maine schools Casco Bay Cheverus Deering Portland Arts and Technology Portland Waynflete
Category

Rivers of Maine by drainage system

Bay of Fundy

Passamaquoddy Bay

Saint John River Watershed

Casco Bay

Fore River Watershed	Fore River Long Creek Stroudwater River South Branch Stroudwater River
Presumpscot River Watershed	Bear River Chute River Crooked River East Branch Piscataqua River Little River Muddy River North Branch Little River Northwest River Piscataqua River Pleasant River Presumpscot River Songo River Sticky River Tenny River
Others	Cousins River Harraseeket River Little River New Meadows River Royal River

Gulf of Maine

Blue Hill Bay (Union River Watershed)	Bog River East Branch Union River Little Bog River Middle Branch Union River Union River West Branch Union River
Chandler Bay	Sandy River
Dennys Bay	Dennys River Hardscrabble River Orange River
Englishman Bay	Chandler River East Branch Chandler River Englishman River
Frenchman Bay	Jordan Stream Skillings River
Harrington Bay	Harrington River Mill River
Little River Watershed	Little River (Drakes Island) Merriland River
Machias Bay (Machias River Watershed)	Crooked River East Machias River Machias River Maine River Middle River West Branch Machias River
Mousam River Watershed	Littlefield River Middle Branch Mousam River Mousam River
Narraguagus Bay (Narraguagus River Watershed)	Little Narraguagus River Narraguagus River Spring River West Branch Narraguagus River (Cherryfield) West Branch Narraguagus River (Hancock County)
Pleasant Bay (Pleasant River Watershed)	Little River Pleasant River West Branch Pleasant River Western Little River
Piscataqua River Watershed	Great Works River Little River Neoutaquet River Piscataqua River Salmon Falls River
Sheepscot River Watershed	Back River Cross River Dyer River Marsh River Sasanoa River Sheepscot River West Branch Sheepscot River
Wohoa Bay	Indian River Southwest Branch Indian River West River
Others	Batson River Benjamin River Cape Neddick River Damariscotta River Johns River Jordan River Josias River Kennebunk River Little River (Boothbay) Little River (Georgetown) Little River (Goosefare Bay) Little River (York) Morse River Ogunquit River Pemaquid River Sprague River Webhannet River York River

Merrymeeting Bay

Androscoggin River Watershed

Kennebec River Watershed

Muscongus Bay

Saint George River Watershed	Back River Dead River East Branch Oyster River Mill River Oyster River Saint George River West Branch Oyster River
Others	Back River (Medomak) Back River (Meduncook) Goose River Medomak River Meduncook River

Penobscot Bay

Penobscot River Watershed

Others

Saco Bay

Saco River Watershed	Charles River Cold River Hancock Brook Kezar River Little Cold River Little Ossipee River Little River Little Saco River Mad River Middle Branch Mad River Old Course Saco River Ossipee River Saco River Shepards River South Branch Mad River South River Tenmile River West Branch Tenmile River
Others	Dunstan River Libby River Nonesuch River Scarborough River Spurwink River