The Arrowsmith River lies within the Mid West region of Western Australia. The first European to discover the river was the explorer George Grey on 11 April 1839, on his second disastrous expedition along the west coast. He named it after the distinguished English cartographer John Arrowsmith. The river commences just south of Arrino and north-west of Three Springs near the Midlands Road and flows in a westerly direction for a length of 85 kilometres (53 mi) to the coast and terminates in Arrowsmith Lake, 9 kilometres (6 mi) inland from Cliff Head.