Due North: The St. John's River is One of Many

[Metro Jacksonville]

Due North: The St. John's River is One of Many



Dr. M. Kamiar is a Professor Emeritus of geography at Florida State College at Jacksonville and for decades he found himself continually correcting his students when they parroted the phrase, "the St. John's River and the Nile River are the only two rivers in the world that flow north." In this editorial he explains that there are hundreds of rivers that flow north and; in fact, the St. John's River flows south as well.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2013-apr-due-north-the-st-johns-river-is-one-of-many

[spuwho]

Of course there is the Red River that flows north through South and North Dakota.A remnant of a super lake that covered most of southern Canada and northern US.  The boundary between its headwaters and a tributary of the Missouri is very, very small.

The Ocklawaha, while technically not a north flowing river, does flow north a distance along the Ocala Ridge before turning east and joining with the St Johns.

[David]

Growing up here, i've had teachers in school tell me the folklore of the mysteroius St. Johns river and it's magical north flowing abilities.  I never understood what was so unique about it flowing north, just figured the river base was at a higher elevation than where it exits into the ocean.

What is the origin of this common misperception? Is it because some major U.S. rivers flow south? Mississippi, etc.