Hughes River (West Virginia)
| Hughes River | |
|---|---|
Hughes River at Freeport | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | West Virginia |
| Counties | Ritchie, Wirt |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | South Fork Hughes River |
| • location | Doddridge County |
| • coordinates | 39°09′46″N 80°44′44″W / 39.16278°N 80.74556°W |
| • elevation | 1,074 ft (327 m) |
| 2nd source | North Fork Hughes River |
| • location | Ritchie County |
| • coordinates | 39°23′14″N 80°55′59″W / 39.38722°N 80.93306°W |
| • elevation | 1,098 ft (335 m) |
| Source confluence | |
| • location | near Cisco |
| • coordinates | 39°07′05″N 81°16′38″W / 39.11806°N 81.27722°W |
| • elevation | 614 ft (187 m) |
| Mouth | Little Kanawha River |
• location | near Newark |
• coordinates | 39°08′24″N 81°23′43″W / 39.14000°N 81.39528°W |
• elevation | 584 ft (178 m) |
| Length | 18 mi (29 km) |
The Hughes River is a tributary of the Little Kanawha River in western West Virginia in the United States. Via the Little Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River. As measured from the confluence of its north and south forks, the Hughes is 18 mi (29 km) long, and drains a rural area of the unglaciated portion of the Allegheny Plateau.
The river is believed to have been discovered and named by the 18th-century settler Jesse Hughes, but it may also have been named for others of the same surname residing in the area during roughly the same time period. According to the Geographic Names Information System, it has also been known historically as the Junius River.