Muskingum River

river, United States

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Article History

Muskingum River, river formed by the confluence of the Tuscarawas and Walhonding rivers at Coshocton, east-central Ohio, U.S. It flows about 112 miles (180 km) south past Zanesville and McConnelsville to the Ohio River at Marietta.

The Licking River, which joins the Muskingum at Zanesville, is the chief tributary. A series of locks, dams, and short canals—most of them built between 1935 and 1941—control flooding and make the river navigable. The name is of Algonquian origin and probably means “by the river.”

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.