Sonora River

river, Mexico

Also known as: Río Sonora

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Spanish:: Río Sonora

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Sonora River, river in Sonora state, northwestern Mexico. It rises south of Cananea, near the U.S. border, and flows southward and then southwestward through the western flanks of the Sierra Madre Occidental. Below Hermosillo, the state capital, the river crosses the coastal lowlands, but, because of damming and irrigation canals, the river no longer reaches the gulf. Its total course is some 250 miles (400 km) long. Many settlements, including Arizpe, Bacoachi, Huépac, and Ures, lie along the river.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Maren Goldberg.