The Neosho River is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Arkansas River

Arkansas River

The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. The Arkansas generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's initial basin starts in the Western United States in Colorado, specifically the Arkansas...

 in eastern Kansas

Kansas

Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...

 and northeastern Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Its tributaries also drain portions of Missouri

Missouri

Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...

 and Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

. The river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 is about 463 miles (745.1 km) long. Via the Arkansas, it is part of the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

.

Course

The Neosho's headwaters are in Morris County, Kansas

Morris County, Kansas

Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 5,923. The largest city and county seat is Council Grove.-19th century:...

, and it flows southeast through Kansas. In Ottawa County, Oklahoma

Ottawa County, Oklahoma

Ottawa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 33,194. Its county seat is Miami. It was named for the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma.Ottawa County was established in 1907.-Geography:...

, the river turns south-southwest for the remainder of its course through Oklahoma. It meets the Arkansas River near the city of Muskogee

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....

, about a mile downstream of the confluence of the Arkansas River and the Verdigris River

Verdigris River

The Verdigris River is a tributary of the Arkansas River in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. It is about long...

.

In Oklahoma the Neosho ends at its confluence with Spring River

Spring River (Missouri)

The Spring River is a waterway located in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. It begins in northern Barry County, Missouri south of Aurora, flows north of Verona and turns west across Lawrence and Jasper counties, passing through Carthage, before crossing into...

 at Twin Bridges State Park

Twin Bridges State Park

Twin Bridges State Park is located on the north side of the Grand Lake o' the Cherokees in northeastern Oklahoma. It was named for the two bridges which carry U.S. Highway 60 over arms of the lake which connect to the Neosho River and the Spring River...

. From that point on it is called the Grand River

Grand River (Oklahoma)

The Grand River is an alternate name for the lower section of the Neosho River, a tributary of the Arkansas River in Oklahoma. "Grand River" refers to the section of river below the confluence of the Neosho and Spring rivers in Ottawa County near Miami...

. The Grand River flows south to the Grand Lake

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees is situated in Northeast Oklahoma, nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountain Range. The "o'" in the name of the lake stands for of not over. Grand Lake Of the Cherokees is the official name. It is often simply called Grand Lake...

.

Dams

The Neosho has been dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

med at several points along its course, in most cases by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In Kansas, a dam upstream of Council Grove

Council Grove, Kansas

Council Grove is a city in Morris County, Kansas, United States. It was named after an agreement between European Americans and the Osage Nation about allowing settlers' wagon trains to pass through the area and proceed to the West. Pioneers gathered at a grove of trees so that wagons could band...

 forms Council Grove Lake, and a dam near New Strawn

New Strawn, Kansas

New Strawn is a city in Coffey County, Kansas, United States. The population was 425 at the 2000 census.-History:The town of New Strawn came about when John Redmond Reservoir was built, causing the original town of Strawn to be claimed by the Army Corp of Engineers for flood area...

 forms John Redmond Reservoir. In Oklahoma, a dam at Langley

Langley, Oklahoma

Langley is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 819 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Langley is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....

 forms the Neosho's largest reservoir, the Grand Lake o' the Cherokees

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees

Grand Lake o' the Cherokees is situated in Northeast Oklahoma, nestled in the foothills of the Ozark Mountain Range. The "o'" in the name of the lake stands for of not over. Grand Lake Of the Cherokees is the official name. It is often simply called Grand Lake...

. A dam near Locust Grove

Locust Grove, Oklahoma

Locust Grove is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2010 census compared to 1,366 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Locust Grove is located at ....

 forms Lake Hudson (also known as Markham Ferry Reservoir), and a dam upstream of Fort Gibson

Fort Gibson, Oklahoma

Fort Gibson is a town in Cherokee and Muskogee counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 4,054 at the 2000 census. It is the location of Fort Gibson National Cemetery and is located near at the end of the Cherokees' Trail of Tears at Tahlequah, Oklahoma.Colonel Matthew Arbuckle of...

 forms Fort Gibson Lake.

