Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay – Landsat satellite image
Chesapeake Bay Watershed - extends north/east/west into six adjoining American states - Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New York state, plus the federal capital city of Washington in the District of Columbia.
Chesapeake Bay
Location	Maryland, Virginia
Coordinates	37°48′N 76°06′W / 37.8°N 76.1°W / 37.8; -76.1
Type	Estuary
Etymology	Chesepiooc, Algonquian for village "at a big river"
Primary inflows	Susquehanna River mouth east of Havre de Grace, Maryland
River sources	Deer Creek, Bush River, Gunpowder River, Back River, Patapsco River, Severn River, Patuxent River, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, York River, James River, Chester River, Choptank River, Nanticoke River, Pocomoke River
Primary outflows	Atlantic Ocean north of Virginia Beach, Virginia 36°59′45″N 75°57′34″W / 36.99583°N 75.95944°W / 36.99583; -75.95944
Catchment area	64,299 sq mi (166,530 km2)
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	200 mi (320 km)
Max. width	30 mi (48 km)
Surface area	4,479 sq mi (11,600 km2)
Average depth	21 ft (6.4 m)
Residence time	180 days [note 1]
Settlements	Annapolis, Baltimore, Cambridge, Cape Charles, Chesapeake, Chesapeake Beach, Elkton, Hampton, Havre de Grace, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach
References
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Complex
Designated	4 June 1987
Reference no.	375[2]

The Chesapeake Bay (pronounced /'tʃɛsəpi:k/) is the largest estuary in the United States.^[3] It lies off the Atlantic Ocean and is surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The bay's watershed covers 64,299 square miles (166,534 km²) in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.^[3] More than 150 rivers and streams drain into it.

The Chesapeake Bay is about 200 miles (300 km) long, from the Susquehanna River in the north to the Atlantic Ocean. At its narrowest point between Kent County's Plum Point (near Newtown) and the Harford County shore near Romney Creek, the bay isabout 2.8 miles (4.5 km) wide. At the widest location, it is 30 miles (50 km) wide. The bay is 46 feet (14 m) deep on average.

The bay has two bridges over it. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge crosses the bay in Maryland from Sandy Point (near Annapolis) to Kent Island. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in Virginia connects Virginia Beach to Cape Charles.

1. ↑ Du, Jiabi; Shen, Jian (2016). "Water residence time in Chesapeake Bay for 1980–2012". Journal of Marine Systems. 164. Elsevier BV: 101–111. Bibcode:2016JMS...164..101D. doi:10.1016/j.jmarsys.2016.08.011. ISSN 0924-7963.
2. ↑ "Chesapeake Bay Estuarine Complex". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Fact Sheet 102-98 - The Chesapeake Bay: Geologic Product of Rising Sea Level". U. S. Geological Survey. 1998-11-18. Retrieved 2008-01-13.