Platte River

Platte River, river in Nebraska, U.S. It begins at North Platte, Nebraska, at the joining of the North Platte and South Platte rivers, flows 310 mi (500 km) east, and empties into the Missouri River at Plattsmouth. The Platte and its tributaries drain approximately 90,000 sq mi (233,000 sq km) of land. The river's abundant waters are used to irrigate farms, as well as to provide water for communities. It is too shallow to navigate, but the river's valley has been used as a transportation route for land travel since pioneer days.