The Kansas (or Kaw) River is a river in eastern Kansas in the United States. It was named for the Kaw people who once inhabited the Great Plains wilderness areas along its banks and supporting streams.

The Kaw is formed by the confluence of the Republican and Smoky Hill rivers near Junction City. It then flows eastward to join the Missouri River in Kansas City. From Junction City, the riverbed's elevation drops from 1050 feet to 730 feet at Kaw Point. See watershed maps: 1 When combined with the Republican River, the Kansas River has a length of 743 miles, making it the 21st longest river in the United States.

For part of its 170 mile length through north central Kansas, it displays the character of a high plains riverway, with wide shallow banks, subject to seasonal flash flooding. Some of the cities it passes through are Manhattan, Topeka, Lawrence, Shawnee and Kansas City. Its primary tributaries include the Big Blue and Wakarusa rivers.

The mouth of the Kaw River in the Kansas City West Bottoms (94 degrees 36 minutes West longitude)^* was the basis for the Missouri's western boundary from Iowa to Arkansas when the state entered the union in 1821. It still remains the boundary with Kansas south of the Missouri River. Missouri extended its boundary further west north of the Missouri River in 1836 with the Platte Purchase.

The Town of Kansas founded at the mouth eventually became Kansas City.

Cities and towns along the Kansas River

(This list follows Kansas River flow downstream)

• Riley - Elev: 1300 ft
• Junction City - Elev: 1047 ft
• Ft. Riley USGS - Elev: 1040 ft
• Ogden - Elev: 1023 ft
• Manhattan - Elev: 990 ft
• St. George - Elev: 977 ft
• Wamego - Elev: 955 ft
• Belvue - Elev: 911 ft
• Willard - Elev: 889 ft
• Topeka - Elev: 852 ft
• Tecumseh - Elev: 840 ft
• Lecompton - Elev: 820 ft
• Lawrence - Elev: 791 ft
• De Soto - Elev: 764 ft
• Bonner Springs- Elev: 762 ft
• Edwardsville - Elev: 741 ft
• Shawnee - Elev: 732 ft
• Kaw Point - Elev: 727 ft

Tributaries

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• Big Blue River
• Republican River
• Smoky Hill River
• Wakarusa River

See also

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• List of Kansas rivers

External links

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• Friends of the Kaw River access map
• Kaw Valley Heritage Alliance
• StreamLinks
• ''Lower Kansas
• KWO: Kansas-Lower Republican Basin
• USGS: Map of Historical and Cultural Sites along the Kaw Valley

History of the American West | Lewis and Clark | Rivers of Kansas | Tributaries of the Missouri River

Río Kansas | Kansas (Fluss) | カンザス川