US Physical Map Quiz at a Glance
A physical map of the United States shows the land itself: rivers, mountains, deserts, seas and lakes. This one has 12 great rivers, 11 mountain ranges, deserts and plains, and 13 seas, oceans and lakes. Click any of them to see its name, then play a round: a name appears and you click it on the map. Free, with no sign-up.
- On the map
- 36 places
- Rivers
- 12
- Longest river
- Missouri, about 3,770 km
- Highest peak (lower 48)
- Mount Whitney, 4,421 m
- Biggest lake
- Lake Superior
- Biggest salt lake
- Great Salt Lake
How to Play the quiz
- Click any river, mountain range, desert, sea or lake to see its name before you start.
- Pick a round: Rivers (12), Mountains & deserts (11) or Seas & lakes (13). A name appears and you click it on the map. Whole map asks all 36 once each.
- Rivers are thin lines, so a click on or just beside the line counts. On a phone, a tap where several features meet opens a magnifier; tap the right one inside it.
- After every answer the right place turns green, so a wrong click still shows you where it is.
Rivers of the United States
The Mississippi drains most of the land between the Rockies and the Appalachians, with the Missouri from the west and the Ohio (fed by the Tennessee) from the east. In the west the Colorado carved the Grand Canyon and the Columbia runs to the Pacific. The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico from El Paso to the Gulf, and the Brazos crosses Texas to the Gulf of Mexico.
Mountains, plains and deserts
The Rocky Mountains run from Montana to New Mexico; Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada (4,421 m) is the highest peak in the lower 48 states, and Denali in Alaska (6,190 m) the highest in the country. The Great Plains stretch east of the Rockies, and the Great Basin, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts fill the south west.
The Rivers in the Quiz, Longest First
Lengths are of the main river, rounded to 10 km; sources give slightly different figures.
| # | River | Length | Flows into | On its banks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Missouri | about 3,770 km | Mississippi River | Omaha, Kansas City |
| 2 | Mississippi | about 3,730 km | Gulf of Mexico | St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans |
| 3 | Rio Grande | about 3,050 km | Gulf of Mexico | Albuquerque, El Paso |
| 4 | Arkansas | about 2,360 km | Mississippi River | Wichita, Tulsa, Little Rock |
| 5 | Colorado | about 2,330 km | Gulf of California | Grand Canyon |
| 6 | Red | about 2,190 km | Mississippi and Atchafalaya | Shreveport |
| 7 | Brazos | about 2,060 km | Gulf of Mexico | Waco |
| 8 | Columbia | about 2,000 km | Pacific Ocean | Portland |
| 9 | Ohio | about 1,580 km | Mississippi River | Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville |
| 10 | Tennessee | about 1,050 km | Ohio River | Knoxville, Chattanooga |
| 11 | Sacramento | about 720 km | San Francisco Bay | Sacramento |
| 12 | Hudson | about 510 km | Atlantic Ocean | Albany, New York City |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the longest river in the United States?
The Missouri, about 3,770 km, slightly longer than the Mississippi (about 3,730 km) into which it flows.
What is the highest mountain in the United States?
Denali in Alaska, 6,190 m. In the lower 48 states it is Mount Whitney in California's Sierra Nevada, 4,421 m.
What are the main mountain ranges of the US?
The Rocky Mountains in the west, the Appalachian Mountains in the east, and near the Pacific the Sierra Nevada, the Cascade Range and the Coast Ranges.
What are the Great Plains?
The wide, flat grasslands between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi, from Texas to the Dakotas and into Canada.
What does a physical map show?
The land itself rather than countries: rivers, mountains, deserts, plains, seas and lakes. This one shows the borders faintly for reference, and the quiz asks for the natural features.
Made by Kashif Sulehria in Lahore, Pakistan. Updated October 31, 2026.