North Platte
North Platte is a mapped river in the YearMaps hydrographic index. River courses organise settlement, agriculture and frontier-making more durably than any political boundary, and this reach is indexed against the dams, lakes and cities within its catchment.
- Feature Class
- River
- Coordinates
- 41.87°, -103.65°
About North Platte
The North Platte River is a major tributary of the Platte River and is approximately 716 miles (1,152 km) long, counting its many curves. In a straight line, it travels about 550 miles (890 km), along its course through the U.S. states of Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska.
The head of the river is essentially all of Jackson County, Colorado, whose boundaries are the continental divide on the west and south and the mountain drainage peaks on the east—the north boundary is the state of Wyoming border. The rugged Rocky Mountains surrounding Jackson County have at least twelve peaks over 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in height. From Jackson County, the river flows north about 200 miles (320 km) out of the Routt National Forest and North Park (Colorado basin) near what is now Walden, Colorado, to Casper, Wyoming. Shortly after passing Casper, the river turns to the east-southeast and flows about 350 miles (560 km) to the city of North Platte, Nebraska.
The North Platte and South Platte River join to form the Platte River in western Nebraska near the city of North Platte, Nebraska. The Platte River flows to the Missouri River, which joins the Mississippi River to flow to the Gulf of Mexico.
Encyclopedic summary adapted from Wikipedia: North Platte River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Platte in Depth
History as a trail west
The North Platte River drainage has been an important westward route in the westward expansion of the United States. To get the two essentials, water and grass, for the traveler's animals, the emigration trails nearly always followed river valleys across the North American continent. These trails extended from the Missouri River, Platte River, and the North Platte River across Nebraska and parts of Wyoming and on to its confluence with the Sweetwater River. About 50 miles (80 km) beyond what is now Casper, Wyoming the main emigration trails left the North Platte valley and followed the Sweetwater River valley and other river valleys going further west.
River description
Up in central north Colorado rests North Park (Colorado basin), a valley ringed by 12,000 feet (3,700 m) mountains. The headwaters of the river are essentially all of Jackson County, Colorado, whose boundaries are the continental divide on the west and south and the mountain drainage peaks on the east—the north boundary is the state of Wyoming boundary. The rugged Rocky Mountains Continental Divide surrounding Jackson County has at least twelve peaks over 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in height.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: North Platte River (CC BY-SA 4.0).
North Platte: Key Facts
| Length | 1,152 km |
|---|---|
| Average discharge | 38 m³/s |
| Drainage basin | 80,031 km² |
| Source | Little Grizzly Creek |
| Mouth | Platte River |
| Drainage system | North Platte River basin |
| Tributaries | Sweetwater River, Laramie River, Medicine Bow River, Canadian River, Encampment River, Michigan River, Horse Creek, Pass Creek |
Facts from Wikidata Q1755015 (CC0).
Major River Dossiers
Hand-written studies of the great river systems of history.
Connected Reaches
Nearby watercourses in the same drainage network.
Water Bodies in the Catchment
Settlements Along the Reach
Hydraulic Infrastructure Nearby
Surrounding Terrain
North Platte: Quick Answers
- Where is North Platte?
- North Platte is located in United States, at 41.8659° N, 103.6506° W.
- Are there dams on the North Platte?
- No dam on the North Platte is recorded in the YearMaps dam index, which covers major structures only.