Key Information
Yukon River
| Type | River |
| Discharge Volume | Up to 1,240,000 cubic feet a second |
| Source | Llewellyn Glacier, Atlin Lake, British Colombia, Canada |
| Length | 1,980 miles |
Learning Point
- The Yukon River is a massive, historic waterway in North America, flowing nearly 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from its headwaters in Canada, through the Yukon Territory and Alaska, to the Bering Sea. Historically, it was the primary highway during the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s, navigated by paddle-wheel steamboats. Today, it remains vital for remote communities and is home to one of the world’s longest Chinook salmon runs, supporting the ecology and culture of the far North.
Project
- Draw a picture of either the Yukon River delta, or the Yukon River.
- Overview
- Drainage Basin
Location
| Location | Yukon and British Colombia, Canada; Alaska, United States |
Fun Facts
- The name “Yukon” actually means “white water river” in the language of the Gwich’in Indigenous people who live along its banks.
- Back in the late 1890s, the river was the main highway used by thousands of people rushing north during the famous Klondike Gold Rush to find gold.
- For many years, large, flat-bottomed boats called paddle-wheel riverboats—some as long as several school buses—were the main way to travel up and down the river.
- The Yukon River is one of the world’s most important rivers for Chinook salmon (also called King Salmon), which swim an incredibly long distance upriver to lay their eggs!
Past Lessons
| 179 | December 15, 2025 | (North America) |