White River (Indiana)

White River - Indiana Wapahani
A White River dam
The forks of the White River are highlighted in blue. The green area is the basin watershed.
Basin features
River mouth	Wabash River
Progression	Wabash-Ohio- Mississippi-Gulf of Mexico
Basin size	5,746 sq mi (14,880 km2)
Physical characteristics
Length	362 mi (583 km)

The White River is a two-forked river that flows through central and southern Indiana and is the main tributary to the Wabash River. Via the west fork, considered to be the main stem of the river by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, the White River is 362 miles (583 km) long. Indiana's capital, Indianapolis, is located on the river.

The West Fork, 312 miles (502 km) long, is the main fork of the river. Federal maps refer to it simply as the White River, per a 1950 Board on Geographic Names decision. It starts south of Winchester in Randolph County at 40° 04' 46" N, 84° 55' 58" W in Washington Township. The river winds through Muncie, Anderson and Indianapolis before being joined by the east fork in the triad of Daviess, Knox and Pike counties. Along the way it passes by three Indiana state parks: Mounds State Park, near Anderson; White River State Park, in downtown Indianapolis; and McCormick's Creek State Park, near Spencer. In Indianapolis the Wapahani Trail follows the eastern bank; the Miami tribe had called the river Wapahani, meaning “white sands”.

The East Fork starts in Columbus at the confluence of the Driftwood and Flatrock rivers. The headwaters of the main stem ("West Fork") of the White River are in fact farther east than those of the East Fork. The East Fork flows a total of 192 miles (309 km) generally southwest, passing the city of Seymour, then flowing through rugged terrain before reaching the White River.