river in central and southeastern Iowa, U.S. It rises in Hamilton county near Webster City as the South Skunk River and flows generally south to Ames, where it veers to the southeast. It is joined by its principal tributary, the North Skunk River, about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Sigourney and then flows (as the Skunk River) generally eastward, entering the Mississippi River 7 miles (11 km) south of Burlington. Throughout its course of about 265 miles (425 km) it flows between and parallel to the Iowa River (to the east and north) and the Des Moines River (to the west and south).