Papaloapan River

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The Papaloapan at Tuxtepec
The Papaloapan at Tuxtepec
Map of the Papaloapan drainage basin.
Map of the Papaloapan drainage basin.

The Papaloapan River (Spanish: Río Papaloapan) is one of the main rivers of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Its name is derived from the Nahuatl papalotl ("butterfly") and apan ("river").

The Papaloapan rises in the Sierra Madre Oriental on the border between the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca. Its course takes it 122 km in a northeasterly direction before draining into Alvarado lagoon.

The cities of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec (Oaxaca) and Tlacotalpan (Veracruz) are situated on the banks of the Papaloapan.