Tributaries

In Kansas, the Neosho is joined by the Cottonwood River in Lyon County

Lyon County, Kansas

Lyon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county was named for General Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed at the Battle of Wilson's Creek in the Civil War. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 33,690. Emporia is the largest city and county seat...

. In Oklahoma, it is joined by the Spring River

Spring River (Missouri)

The Spring River is a waterway located in southwestern Missouri, southeastern Kansas, and northeastern Oklahoma. It begins in northern Barry County, Missouri south of Aurora, flows north of Verona and turns west across Lawrence and Jasper counties, passing through Carthage, before crossing into...

 in Ottawa County and the Elk River

Elk River (Oklahoma)

The Elk River is a tributary of the Neosho River in southwestern Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma in the United States. Its tributaries also drain a small portion of northwestern Arkansas...

 in Delaware County

Delaware County, Oklahoma

Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population was 37,077 and the newest population estimate is 45,000. Its county seat is Jay. The county was named for the Delaware Indians resettled in what was then Indian Territory in the 1830s. .Delaware County...

.

Cities and towns along the Neosho River

• Americus, Kansas
  Americus, Kansas
  Americus is a city in Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 894. It is part of the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Americus is located at...
  
  
• Burlington, Kansas
  Burlington, Kansas
  Burlington is a city in and the county seat of Coffey County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,674.-Geography:Burlington is located at...
  
  
• Chetopa, Kansas
  Chetopa, Kansas
  Chetopa is a city in Labette County, Kansas, United States. The population was 1,281 at the 2000 census. Chetopa was named for Chief Chetopa, an Osage Indian chief.-Geography:Chetopa is located at...
  
  
• Chanute, Kansas
  Chanute, Kansas
  Chanute is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,119...
  
  
• Council Grove, Kansas
  Council Grove, Kansas
  Council Grove is a city in Morris County, Kansas, United States. It was named after an agreement between European Americans and the Osage Nation about allowing settlers' wagon trains to pass through the area and proceed to the West. Pioneers gathered at a grove of trees so that wagons could band...
  
  
• Disney, Oklahoma
  Disney, Oklahoma
  Disney is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 311 at the 2010 census. Despite its name, it is in no affiliation with the Walt Disney Company or Disney himself....
  
  
• Emporia, Kansas
  Emporia, Kansas
  Emporia is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 24,916. Emporia lies between Topeka and Wichita at the intersection of U.S. Route 50 with Interstates 335 and 35 on the Kansas Turnpike...
  
  
• Erie, Kansas
  Erie, Kansas
  Erie is a city in and the county seat of Neosho County, Kansas, United States, and situated in the valley of the Neosho River, about a mile Northeast of the river...
  
  
• Fort Gibson, Oklahoma
  Fort Gibson, Oklahoma
  Fort Gibson is a town in Cherokee and Muskogee counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 4,054 at the 2000 census. It is the location of Fort Gibson National Cemetery and is located near at the end of the Cherokees' Trail of Tears at Tahlequah, Oklahoma.Colonel Matthew Arbuckle of...
  
  
• Grand Lake Towne, Oklahoma
  Grand Lake Towne, Oklahoma
  Grand Lake Towne is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 74 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Grand Lake Towne is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
  
  
• Hartford, Kansas
  Hartford, Kansas
  Hartford is a city in Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 371. It is part of the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Hartford is located at...
  
  
• Humboldt, Kansas
  Humboldt, Kansas
  Humboldt is a city situated along the Neosho River in the southwest part of Allen County, located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,953.-History:...
  
  
• Iola, Kansas
  Iola, Kansas
  Iola is a city situated along the Neosho River in the northwestern part of Allen County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 5,704. Iola is the county seat of Allen County. It is named in honor of Iola Colborn.-History:The...
  
  
• Langley, Oklahoma
  Langley, Oklahoma
  Langley is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 819 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Langley is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
  
  
• Le Roy, Kansas
  Le Roy, Kansas
  Le Roy is a city in Coffey County, Kansas, United States. The population was 593 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Le Roy is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
  
  
• Miami, Oklahoma
  Miami, Oklahoma
  Miami is a city in Ottawa County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2009, the population estimate was 12,910. It is the county seat of Ottawa County. The city is named after the Miami tribe...
  
