The West River is a 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...

 in the U.S.

United States

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

 state of Rhode Island

Rhode Island

The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...

. It flows approximately 7.6 miles (12.2 km) and is the only named tributary of the Moshassuck River

Moshassuck River

The Moshassuck River is a river in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It flows from the town of Lincoln to the city of Providence. There are six dams along the river's length.- History :...

. It has a history of providing water to textile mills during the Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...

 as evidenced by the 7 dams along the river's length.

Course

The West River rises on the town line between Lincoln

Lincoln, Rhode Island

Lincoln is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 21,105 at the 2010 census. Lincoln is located in northeastern Rhode Island, north of Providence....

 and Smithfield

Smithfield, Rhode Island

Smithfield is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville...

 from a few small streams that originate in the vicinity of Lantern Road. The West River then flows southward, past Twin River Road and into Wenscott Reservoir. Below the reservoir, the river meanders east-southeast through North Providence and into Providence

Providence, Rhode Island

Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

 where it flows into the Moshassuck River north of downtown.

Crossings

Below is a list of all crossings over the West River. The list starts at the headwaters and goes downstream.

• Smithfield
  • Whipple Road
    • Crosses two of the primary streams that converge south of here to form the main West River.
  • Twin River Road
• North Providence
  • Asylum Road
  • Douglas Terrace
  • Brookfarm Road
  • West River Parkway
  • Mineral Spring Avenue (RI 15
    Route 15 (Rhode Island)
    -Route:Route 15 takes the following route through the State:*North Providence: ; US 44 to Pawtucket city line**Mineral Spring Avenue*Pawtucket: ; North Providence town line to Massachusetts State line at Brook Street...
    
    )
• Providence
  • Douglas Avenue (RI 7
    Route 7 (Rhode Island)
    -Route description:Route 7 begins in Providence at an intersection with Route 246, carrying Orms Street in a western direction. As it passes over I-95, the route meets Douglas Avenue and turns onto it, flanking a residential area. It then enters North Providence and continues for another ,...
    
    ) (Twice)
  • Veazie Street
  • Branch Avenue
  • Rhode Island State Route 146
    Route 146 (Rhode Island)
    Route 146, also known as the Louisquisset Pike, the Eddie Dowling Highway and the North Smithfield Expressway, is a long numbered state highway located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States...
    
    
  • Hawkins Street
  • Charles Street
  • West River Street
  • Interstate 95

Tributaries

Angell Brook is the West River's only named tributary, though it has many unnamed streams that also feed it.