river of northwest-central France, an affluent of the Sarthe River, that rises north of Illiers in Eure-et-Loir département. The Loir flows generally west-southwest, passing through the western extreme of the Little Beauce in its upper course and by Châteaudun. Beyond Vendôme it enters the picturesque Loir valley, where there is evidence of troglodyte habitation. Flowing through La Flèche, it joins the Sarthe north of Angers. The river stretches 193 miles (311 km), some 70 miles (114 km) of which are navigable. It drains a basin of about 2,700 square miles (7,000 square km), and its average annual discharge is 35 cubic m/s.