The Neuse River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 rising in the Piedmont

Piedmont (United States)

The Piedmont is a plateau region located in the eastern United States between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the main Appalachian Mountains, stretching from New Jersey in the north to central Alabama in the south. The Piedmont province is a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division...

 of North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

 and emptying into Pamlico Sound

Pamlico Sound

Pamlico Sound in North Carolina, is the largest lagoon along the U.S. East Coast, being long and 24 to 48 km wide. It is a body of water separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a row of low, sandy barrier islands, including Cape Hatteras. The Neuse and Pamlico rivers flow in...

 below New Bern

New Bern, North Carolina

New Bern is a city in Craven County, North Carolina with a population of 29,524 as of the 2010 census.. It is located at the confluence of the Trent and the Neuse rivers...

. Its total length is approximately 275 miles (442.6 km), making it the longest river entirely contained in North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. The Trent River joins it at New Bern. Its drainage basin, measuring 5630 square miles (14,581.6 km²) in area, also lies entirely inside North Carolina. It is formed by the confluence of the Flat

Flat River (North Carolina)

The Flat River is a river in southern Person County, North Carolina and a portion of Durham County, North Carolina.The river flows from Person County to combine with the Little and Eno rivers to flow into the Neuse River...

 and Eno

Eno River

The Eno River, named for the Eno Indians who once lived along its banks, is the initial tributary of the Neuse River in North Carolina, USA.The Eno rises in Orange County. The river's watershed occupies most of Orange and Durham counties...

 rivers prior to entering the manmade, artificial Falls Lake

Falls Lake

Falls Lake is a 12,410 acre reservoir located in Durham, Wake, and Granville counties in North Carolina, USA.Falls Lake extends up the Neuse River to its source at the confluence of the Eno, Little, and Flat rivers...

 reservoir in northern Wake County

Wake County, North Carolina

Wake County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2010 census, the population was 900,993 making it North Carolina's second most populated county...

.