The Wolf River is a 45.7 miles (73.5 km) 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 Missouri River

Missouri River

The Missouri River flows through the central United States, and is a tributary of the Mississippi River. It is the longest river in North America and drains the third largest area, though only the thirteenth largest by discharge. The Missouri's watershed encompasses most of the American Great...

 in northeastern 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...

 in the United States

United States

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

, draining an area of 247.8 square miles (641.8 km²) in the Dissected Till Plains

Dissected Till Plains

The Dissected Till Plains are physiographic sections of the Central Lowlands province, which in turn is part of the Interior Plains physiographic division of the United States, located in southern and western Iowa, northeastern Kansas, the southwestern corner of Minnesota, northern Missouri,...

 region.

It rises in Brown County

Brown County, Kansas

Brown County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 9,984. Its county seat and most populous city is Hiawatha...

, approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Powhattan

Powhattan, Kansas

Powhattan is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 91 at the 2000 census. The city was named for the father of Pocahontas and was originally a stagecoach station named Locknane.-Geography:...

, and flows generally eastwardly into Doniphan County

Doniphan County, Kansas

Doniphan County is a county located in Northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,945. Its county seat is Troy and its most populous city is Wathena. The county along with Buchanan, Andrew, and DeKalb counties in Missouri is included in...

, past the communities of Robinson

Robinson, Kansas

Robinson is a city in Brown County, Kansas, United States. The population was 216 at the 2000 census. Robinson was named to honor the first governor of the State of Kansas, Charles Robinson...

, Leona

Leona, Kansas

Leona is a city in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 48. It is part of the St. Joseph, MO–KS Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

, and Severance

Severance, Kansas

Severance is a city in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 94.-Geography:Severance is located at , along the Wolf River...

. Near Severance, the river turns northward; it flows into the Missouri River approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) southeast of White Cloud

White Cloud, Kansas

White Cloud is a city in Doniphan County, Kansas, United States. It was named for James White Cloud, son of Chief White Cloud of the Iowa Tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 176. White Cloud is the seat of government for the Iowa Reservation of Kansas and Nebraska...

.

According to a 2001 study by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, 71% of the Wolf River 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...

 is cropland

Farm

A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...

, 25% is grassland

Grassland

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

, 3% is woodland

Woodland

Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...

, and 0.5% is urban

Urban area

An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...

.

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 Wolf River has also been known historically as:

• Petite Riviere de Cansez
• Riviere du Loup
• Shun-ta-nesh-nanga
• Wolf Creek