| Middle River | |
| Map: | Middle ia rivermap.png |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | US |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Iowa |
| Subdivision Type4: | District |
| Subdivision Name4: | Warren, Madison, Adair and Guthrie counties |
| Discharge1 Location: | Indianola, Iowa |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 300 cu/ft. per sec.[1] |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 41.59°N -94.695°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1466feet |
| Mouth: | Des Moines River |
| Mouth Location: | US |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 41.482°N -93.402°W |
| Mouth Elevation: | 758feet |
| Tributaries Right: | South Fork Middle River |
The Middle River is a tributary of the Des Moines River in south-central Iowa in the United States. It is long[2] and drains an area of .[3] Via the Des Moines River, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River.
The Middle River rises in southwestern Guthrie County and initially flows southeastwardly through Adair County, then eastwardly through Madison County, then east-northeastwardly through Warren County, passing the towns of Casey, Winterset, Patterson, Bevington, Martensdale, Spring Hill and Carlisle.[4] A substantial portion of the Middle River's course through Warren County has been straightened and channelized.[4] It joins the Des Moines River in Warren County near Carlisle, southeast of Des Moines.[5]
A short headwaters tributary of the river is known as the South Fork Middle River.[6] It rises near the western edge of Guthrie County, about a mile north of Adair, at an elevation of and flows generally east-southeast for about 5miles passing just south of Casey before turning northeast as it empties into the Middle River just east of Casey at an elevation of .