Buffalo Bayou officially starts just west of Katy, Texas about 35-miles from downtown Houston where a few intermittent streams empty into the bayou. At this point, just south of Interstate 10, the bayou is only a few feet across.

Buffalo Bayou winds its way through the dozens of new suburban enclaves of South Katy and West Houston towards downtown. After passing the Barker Reservoir near Beltway 8, the bayou runs through the 500-acre Terry Hershey Park and through the Memorial area to the Houston Arboretum and Memorial Park, and the River Oaks area.

The Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s jurisdiction officially begins when Buffalo Bayou hits Shepard Drive and includes 10-square miles of the bayou corridor. The bayou flows through Buffalo Bayou Park along Allen Parkway, through the northern part of downtown.

At Allen’s Landing, the historical birthplace of Houston, White Oak Bayou meets Buffalo Bayou. From Allen’s Landing east, Buffalo Bayou becomes much wider and deeper. The Bayou flows through the East End of Houston to the Turning Basin and the Ship Channel.