| Appomattox River | |
| Map: | Appomattoxrivermap.png |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Virginia |
| Subdivision Type5: | Cities |
| Subdivision Name5: | Petersburg, Tri-cities |
| Length: | 157miles |
| Discharge1 Location: | Matoaca |
| Discharge1 Min: | 18cuft/s |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 1366cuft/s |
| Discharge1 Max: | 39400cuft/s |
| Source1 Location: | Appomattox, Virginia |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 37.3961°N -78.8289°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 820feet[1] |
| Mouth: | James River |
| Mouth Location: | Hopewell, Virginia |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 37.3208°N -77.2756°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 0feet |
| Basin Size: | 1344sqmi[2] |
The Appomattox River is a tributary of the James River, approximately long,[3] in central and eastern Virginia, named for the Appomattocs Indian tribe who lived along its lower banks in the 17th century. It drains a cotton and tobacco-growing region of the Piedmont and coastal plain southwest of Richmond.
The Appomattox River rises in the middle of a field near State Route 656 (Horseshoe Road) in the Piedmont of northeastern Appomattox County, approximately northeast of the town of Appomattox. It flows generally southeast through the Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest to Farmville. From Farmville it flows in a large arc northeast then southeast across the coastal plain, passing southwest of Richmond and passing through the Lake Chesdin reservoir. It flows through Petersburg, its head of navigation, through the Tri-cities area, then joins the James River from the west at City Point in Hopewell.
The English colonists in Virginia at first tried to rename the Appomattox as the "Bristoll River", however this name did not catch on, while the native one did. There are numerous historical spelling variants, such as Apamatuck, Apamutiky, Appamattuck, Appomattake, and Apumetecs, among others.
The Appomattox River was cleared for transportation from Farmville to Petersburg for batteau
In April 1865 during the Appomattox campaign of the American Civil War, the Confederate forces attempted to burn the High Bridge over the river northwest of Burkeville in order to escape the pursuing Union Army after the fall of Petersburg. The Union capture of the bridge was a contributing factor in the forcing of General Robert E. Lee's surrender at nearby Appomattox Court House, ending the war in Virginia.
The river is a popular destination for rafting and canoeing, particularly downstream of the small Abutment Dam (which is a couple miles down stream of Chesdin Dam) in the village of Matoaca to Petersburg near Virginia State University.