Little Platte River

{{Short description|River in Missouri, U.S.}} {{Hatnote| 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).}}

{{Infobox river | name = Little Platte River | native_name = | name_other = Smith Creek | name_etymology = | nickname =  | image = File:LittlePlatteRiver.jpg | image_size = 250px | image_caption = Missouri Route C bridge of the Little Platte River at Plattsburg Boat Ramp | image_alt =  | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | map_alt = | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | pushpin_map_alt = | mapframe =  | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = {{nowrap|{{flagu|United States}}}} | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = {{flag|Missouri}} | subdivision_type3 = County | subdivision_name3 = DeKalb, Platte, Clay, and Clinton | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 =  | length = {{Convert|66.4|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name="Pla"/> | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location=Smithville, Missouri | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = {{Convert|179|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="Pla"/> | discharge1_max =  | source1 = | source1_location = Colfax Township, DeKalb County | source1_coordinates= {{Coord|39.7755564|-94.4078901|format=dms|type:river}}<ref name="MDNR_streams">{{cite web |url=https://gis-modnr.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/rivers-and-streams/explore|title=Rivers and Streams |publisher=Missouri Department of Natural Resources |website=Missouri Spatial Data Information Service |access-date=October 17, 2025}}</ref> | source1_elevation = {{Convert|1050|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="MDNR_streams"/> | mouth = Platte River | mouth_location = Carroll Township, Platte County | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|39.3980549|-94.6910694|format=dms|type:river|display=inline,title}}<ref name="GNIS"/> | mouth_elevation = {{Convert|774|ft|m|abbr=on}}<ref name="GNIS"/> | progression = Little Platte River → Platte River → Missouri River → Mississippi River → Atlantic Ocean | river_system = | basin_size =  | basin_landmarks = | basin_population = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | waterbodies = | waterfalls = | bridges = | ports = | custom_label = | custom_data =  }}

The '''Little Platte River''' is a river in the northwest Missouri, United States.<ref name="GNIS">{{GNIS|729536}}</ref> It is a major tributary of Platte River and is 66.4 miles long,<ref name="Pla">{{cite book | url=https://mdc.mo.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/320_2022_PlatteRiver.pdf | title=Platte River Watershed and Inventory Assessment | publisher=Missouri Department of Conservation | author=Bayless, Mike | year=2022 | accessdate=March 31, 2025}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory?site_no=06821150 | title=Little Platte River at Smithville, MO}}</ref> and just upstream from Plattsburg.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/inventory?site_no=06821080 | title=Little Platte River near Plattsburg, MO}}</ref>

==Etymology== The Little Platte River was historically known as Smith Creek<ref name="KCTopo1887">{{cite web|url=https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/kansas/txu-pclmaps-topo-ks-kansas_city-1887.jpg|title=Kansas City - 1887|website=The University of Texas at Austin|publisher=USGS|access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref> from to Humphrey Smith's mill, at Smithville.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RfAuAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA277 | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1916 | pages=277}}</ref> By the 20th Century, it was referred to as the Little Platte.<ref name="platte1914">{{cite web|url=https://kchistory.org/image/topography-platte-county-missouri|title=Topography of Platte County, Missouri|publisher=USGS and MBGM|access-date=October 26, 2025}}</ref>

==Geography==

===Course=== thumb|left|Little Platte River in Smithville, Missouri along Route DD, downstream of Smithville Lake

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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.claycountymo.gov/283/Watershed | title=Watersheds of Clay County, MO}}</ref>

===Tributaries=== There are 25 named direct and indirect tributaries to the Little Platte River.<ref name="Pla"/>

====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<ref name="KCTopo1887">{{cite web|url=https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/topo/kansas/txu-pclmaps-topo-ks-kansas_city-1887.jpg|title=Kansas City - 1887|website=The University of Texas at Austin|publisher=USGS|access-date=August 25, 2025}}</ref> * 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== {{portal|Rivers|Missouri}} * Tributaries of the Platte River * List of rivers of Missouri

==References== {{reflist|22em}}

==External links== {{commons category-inline|Little Platte River}}

Category:Rivers of Platte County, Missouri Category:Rivers of Clay County, Missouri Category:Rivers of Clinton County, Missouri Category:Rivers of Missouri Category:Tributaries of the Platte River (Iowa and Missouri)