Albemarle County lies within the larger Chesapeake Bay Watershed, which spans more than 64,000 square miles and includes parts of six states. Over 90% of the county is in the drainage area of the Rivanna and Hardware Rivers, which flow into the James River, one of the major tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. The remaining 10%, located in the northeastern corner of the county, drains into the York and Rappahannock River basins.

Each major river basin contains smaller river watersheds, and each river watershed contains smaller stream and creek watersheds. The map below shows where Albemarle County fits into the major river watersheds.