The James River is a 130 miles (209.2 km) river in southern Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

. Its source is near the town of Diggins

Diggins, Missouri

Diggins is a village in Webster County, Missouri, United States. The population was 341 at the 2009 census. It is part of the Springfield, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area....

 in Webster County

Webster County, Missouri

Webster County is a county located in Southwest Missouri. As of 2000, the population was 31,045. The population in 2010 was 36,202. Its county seat is Marshfield. The county was organized in 1855 and named for U.S. Senator and U.S...

. It begins on a northwesterly course, then turns southwest near Northview

Northview, Missouri

Northview is an unincorporated community in Webster County, Missouri, United States. It is located about five miles southwest of Marshfield on Missouri Supplemental Route B. Its post office has closed and mail is now at Marshfield....

 and passes near Springfield

Springfield, Missouri

Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...

. From Springfield, it flows south to Galena

Galena, Missouri

Galena is a city in Stone County, Missouri, United States. The population was 451 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Stone County. Galena is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

 where it becomes an arm of Table Rock Lake

Table Rock Lake

Table Rock Lake is an artificial lake or reservoir in The Ozarks of southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. It is impounded by Table Rock Dam constructed in 1954-1958 on the White River by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It is one of the tourist draws for the nearby town of Branson,...

, a reservoir on the White River

White River (Arkansas)

The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...

, which is the emptying point for the river.

The James River is a water source for the city of Springfield, and James River Freeway

James River Freeway

James River Freeway is a fourteen mile -long freeway located largely on the south side of Springfield, Missouri. Its western terminus is at Interstate 44 north of Brookline and its eastern terminus is at U.S. Route 65 in southeastern Springfield. It is named for the James River, which passes near...

on the city's south side is named for it.

The river's unusual green stain is from copper-fixing bacteria present in the waters.