Aconcagua River: River in Chile

Aconcagua River
Location
Country	Chile
Physical characteristics
Source
- elevation	1,430 m (4,690 ft)
Mouth
- location	Pacific Ocean
Length	142 km (88 mi)
Basin size	7,340 km2 (2,830 sq mi)

Although it has the same name, the Aconcagua river does not starts in the slopes of Aconcagua, which is in Argentina about 20 km (12 mi) from the beginning of the river, in Chilean territory.

 

The Aconcagua river has a length of 142 km (88 mi), and a drainage basin with an area of approximately 7,340 km² (2,834 sq mi).

Course

The Aconcagua river starts on the Andes at an elevation of about 1,430 m (4,692 ft), at the confluence of two rivers:

• Juncal river, that starts in the Nevado Juncal mountain; it is 35 km (22 mi) long.
• Blanco river, that is 15 km (9 mi) long.

From its start, the river flows through the Aconcagua valley. Before the city of Los Andes, the river is joined, as a right tributary, by the Colorado river, 58 km (36 mi) long, and then, after the city of San Felipe, by the Putaendo river, also a right tributary with a length of 34 km (21 mi).

The river keeps flowing to the west, running through the cities of La Calera and Quillota, in the Quillota province. Finally, the Aconcagua river flows in the Pacific Ocean at the city of Concón, in the Valparaíso province.

The main tributaries of the Aconcagua river are:

• List of rivers of Chile