Papaloapan River
Map of the Papaloapan River drainage basin
Origin	Northeast Oaxaca, in Tuxtepec
Mouth	Gulf of Mexico, Alvarado municipality, Veracruz
Basin countries	Mexico
Length	900 km (559 mi)
Source elevation	3,700 m (12,140 ft) at source to sea level at mouth
Basin area	46,560 km2 (17,977 sq mi)

Satellite picture of the Papaloapan River ending at the Gulf of Mexico

The Papaloapan at Tuxtepec

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.

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