County New London Mouth Long Island Sound | Length 24 km Country United States of America | |
 | ||
Main source The Yantic and Shetucket rivers merging
Norwich River mouth Long Island Sound
New London and Groton Width Minimum width:
377 feet (115 m)
Maximum width:
4,348 feet (1,325 m) Bridges Gold Star Memorial Bridge, Thames River Bridge, Mohegan-Pequot Bridge Sources Shetucket River, Yantic River Cities Groton, Norwich, Ledyard, Montville, Gales Ferry, Connecticut, Quaker Hill Historic District | ||
The Thames River (/ˈθeɪmz/) is a short river and tidal estuary in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It flows south for 15 miles (24 km) through eastern Connecticut from the junction of the Yantic and Shetucket rivers at Norwich, to New London and Groton, which flank its mouth at Long Island Sound. The Thames River watershed includes a number of smaller basins and the 80-mile-long Quinebaug River, which rises in southern Massachusetts and joins the Shetucket River about four miles northeast of Norwich.
Contents
Map of Thames River, Groton, CT, USA
HistoryEdit
The river has provided important harbors since the mid-17th century; it was then 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, Mohegan, New London, and Pequod. After the town was officially named New London in 1658, the estuary river was renamed Thames to match.
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. The USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the world's first nuclear-powered submarine, was launched into the river on January 21, 1954.
Two historic forts, now Connecticut State Parks, overlook the mouth of the river at New London harbor; Fort Griswold on the eastern Groton Heights, and Fort Trumbull on the New London side.
EventsEdit
The Yale-Harvard Boat Race 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 U.S. Coast Guard training ship Eagle.