The Charles River (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an 80-mile (129 km) long river in eastern Massachusetts. From its source in Hopkinton the river's mouth is northeast of its headwaters, though it follows a highly meandering route, doubling back on itself several times and traveling through 23 cities and towns before reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston. The Native-American name for the Charles River is Quinobequin, meaning "meandering".