The Tiffin River is a 54.9 miles (88.4 km) tributary of the Maumee River

Maumee River

The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...

 in northwestern Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

 in the United States

United States

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

. Headwater tributaries of the river rise in southeastern Michigan

Michigan

Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....

. The river drains a primarily rural farming region in the watershed of Lake Erie

Lake Erie

Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...

. Early French traders called the river Crique Féve, translated as Bean Creek, due to the natural growth of bean plants along the shores. The stream officially was renamed the Tiffin River in 1822 after Edward Tiffin

Edward Tiffin

Edward Tiffin was a Democratic-Republican politician from Ohio, and first Governor of the state.-Biography:Sources indicate that he was born in Carlisle; however he may have been born in or near Workington — also in the then county of Cumberland, England...

, the first governor of the state of Ohio. The 56.3 miles (90.6 km) upper section of the river north of the Ohio Turnpike

Ohio Turnpike

The Ohio Turnpike, officially the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike, is a -long, limited-access toll highway in the U.S. state of Ohio, serving as a primary corridor to Chicago and Pittsburgh...

 is still referred to as Bean Creek.

Course

Bean Creek, the name of the upper half of the Tiffin River, flows from Devils Lake

Devils Lake (Michigan)

Devils Lake is the name of a few lakes in the U.S. state of Michigan.The largest Devils Lake is in Lenawee County on the boundary between Woodstock Township and Rollin Township. The community of Devils Lake is on the northern end of the lake and Manitou Beach is at the southwest end...

 in the Irish Hills

Irish Hills

The Irish Hills is an area of land located roughly in southeastern Jackson County and northwest Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. Its name comes from the Irish immigrants who settled there from 1830-1850...

 region of southeastern Michigan. It travels west through the village of Addison

Addison, Michigan

Addison is a village in Lenawee County of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 627. The village is located on the boundary between Rollin Township on the south and Woodstock Township on the north.-Geography:...

 before meeting Posey Creek on the right bank. Turning south, the stream travels 8 miles (13 km) before merging with Hillsdale Creek just north of the city of Hudson

Hudson, Michigan

Hudson is a city in Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,307 at the 2010 census. The city is located within Hudson Township, but is politically independent.-Geography:...

. From there it flows southwest toward the unincorporated settlements of Medina and Canandaigua. At Canandaigua, Bean Creek comes within a mile of Black Creek, a tributary of the Raisin River. Flowing south past Canandaigua, the Bean Creek travels another 5 miles (8 km) before picking up Lime Creek a mile north of the city of Morenci

Morenci, Michigan

Morenci is a city in Lenawee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,398 at the 2000 census.Morenci is the birthplace of Tony Scheffler, a tight end for the Detroit Lions...

. After picking up Silver Creek toward the south end of Morenci, Bean Creek enters Fulton County, Ohio

Fulton County, Ohio

Fulton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2010, the population was 42,698. Its county seat is Wauseon. Fulton County is named for Robert Fulton, inventor of the steamboat....

. Following a generally straight course, Bean Creek is joined by Old Bean Creek at the Tiffin Wildlife Area 9 miles (14 km) southwest of Morenci.

Beginning a highly meandering course, the stream, now known as the Tiffin River, continues southwest toward the village of Stryker

Stryker, Ohio

Stryker is a village in Williams County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,406 at the 2000 census.-History:Stryker is the oldest settlement in Williams County...

. It turns to the south for its lower 35 miles (56.3 km), joining the Maumee from the north 2 miles (3 km) west of Defiance

Defiance, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,465 people, 6,572 households, and 4,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,562.4 people per square mile . There were 7,061 housing units at an average density of 670.0 per square mile...

.