Great plane landing of US Airways on Hundson river in NYC not too long ago. The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk , the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami, Muhheakantuck, in Tuscarora), is a 315-mile (507 km) river that flows from north to south through eastern New York State. It begins in the Adirondack Mountains, flows past the Capital District, and then forms the border between New York City and New Jersey at its mouth before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. In the New York City area, the river is sometimes referred to as the North River, so as not to confuse it with the East River. The Hudson river is named for Henry Hudson, an Englishman sailing for the Dutch East India Company, who explored it in 1609. The Hudson River was originally named the Mauritius River, which is claimed to be the name given by Hudson in honor of Prince Maurice of Nassau. Alternatively, it is said to be the name given by Sixteenth century European adventurers, explorers, and fishermen who knew the river as River Mauritius, 'The River of Mountains'.