Arkansas River Map
The Arkansas River is a 2,360 km (1,470 mi) river in the United States. This map shows its course from the East Fork Arkansas River to the Mississippi River on shaded relief, with its river network, lakes, borders and major cities.
How to read this map
The Arkansas River is about 2,360 km (1,470 mi) long and drains a basin of about 505,000 km² (195,000 sq mi). Its average discharge is about 240 m³/s (8,480 cu ft/s). It rises at the East Fork Arkansas River and flows into the Mississippi River. It flows through or along Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. Tributaries include Salt Fork Arkansas River, Cimarron River, Neosho River, Canadian River, Verdigris River, Purgatoire River, Apishapa River and Bayou Meto.
The highlighted blue line is the course of the Arkansas River as mapped by Natural Earth. Towns and cities on the map include Dallas, Denver, St. Louis, Kansas City, Memphis, Tulsa, Albuquerque and Omaha. Labeled states and countries: New Mexico, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas and Indiana.
Greens show lower elevations; tan and brown show higher land, with pale tones toward the highest terrain. Shadows emphasize the slopes, and vertical relief is exaggerated so landforms are easier to read. Dashed lines show country borders, and fine dashed lines show state or province borders.
The relief uses Terrain Tiles (SRTM, GMTED2010 and ETOPO1 elevation data). Rivers, lakes, borders and the course of the Arkansas River come from Natural Earth, and the figures on this page from Wikidata. Natural Earth draws features at a small scale, so the line is a guide to where the Arkansas River is, not a surveyed boundary.
Blank physical map
The blank version keeps the mapped features and removes the place labels. Download it for a geography worksheet or practice identifying the features.
Arkansas River facts
| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Length | 2,360 km (1,470 mi) |
| Drainage basin | 505,000 km² (195,000 sq mi) |
| Average discharge | 240 m³/s (8,480 cu ft/s) |
| Source | the East Fork Arkansas River |
| Mouth | the Mississippi River |
| Countries | the United States |
| US states | Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas |
| Tributaries | Salt Fork Arkansas River, Cimarron River, Neosho River, Canadian River, Verdigris River, Purgatoire River, Apishapa River, Bayou Meto, Big Sandy Creek and Chalk Creek |
Data sources and license
- Natural Earth (public-domain geography): Public domain.
- Terrain Tiles / Mapzen (SRTM, GMTED2010, ETOPO1): Open elevation data; source attribution retained.
- Wikidata (lengths, areas, countries and other facts): CC0 1.0.
Map design and rendered images: Atlas of Maps, CC BY 4.0. Source databases retain their own licenses; the map license does not replace them.
Maps of the countries: United States. Compare with the world rivers map.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Arkansas River?
The Arkansas River is about 2,360 km (1,470 mi) long, with a drainage basin of about 505,000 km² (195,000 sq mi).
Where does the Arkansas River start and end?
The Arkansas River rises at the East Fork Arkansas River and flows into the Mississippi River.
Which states does the Arkansas River flow through?
The Arkansas River flows through or along Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Can I download a blank map of the Arkansas River?
Yes. The blank version keeps the relief, rivers and borders and the highlighted river but removes the place names. Both versions are free to download as PNG and as an A4 PDF.
Use this map
You can download, print and share this map for free, in class, in school projects, in presentations and on websites, as long as you credit the source: Arkansas River Map · Atlas of Maps (atlasofmaps.com), license CC BY 4.0.
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