Highly Creek

Highly Creek Buck Branch
Highly Creek at Route 113 bridge in Clay Township
Watershed map of Highly Creek
Location
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	Holt
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Clay Township
• coordinates	40°14′36″N95°08′10″W / 40.2433263°N 95.1360858°W / 40.2433263; -95.1360858 [1]
• elevation	1,070 ft (330 m)
Mouth	Nodaway River
• location	Clay Township
• coordinates	40°10′32″N95°04′07″W / 40.1755488°N 95.0685852°W / 40.1755488; -95.0685852 [1]
• elevation	869 ft (265 m) [1]
Length	9.5 mi (15.3 km) [2]
Basin features
Progression	Highly Creek → Nodaway River → Missouri River → Mississippi River → Atlantic Ocean
Bridges	Stream gradient 20.1 ft/mi (3.81 m/km) [2]

Highly Creek is a stream in the Whig Valley of Holt County in the U.S. state of Missouri. ^[1] It is a tributary of the Nodaway River and is 9.5 miles long. ^[2]

Etymology

Highly Creek has the name of William Highley, a pioneer citizen. ^[3] Two other names were formerly used, Buck Branch ^[4] and Higley Creek. ^{[5] [6] [7]} The name Highly Creek first appeared on a 1926 USGS map. ^[8]

Geography

Highly Creek is a right tributary of the Nodaway River and joins it 26.3 miles before its mouth in the Missouri River. ^[9] It is the primary stream in the Whig Valley of Holt County, and along it is where the community called Whig Valley existed. It is the first major tributary to converge with the Nodaway River in Holt County.

Course

Highly Creek begins about 4 miles southwest of Skidmore and 1.5 miles south of the Atchison-Holt County border. The stream flows southeast and then curves east before it enters the Nodaway River about two miles south of Maitland.

Crossings

Two highways cross Highly Creek: Route 113 and Route C.

See also

• Tributaries of the Nodaway River
• List of rivers of Missouri

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Highly Creek
2. Horton, Rick (2022). Nodaway River Watershed and Inventory Assessment (PDF). Missouri Department of Conservation. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
3. "Holt County Place Names, 1928–1945 (archived)". The State Historical Society of Missouri. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
4. "An illustrated historical atlas map of Holt County, Mo, 1877". Brink, McDonough & Company. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
5. History of Holt and Atchison counties, Missouri. St. Joseph, National Historical Co.page=95. 1882.
6. "Holt County 1918". Geo. A. Ogle. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
7. "Records of the Post Office Department, Missouri: Henry - Howell". National Archves Catalog. Retrieved May 16, 2025.
8. "TopoView". USGS. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
9. "MO USGS HUC12 Watershed Boundaries". Missouri Spatial Data Information Service. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on April 15, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.