The Keya Paha River ( /ˈkɪpəhɔː/ KIP-ə-haw) (Pawnee: Rakickatihrihuuru ) is a river flowing 127 miles (204 km) through the U.S. states of South Dakota and Nebraska.
The name is derived from the Dakota language ke'-ya pa-ha', meaning "turtle hill". The river's name was given to Keya Paha County, Nebraska, through which it flows.
The river originates in Todd County in south central South Dakota, at the confluence of Antelope Creek and Rock Creek near the town of Hidden Timber. It flows in a generally southeasterly direction through Todd and Tripp counties in South Dakota and then through Keya Paha and Boyd counties in Nebraska. It ends at its confluence with the Niobrara River about 7 miles (11 km) west of Butte, Nebraska.
In 1861, the border between the Nebraska and Dakota territories followed the Keya Paha River from the 43rd parallel to the river's confluence with the Niobrara; it then followed the Niobrara to the Missouri. This situation lasted until 1882, when the boundary was changed to follow the 43rd parallel all the way to the Missouri; the change added portions of Keya Paha and Boyd counties to Nebraska.
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