List of tributaries of the Missouri River

Map of the Missouri River watershed

The White River flowing into the Missouri River and coloring it with clay

Tributaries of the Missouri River, a major river in the central United States, are listed in upstream order. These lists are arranged into river sections between cities or mouths of major tributaries for ease of navigation. Two large tributaries (the Platte and Yellowstone) have their own separate lists because they would be too lengthy to include in part of another section.

Data is derived from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographical maps and the USGS National Map.

Mouth to Kansas City[]

• Gasconade River
  • Big Piney River
  • Roubidoux Creek
  • Osage Fork Gasconade River
  • Beaver Creek
• Auxvasse Creek
• Osage River
  • Maries River
  • Niangua River
    • Little Niangua River
    • Greasy Creek
  • Pomme de Terre River
    • Little Pomme de Terre River
  • South Grand River
    • Tebo Creek
    • Big Creek
  • Sac River
    • Little Sac River
    • Turnback Creek
  • Clear Creek
  • Little Osage River
    • Marmaton River
  • Marais des Cygnes River
    • Pottawatomie Creek
• Moreau River
• Cedar Creek
• Moniteau Creek
• Perche Creek
• Lamine River
  • Blackwater River
  • Heaths Creek
  • Muddy Creek
• Chariton River
  • Blackbird Creek
• Grand River
  • Locust Creek
  • Medicine Creek
  • Thompson River
    • Weldon River
  • Shoal Creek
  • Big Creek
  • Grindstone Creek
• Fishing River
  • East Fork Fishing River
• Little Blue River
• Blue River
  • Indian Creek

Kansas City to Plattsmouth[]

• Kansas River
  • Wakarusa River
  • Delaware River
  • Soldier Creek
  • Big Blue River
    • Fancy Creek
    • Little Blue River
  • Republican River
    • White Rock Creek
    • Prairie Dog Creek
    • Sappa Creek
    • Medicine Creek
    • Red Willow Creek
    • South Fork Republican River
    • North Fork Republican River
    • Arikaree River
  • Smoky Hill River
    • Solomon River
      • North Fork Solomon River
      • South Fork Solomon River
    • Saline River
      • Spillman Creek
    • Big Timber Creek
    • North Fork Smoky Hill River
• Platte River
  • Little Platte River
• Nodaway River
  • West Nodaway River
• Wolf River
• Tarkio River
• Nishnabotna River
  • West Nishnabotna River
  • East Nishnabotna River
• Keg Creek
• James Creek

Platte River Basin[]

• Platte River (Missouri River)
  • Salt Creek
    • Stevens Creek
  • Elkhorn River
  • Loup River
    • North Loup River
    • Middle Loup River
      • Dismal River
  • North Platte River
    • Rawhide Creek
    • Laramie River
      • North Laramie River
      • Chugwater Creek
      • Little Laramie River
    • Bates Creek
    • Sweetwater River
    • Medicine Bow River
      • Little Medicine Bow River
      • Rock Creek
      • Wagonhound Creek
    • Encampment River
    • Canadian River
    • Michigan River
      • Illinois River
      • Owl Creek
  • South Platte River
    • Lodgepole Creek
    • Beaver Creek
    • Bijou Creek
    • Kiowa Creek
    • Box Elder Creek
    • Cache La Poudre River
      • South Fork Cache La Poudre River
    • Big Thompson River
      • Little Thompson River
      • North Fork Big Thompson River
    • St. Vrain River
      • Boulder Creek
      • Left Hand Creek
    • Clear Creek
    • Cherry Creek
    • North Fork South Platte River
      • Craig Creek
    • Tarryall Creek
    • Middle Fork South Platte River
    • South Fork South Platte River

Plattsmouth to Pierre[]

• Mosquito Creek
• Boyer River
• Soldier River
  • East Soldier River
    • Middle Soldier River
• Little Sioux River
  • Maple River
  • West Fork Little Sioux River
  • Ocheyedan River
    • Little Ocheyedan River
• Floyd River
• Perry Creek
• Big Sioux River
  • Rock River
    • Little Rock River
  • Split Rock Creek
  • Flandreau Creek
  • Indian River

Vermillion River

• James River
  • Pierre Creek
  • Shue Creek
  • Snake Creek
  • Elm River
  • Pipestem River
• Niobrara River
  • Verdigre Creek
  • Keya Paha River
  • Minnechaduza Creek
  • Snake River
• Ponca Creek
• Choteau Creek
• White River
  • White Thunder Creek
  • Little White River
    • Pine Creek
    • Cut Meat Creek
  • Black Pipe Creek
  • Potato Creek
  • Wounded Knee Creek
• American Creek
• Bad River
  • War Creek

Pierre to Bismarck[]

• Cheyenne River
  • Belle Fourche River
    • Bear Butte Creek
    • Whitewood Creek
    • Redwater River
  • Boxelder Creek
  • Rapid Creek
  • Battle Creek
  • French Creek
• Moreau River
  • Virgin Creek
  • Red Earth Creek
  • Irish Creek
  • Beverly Creek
• Grand River
  • Firesteel Creek
  • Black Horse Butte Creek
  • Thunder Hawk Creek
  • North Fork Grand River
    • Lightning Creek
  • • Lodgepole Creek
    • Big Nasty Creek
• Cannonball River
  • Cedar Creek
• Heart River
  • Green River

Bismarck to Williston[]

• Knife River
  • Spring Creek
• Garrison Creek
• (submerged under Lake Sakakawea)
• Little Missouri River
  • Beicegel Creek
• White Earth River
• Little Muddy River

Yellowstone River Basin[]

• Yellowstone River
  • Powder River
    • Little Powder River
    • • • Little Piney Creek
      • Rock Creek
    • Crazy Woman Creek
  • Tongue River
    • Lay Creek
    • • Little Goose Creek
  • Rosebud Creek
  • Armells Creek
  • Bighorn River
    • Little Bighorn River
    • Shoshone River
    • Greybull River
    • Nowood River
      • Tensleep Creek
    • Gooseberry Creek
    • Wind River
      • Little Wind River
        • • Little Popo Agie River
  • Arrow Creek
  • Clarks Fork Yellowstone River
  • Stillwater River
  • Boulder River
  • Shields River
  • Gardiner River
  • Lamar River
    • Soda Butte Creek

North Dakota-Montana Border to Great Falls[]

• Big Muddy Creek
• Poplar River
  • • • Lost Child Creek
• Milk River
  • Battle Creek
• Musselshell River
  • South Fork Musselshell River
  • North Fork Musselshell River
• Armells Creek
• Cow Creek
• Judith River
  • • Dry Wolf Creek
• Arrow Creek
• Marias River
  • Teton River
  • Cut Bank Creek
  • Two Medicine River
    • Birch Creek
      • Dupuyer Creek
• Belt Creek

Great Falls to Three Forks[]

• Sun River
  • North Fork Sun River
• Smith River
• Dearborn River
• • Tenmile Creek
• Sixteen Mile Creek

Headwaters[]

• Gallatin River
  • East Gallatin River
    • Bridger Creek
• Madison River
  • Firehole River
  • Gibbon River
• Jefferson River
  • Boulder River
    • Little Boulder River
  • Big Hole River
    • Wise River
  • Beaverhead River
    • Ruby River
    • Blacktail Deer Creek
    • Red Rock River
      • • Hell Roaring Creek
          • Brower's Spring

References[]

• USGS Topo Maps for United States (Map). Cartography by United States Geological Survey. ACME Mapper.
• The National Map Seamless Server (Map). Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey.
• The National Map Viewer (Map). Cartography by USGS. U.S. Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05.