The headwaters of the Yangtze are situated at an elevation of about 4900 m (about 16,000 ft). In its descent to sea level, the river falls to an altitude of 305 m (1000 ft) at Yibin, Sichuan Province, the head of navigation for riverboats, and to 192 m (630 ft) at Chongqing. Between Chongqing and Yichang (I-ch'ang), at an altitude of 40 m (130 ft) and a distance of about 320 km (about 200 mi), it passes through the spectacular Yangtze Gorges, which are noted for their natural beauty but are dangerous to shipping. Yichang, 1600 km (1000 mi) from the sea, is the head of navigation for river steamers; oceangoing vessels may navigate the river to Hankou (Hankow), a distance of almost 1000 km (almost 600 mi) from the sea. For about 320 km (about 200 mi) inland from its mouth, the river is virtually at sea level.

More than 1,683,500 sq km (650,000 sq mi) of territory is drained by the Yangtze and its branches. The principal tributaries are the Han, Yalong, Jialing, Min, and Tuo He (T'o Ho), on the north and on the south, the Wu; at Zhenjiang, the Grand Canal links the Yangtze to the Huang He (yellow River). During periods of heavy rains, Lakes Dongting and Poyang receive some of the overflow of the Yangtze. Despite these outlets, floods caused by the river occasionally have caused great destruction of life and property. In the 20th century, devastating floods have occurred in 1905, 1980, and 1981.

With its numerous tributaries and feeders, the Yangtze provides a great transportation network through the heart of some of the most densely populated and economically important areas in China. Among the principal cities on the Yangtze, in addition to those cited in the foregoing, are Wuchang, Nanjing, Hanyang, and Anqing (An-ch'ing). Jiangsu Province, largely a deltaic plain consisting of silt deposited by the Yangtze (more than 170 million cu m/6 billion cu ft annually), is one of the chief rice-growing areas of China.

Although the entire river is known as the Yangtze River to foreigners, the Chinese apply that designation only to the last 480 or 645 km (300 or 400 mi) of its course, the portion traversing the region identified with the Yang kingdom (flourished about 10th century BC). From Its upper reaches to Yibin, the river is called the Jinsha River (Golden Sand River) and various other names are applied in the provinces it traverses. The official name for the entire river is Chang Jiang ("Long River) or Yangtze River.