Tar River
| Tar River | ||
 Catchment areas of the Tar River and the Neuse River |
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| Data | ||
| location | North Carolina , United States | |
| muzzle | Renaming of the river to Pamlico River Coordinates: 35 ° 33 ′ 9 ″ N , 77 ° 5 ′ 5 ″ W 35 ° 33 ′ 9 ″ N , 77 ° 5 ′ 5 ″ W.
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| length | 346 km | |
| Small towns | Greenville , Louisburg , Rocky Mount and Tarboro | |
| Navigable | Yes | |
The Tar River is a river in the state of North Carolina in the United States of America . A bridge spanning US Route 17 across the river, connecting Washington to Chocowinity , separates the river. Above (west) the bridge the river Tar River is called, below (eastwards towards the Atlantic Ocean) Pamlico River. They differ in that there is tidal range in the Pamlico River . The Tar River is approximately 346 kilometers long and flows from the north of the state in a southeast direction to the estuary of the Pamlico Sound .
North Carolina was a major supplier to the shipping industry in colonial times, and the state's pines were used to make masts, tar and pitch for the British Navy. The river's name comes from that time, when heavily laden ships full of tar ( Tar ) the flow direction Atlantic used as an important trade route. The city of Tarboro lies on the banks of the Tar River, also the nickname of the state Tar Heel State ( tar heel state) comes from this historical event.
Other towns on the banks of the Tar River include Greenville , Louisburg and Rocky Mount . Old Sparta was formerly an important river port, but lost its importance in the 20th century.
The river was badly hit by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and caused severe flooding in the area. The Tar River exceeded the high tide mark by 7.3 meters, reaching the highest level on its lower reaches in 500 years.