Little Platte River

This stream is a tributary to the Platte River in Missouri. For the Platte River which is sometimes called the Little Platte River in reference to the larger Platte River in Nebraska, see Platte River (Iowa and Missouri).

Little Platte River Smith Creek
Missouri Route C bridge of the Little Platte River at Plattsburg Boat Ramp
Location
Country	United States
State	Missouri
County	DeKalb, Platte, Clay, and Clinton
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Colfax Township, DeKalb County
• coordinates	39°46′32″N94°24′28″W / 39.7755564°N 94.4078901°W / 39.7755564; -94.4078901 [1]
• elevation	1,050 ft (320 m) [1]
Mouth	Platte River
• location	Carroll Township, Platte County
• coordinates	39°23′53″N94°41′28″W / 39.3980549°N 94.6910694°W / 39.3980549; -94.6910694 [2]
• elevation	774 ft (236 m) [2]
Length	66.4 mi (106.9 km) [3]
Discharge
• location	Smithville, Missouri
• average	179 cu ft/s (5.1 m3/s) [3]
Basin features
Progression	Little Platte River → Platte River → Missouri River → Mississippi River → Atlantic Ocean

Little Platte River in Smithville, Missouri along Route DD, downstream of Smithville Lake

The Little Platte River is a stream in the northwest portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. ^[2] It is a major tributary of Platte River and is 66.4 miles long, ^[3] which makes it its second longest tributary. The river is the primary inflow for Smithville Lake and is its outflow before joining the Platte River. The stream is monitored at two locations, at Smithville. ^[4] and just upstream from Plattsburg. ^[5]

Etymology

The Little Platte River was historically known as Smith Creek ^[6] from to Humphrey Smith's mill, at Smithville. ^[7] By the 20th Century, it was referred to as the Little Platte. ^[8]

Geography

Course

The Little Platte River headwaters in southern Dekalb County just south of Pony Express Lake and flows southerly across US Highway 36 and west of Osborn. After traveling south through half of Clinton, it flows through the Hartell Conservation Area before crossing Missouri Route 116 and entering Plattsburg. A few local lakes and many tributaries flow into Little Platte around Plattsburg, and it passes south and east of the town. It heads southwest a few more miles before becoming the northern stretches of Smithville Lake.

The stream flows over 10 miles through the large reservoir before reaching the dam. The Little Platte River is joined by 11 named tributaries and countless unnamed ones along this stretch. Additionally, the river enters Clay County while part of the reservoir. After flowing out from the Smithville Lake Dam, it flows through Smithville and continues west. Various tributaries from the northern Kansas City metropolitan area flow into it along its 6-mile course westward before depositing into the Platte River in Platte County.

Hydrology

The Little Platte River is the second largest watershed in Clay County, after the Fishing River. ^[9]

Tributaries

There are 25 named direct and indirect tributaries to the Little Platte River. ^[3]

Clinton County

• Rock Branch
• Lingenfelter Branch
• Linn Branch
  • Roberts Branch
• Funkhouser Creek
• Horse Fork
  • Reservoir Branch
• Grindstone Creek
• Smith Fork

Clay County

• Owens Branch
• Second Creek
  • First Creek
• Wilkerson Creek
  • Rocky Branch
  • Polecat Creek
• Crows Creek or Crows Branch ^[6]
• Mitchell Branch
• Camp Branch
  • Owl Creek
  • Holtzclaw Creek
• Eberts Branch
• Owl Creek
  • Eberts Branch
• Duncan Branch

Platte County

• Muddy Branch
• Todd Creek
  • Wildcat Branch

See also

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

References

1. "Rivers and Streams". Missouri Spatial Data Information Service. Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 17, 2025.
2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Little Platte River
3. Bayless, Mike (2022). Platte River Watershed and Inventory Assessment (PDF). Missouri Department of Conservation. Retrieved March 31, 2025.
4. "Little Platte River at Smithville, MO".
5. "Little Platte River near Plattsburg, MO".
6. "Kansas City - 1887". The University of Texas at Austin. USGS. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
7. Eaton, David Wolfe (1916). How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named. The State Historical Society of Missouri. p. 277.
8. "Topography of Platte County, Missouri". USGS and MBGM. Retrieved October 26, 2025.
9. "Watersheds of Clay County, MO".