The Hudson River is the defining natural feature of a major region of New York State, familiar to millions who drive across its bridges, admire its grandeur from parks and historic sites, or ride the Hudson River Line railroad.

The most famous river in New York is the Hudson River. Stretching 315 miles from its source in the Adirondack Mountains down to New York Harbor, it serves as the iconic boundary between Manhattan and New Jersey. The river is named after Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company who explored it in 1609. It is historically significant for its role in the American Revolution and the development of the Erie Canal, which linked the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. In 2026, the Hudson remains a central part of New York's identity, famous for the "Hudson River School" of landscape painting and more recently for the "Miracle on the Hudson" emergency plane landing. While the East River is also very famous, it is technically a saltwater tidal strait rather than a true river. The Hudson's majestic "Palisades" cliffs and its passage under the George Washington Bridge make it one of the most photographed and culturally celebrated waterways in the world.