The name Río Grande means great river in Spanish. The source of the Río Grande is in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado. It flows through the U.S. states of Colorado and New Mexico, and Texas, and forms the border between Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas.

The term "Rio Grande" translates from Spanish directly into English as "Big River" (Río meaning "river" and Grande meaning "big" or "large"). In the United States, this name refers to one of the longest river systems in North America, stretching approximately 1,900 miles from its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado down to the Gulf of Mexico. Interestingly, the river goes by a different name in Mexico: Río Bravo (or more formally Río Bravo del Norte), which translates to "Fierce River" or "Wild River of the North." The river serves as a critical natural boundary between the U.S. state of Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. Beyond its geographic importance, the English translation reflects the river's historical role as a massive life-sustaining artery for agriculture and indigenous civilizations throughout the arid Southwest for thousands of years.