<P> The Rio Grande ( / ˈriːoʊ ˈɡrænd / or / ˈriːoʊ ˈɡrɑːndeɪ / ; Spanish : Río Bravo del Norte , pronounced ( ˈri. o ˈβɾaβo ðel ˈnorte ) or simply Río Bravo ) is one of the principal rivers in the southwest United States and northern Mexico ( the other being the Colorado River ) . The Rio Grande begins in south - central Colorado in the United States and flows to the Gulf of Mexico . Along the way , it forms part of the Mexico -- United States border . According to the International Boundary and Water Commission , its total length was 1,896 miles ( 3,051 km ) in the late 1980s , though course shifts occasionally result in length changes . Depending on how it is measured , the Rio Grande is either the fourth - or fifth - longest river system in North America . </P>
<P> The Rio Grande ( / ˈriːoʊ ˈɡrænd / or / ˈriːoʊ ˈɡrɑːndeɪ / ; Spanish : Río Bravo del Norte , pronounced ( ˈri. o ˈβɾaβo ðel ˈnorte ) or simply Río Bravo ) is one of the principal rivers in the southwest United States and northern Mexico ( the other being the Colorado River ) . The Rio Grande begins in south - central Colorado in the United States and flows to the Gulf of Mexico . Along the way , it forms part of the Mexico -- United States border . According to the International Boundary and Water Commission , its total length was 1,896 miles ( 3,051 km ) in the late 1980s , though course shifts occasionally result in length changes . Depending on how it is measured , the Rio Grande is either the fourth - or fifth - longest river system in North America . </P>
where is rio grande river located on a map
where is rio grande river located on a map
The Rio Grande begins in south - central Colorado in the United States and flows to the Gulf of Mexico . Along the way , it forms part of the Mexico -- United States border
The Rio Grande begins in south - central Colorado in the United States and flows to the Gulf of Mexico . Along the way , it forms part of the Mexico -- United States border