The Rock River is a tributary of the Big Sioux River, about 100 mi (160 km) long, in southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa in the United States. Via the Big Sioux and Missouri Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.

Course

The Rock River rises in Pipestone County, Minnesota, about 13 mi (20 km) northeast of the town of Pipestone, and flows initially southwardly through Rock County, Minnesota, and Lyon County, Iowa, where it turns southwestward into Sioux County, Iowa. It flows into the Big Sioux River in Sioux County, 6 mi (9.7 km) north of Hawarden.

Along its course the Rock River passes the towns of Holland, Edgerton and Luverne in Minnesota; and the towns of Rock Rapids, Doon and Rock Valley in Iowa.

Tributaries

In its upper course in Minnesota, the river collects the East Branch Rock River, about 15 mi (24 km) long, which flows for its entire length in Pipestone County. In Iowa, it collects the Little Rock River just south of Doon.

See also

• List of Iowa rivers
• List of Minnesota rivers
• Rock River (for other Rock Rivers)

References

• Columbia Gazetteer of North America entry
• DeLorme (1998). Iowa Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-214-5.
• DeLorme (1994). Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer. Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. ISBN 0-89933-222-6.
• USGS GNIS: Rock River
• USGS GNIS: East Branch Rock River
• Waters, Thomas F. (1977). The Streams and Rivers of Minnesota. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 0-8166-0960-8.

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