Bull Run (Occoquan River)
Encyclopedia
Bull Run is a 32.8 miles (52.8 km) free-flowing tributary stream of the Potomac River
that originates from a spring in the Bull Run Mountains
in Loudoun County
, Virginia
, and flows south to the Occoquan River
. Bull Run serves as the boundary between Loudoun County and Prince William County
, and between Fairfax County
and Prince William County.
Bull Run is primarily associated with two battles of the American Civil War
: the First Battle of Bull Run
and the Second Battle of Bull Run
. A narrow part of the creek called Yates Ford (near Manassas
) is the scene of the Battle of Occoquan, and downstream about one mile is the current Yates Ford Road
bridge between Fairfax and Prince William counties.
Potomac River
The Potomac River flows into the Chesapeake Bay, located along the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States. The river is approximately long, with a drainage area of about 14,700 square miles...
that originates from a spring in the Bull Run Mountains
Bull Run Mountains
The Bull Run Mountains are a mountain range of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia in the United States. Located approximately east of the main chain, across the Loudoun Valley...
in Loudoun County
Loudoun County, Virginia
Loudoun County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and is part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the county is estimated to be home to 312,311 people, an 84 percent increase over the 2000 figure of 169,599. That increase makes the county the fourth...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and flows south to the Occoquan River
Occoquan River
The Occoquan River is a tributary of the Potomac River in northern Virginia, in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The river is long, and its watershed covers about . It is formed by the confluence of Broad Run and Cedar Run in Prince William County; Bull Run enters it east-southeast of...
. Bull Run serves as the boundary between Loudoun County and Prince William County
Prince William County, Virginia
-National protected areas:* Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge* Manassas National Battlefield Park* Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge* Prince William Forest Park-Government and politics:...
, and between Fairfax County
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...
and Prince William County.
Bull Run is primarily associated with two battles of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
: the First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas , was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the City of Manassas...
and the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
. A narrow part of the creek called Yates Ford (near Manassas
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
) is the scene of the Battle of Occoquan, and downstream about one mile is the current Yates Ford Road
Virginia State Route 612 (Fairfax and Prince William Counties)
State Route 612 is a secondary state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia, and traverses both Fairfax County and Prince William County. The two counties are separated by water , so SR 612 contains a bridge that is one of only eight crossings between the counties...
bridge between Fairfax and Prince William counties.