A tributary of the Arkansas River, its entire 123-mile (198 km) length lies within the American state of Kansas.[3] The river originates in central Kansas in the Smoky Hills region of the Great Plains.[3][4] Its source lies in extreme south-central Ellsworth County immediately north of Geneseo, Kansas.[4] It joins the Arkansas River immediately northwest of downtown Wichita, Kansas.[4][6] A statue, The Keeper of the Plains by local artist Blackbear Bosin, marks the confluence of these two rivers.
The Little Arkansas River flows through the north side of Wichita, Kansas, on May 6, 2023.