The Potomac River is located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States and flows into the Chesapeake Bay. The river (main stem and North Branch) is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles (38,000 km²). In terms of area, this makes the Potomac River the fourth largest river along the Atlantic coast of the United States and the 21st largest in the United States. Over 5 million people live within the Potomac watershed.