  
• Neosho Falls, Kansas
  Neosho Falls, Kansas
  Neosho Falls is a city in Woodson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 141.-History:The town was an inspiration for the album In the Spirit of Things by the band Kansas.-Geography:...
  
  
• Neosho Rapids, Kansas
  Neosho Rapids, Kansas
  Neosho Rapids is a city in Lyon County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 265. It is part of the Emporia Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Neosho Rapids is located at...
  
  
• Oswego, Kansas
  Oswego, Kansas
  Oswego is a city in and the county seat of Labette County, Kansas, United States,, and situated along the Neosho River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,829.-History:...
  
  
• Parkerville, Kansas
  Parkerville, Kansas
  Parkerville is a city in Morris County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 59.-Geography:Parkerville is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 73...
  
  
• Pensacola, Oklahoma
  Pensacola, Oklahoma
  Pensacola is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 125 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Pensacola is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
  
  
• Pin Oak Acres, Oklahoma
  Pin Oak Acres, Oklahoma
  Pin Oak Acres is a census-designated place in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 427 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pin Oak Acres is located at ....
  
  
• Salina, Oklahoma
  Salina, Oklahoma
  Salina is a town in Mayes County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,396 at the 2010 census, a slight decline from 1,422 at the 2000 census.-History:...
  
  
• Humboldt, Kansas
  Humboldt, Kansas
  Humboldt is a city situated along the Neosho River in the southwest part of Allen County, located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,953.-History:...
  
  
• Parsons, Kansas
  Parsons, Kansas
  Parsons is a city in the northern part of Labette County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,500...
  
  
• Piqua, Kansas
  Piqua, Kansas
  Piqua is an unincorporated community in Woodson County, Kansas, United States. The community was built as a railroad community and was named for Piqua, Ohio.-Geography:Latitude of Piqua is 37.922N and longitude is -95.535W....
  
  
• St. Paul, Kansas
  St. Paul, Kansas
  St. Paul is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. It had a population of 646 at the 2000 census.-History:Father John Schoemakers, S.J. founded Osage Mission on April 28, 1847. Called the "Apostle to the Osage" and the "Father of civilization in Southeast Kansas," he served for 36 years...
  
  
• Shaw, Kansas
• Rollin, Kansas
• Petrolia, Kansas
  Petrolia, Kansas
  Petrolia is an unincorporated community situated along the Neosho River in the southwestern part of Allen County, located in southeast Kansas, in the central United States of America...
  
  
• Bassett, Kansas
  Bassett, Kansas
  Bassett is a city situated along the Neosho River in the west-central part of Allen County, located in southeast Kansas, in the central United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 14.-History:...
  
  
• Geneva, Kansas
  Geneva, Kansas
  Geneva is an unincorporated community in the northwestern part of Allen County, located in southeast Kansas, in the central United States. Although official populations are not compiled for unincorporated places, the population of the surrounding Geneva Township was 172 in the 2000...
  
  
• Lincoln, Kansas
• Mission, Kansas
  Mission, Kansas
  Mission is a city in Johnson County, Kansas, United States. The population was 9,727 at the 2000 census. The city is a first-tier suburb in the Kansas City Metro. In 2003, Mission absorbed the neighboring city of Countryside.- History :...
  
  
• Strauss, Kansas
• Laneville, Kansas
• Montana, Kansas
• Hoag, Kansas
• Saulkner, Kansas
• Harmon, Kansas

Variant names

According to the Geographic Names Information System

Geographic Names Information System

The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...

, the Neosho River has also been known as:

• Grand River, particularly past the confluence of the Neosho and Spring rivers in Oklahoma—see Grand River (Oklahoma)
  Grand River (Oklahoma)
  The Grand River is an alternate name for the lower section of the Neosho River, a tributary of the Arkansas River in Oklahoma. "Grand River" refers to the section of river below the confluence of the Neosho and Spring rivers in Ottawa County near Miami...
  
  
• Le Grande Riviere
• Nee Ozho River
• Neozhoo River
• Ni-u-sho River
• Niocho River
• Nion-chou River
• Noshow River
• Osage River
• Rio Blanco
• Six Bulls River