Thames River
The Thames River from the Gold Star Bridge in New London.
Location
Country	United States
State	Connecticut
County	New London
Physical characteristics

Source	Confluence of The Yantic and Shetucket rivers
• location	Norwich
• coordinates	41°31′18″N 72°04′43″W / 41.5216°N 72.0787°W / 41.5216; -72.0787

Mouth	Long Island Sound
• location	New London and Groton
• coordinates	41°18′45″N 72°04′49″W / 41.3125°N 72.0804°W / 41.3125; -72.0804
Length	15 miles (24 km)
Width
• minimum	377 feet (115 m)
• maximum	4,348 feet (1,325 m)

The Thames River (/θeɪmz/)^[1] is a short river and tidal estuary in the state of Connecticut. It flows south for 15 miles (24 km)^[2] through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic River and Shetucket River at Norwich, Connecticut, to New London and Groton, Connecticut, which flank its mouth at Long Island Sound. The Thames River watershed includes a number of smaller basins and the 80-mile (130 km) long Quinebaug River, which rises in southern Massachusetts and joins the Shetucket River about four miles northeast of Norwich.^[3]^[4]

History

Sleighing on the frozen river, winter of 1903–1904

The river has provided important harbors since the mid-17th century. It was originally known as the Pequot River after the Pequot Indians who dominated the area. Other early names for the river have included Frisius, Great, Great River of Pequot, Little Fresh, New London, and Pequod. The town was officially named New London in 1658 and the estuary river was renamed Thames after the River Thames in London, England.^[5]

The United States Coast Guard Academy, Connecticut College, a U.S. Navy submarine base, and the Electric Boat submarine shipyard are located on the river at New London and Groton. USS Nautilus was launched into the river on January 21, 1954 from Electric Boat, becoming the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.^[6]

In addition to the submarine bases, a US Navy Magnetic Silencing Facility is also installed within the mouth of the river.^[7]

Two historic forts overlook the mouth of the river at New London harbor, now Connecticut State Parks: Fort Griswold on the eastern Groton Heights, and Fort Trumbull on the New London side.

Events

The Harvard-Yale Regatta is held annually in New London. New London's Sailfest is an annual event which includes OpSail, a gathering of large sailing vessels including the Coast Guard training ship USCGC Eagle.

Crossings

Town	Name	Carrying
Montville/ Preston	Mohegan-Pequot Bridge	Route 2A
New London/ Groton	Gold Star Memorial Bridge	I-95 and US 1
New London/ Groton	Thames River Bridge	Amtrak

References

^ "How New London, Connecticut, Got Its Name". The New London Gazette. The Oldham Publishing Service. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
^ Eastern Connecticut Conservation District.[1] accessed June 24, 2112
^ "GNIS Detail - Thames River". geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2016-08-04.
^ "How New London, Connecticut, Got Its Name". The New London Gazette. The Oldham Publishing Service. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
^ "USS Nautilus: A record-breaking sub". BBC News. 22 January 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
^ "Navy Plans Relocation of Magnetic Silencing Equipment in Thames".

Thames River Watershed

Tributaries

Connecticut	Basset Brook Beaver Brook Bigelow Brook Fenton River Fishers Brook Five Mile River French River Hop River Little River Merrick Brook Moosup River Mount Hope River Natchaug River Oxoboxo River Pachaug River Quinebaug River Shetucket River Thames River Willimantic River Yantic River
Massachusetts	French River Quinebaug River

Lakes

Connecticut	Ashford Lake Gardner Lake Killingly Pond Lake Chaffee Mansfield Hollow Lake Mashapaug Lake Quaddick Reservoir West Thompson Lake

Rivers of Connecticut by drainage system

Long Island Sound

Black Rock Harbor	Ash Creek Rooster River
Bridgeport Harbor	Pequonnock River
Connecticut River Watershed	Blackledge River Coginchaug River Connecticut River Duck River Eightmile River Falls River Farmington River Hockanum River Hubbard River Jeremy River Lieutenant River Mattabesset River Nepaug River Pameacha Creek Park River Pequabuck River Podunk River Salmon River Scantic River
Housatonic River Watershed	Blackberry River East Aspetuck River Housatonic River Konkapot River Mad River Naugatuck River Pomperaug River Rocky River Schenob Brook Shepaug River Still River Ten Mile River Whiting River
Little Narragansett Bay (Pawcatuck River Watershed)	Ashaway River Green Fall River Pawcatuck River Shunock River Wood River
Milford Harbor	Wepawaug River
New Haven Harbor	Mill River Quinnipiac River West River
Norwalk Harbor (Norwalk River Watershed)	Norwalk River Silvermine River
Saugatuck River Watershed	Aspetuck River Saugatuck River
Thames River Watershed	Basset Brook Beaver Brook Bigelow Brook Fenton River Fishers Brook Five Mile River French River Hop River Little River Merrick Brook Moosup River Mount Hope River Natchaug River Oxoboxo River Pachaug River Quinebaug River Shetucket River Thames River Willimantic River Yantic River
Others	Black Hall River Byram River Cove River Farm River Hammonasset River Indian River Mianus River Mill River (Fairfield) Mystic River Niantic River Noroton River Oyster River Rippowam River

Upper New York Bay

Hudson River Watershed	Titicus River

v t e Coastal waterbodies of Connecticut
Bays	Little Narragansett Bay
Coves	Smith Cove Wequetequock Cove Wethersfield Cove Ziegler's Cove
Harbors	Black Rock Harbor Bridgeport Harbor Kidd Harbor New Haven Harbor Norwalk Harbor
River mouths	Black Hall River Byram River Connecticut River Farm River Hammonasset River Housatonic River Mianus River Mill River (Fairfield) Mystic River Niantic River Noroton River Oyster River Rippowam River Saugatuck River Thames River
Sounds	Long Island Sound

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
Other	NARA

History

Events

Crossings

See also

References