River, central Nebraska, U.S. Formed by the confluence of the North Platte and South Platte rivers, it is 310 mi (500 km) long.
It flows southeast into a big bend at Kearney, Neb., then empties into the Missouri River at Plattsmouth, south of Omaha . It is too shallow for navigation and is almost dry for much of the year. Its waters are used for irrigation and municipal water systems.